oil fired steam boiler

Mike camperlengo

Have the tech bypass the t-stat and see if it works.

Queen Black

oil fired steam boiler

Hello to all.
I am just a homeowner who has spend 500.00 dollars so far...and I still have the same problem. My chamber was replaced today. new fuel pump new filter. The problem: The boiler continues to fire even after the room temperature has reached the temp set on the thermostat. It will shut down if you turn the thermostat down otherwise it keeps running. After it is shut down if you try and start it again it shuts down completely. It will not start until you reset it. When it runs all radiators heat and no water hammer. I mentioned this to the service guy and he said he wanted to wait and see how it ran before looking into a thermostat. What could be making it not start when I turn up the thermostat, and not shutting down when the set temp. on the thermostat is reached? The service guy made a statement today that made me angry. After putting in this chamber it smelled funny so I asked what's that smell and his reply was it's the smell of money burning....yours!!!! I guess he was right because after spending this money I still have the same problem. Any help would be appreciated. I bought Dan's books so I can sound like I know what I'm talking about...just so I don't be ripped off. Coming to this forum is a great help also...I just wish I could recognize something in the posted pictures! LOL

joel_19

chamber

A new chamber and pump sounds as if it would have nothing to do with your problem at all . however that doesn't mean you got ripped off . Burner chambers , oil filters etc. Are things that do need to be maintaned/upgraded . You may have called about the problem you described and then he found the chamber was bad and fixed it . That would have been the first right step to take as that is a critical part . It should have been explained to you upfront. Some of us are sometimes not the best communicators .

Queen Black

Thank you

I appreciate your response. I didn't think this guy ripped me off. I had so many thoughts runing thru my head that maybe I didn't make myself clear. The rip off already happened with a plumber. That's why I bought the books. So, what do you think could be the problem?

Mike Cascio

Sounds like a bad thermostat/heat anticipator.

Michael J. Cascio

Queen Black

Thanks Michael

The service guy says I have an in line voltage thermostat and I don't have the anticipator. He says the low water cut off and the pressuretrol is wired for low voltage, but not the thermostat.

Weezbo

i have been forced to have a glass of water,grape

seed extract and merlot to accomodate the general demise of my otherwise laxidazial attitude bought about from working my Bass off all year...

it seems that you could turn the t stat down and hit the reset button, without disabeling any wires ....if it goes then perhaps a set of contactors has welded itself together on the line voltage t stat. Basically rendering the switching mecanism useless.what may be stoping the boiler is physical intervention. as a first blush of your encapsulation of what is and isnt happening.

Queen Black

Questions

How can you tell if a pressuretrol is not working? Can I change the wiring for the thermostat to the low voltage wiring? It's cold in here and nobody is answering the phone at the oil company. Maybe I need an electrician.

Mellow_2

hope this helps

A reset button can pop up if the oil burner is not burning properly. Most of the time at start up, when the burner is trying to start the fire in the boiler.......This is for safety and should not happen when the unit is running correctly......When the t'stat is turned down it can stop the fire, then you turn the t'stat up and the reset pops because it is trying to start. this could be the problem........

some boilers have domestic coils to heat the hot water at the sink. This means if you turn down the t'stat, the burner (boiler) will keep running too reach a high limit of 180 deg. BUT will not keep heating the room....is the room getting too hot, if you set the t'stat and not turn it down????? If you set the t"stat at 70 and it stays at 70 the t'stat is working. you sayed it was getting cold so I bet the reset has poped again. With more info we could be more help.

Dick Charland

A little skeptical

You said the technician told you the thermostat was line voltage and the controls were wired low voltage? That is not how oil fired steam boilers are normally wired. The limit circuit through the pressuretrol, lwco etc. the burner should always be line voltage. A line voltage thermostat could be used but more often than not, it is low voltage to the burner control.

You don't indicate if you have to hit the reset button to get the burner to operate. If the burner control has locked out for some reason, the burner will not fire and you will not have heat. The unit not shutting off on the thermostat could be one of several problems from something as simple as a thermostat being out of level to being defective or having a burned out heat anticipator.

You need to communicate with someone at the oil company who is more familiar with equipment or find a new source for service.

Guy_6

possibility

It still may be a thermostat issue, if the t-stat is cutting in and out rapidly. I have seen that trip the reset. As far as line voltage t-stats go, I have yet to see a residential model that is consistently accurate.

Mike camperlengo

t-stat

I have one pipe steam heat and had a similiar problem. I had a digital T-stat installed and it had an option on the back to basically allow the t-stat to pull power from the wires. (to save battery life) I went through 3 oil primary controllers. The oil primary controls were chattering and eventually would lock shut and the boiler would run on/ or lock out. (Due to the oil primary) The service techs had no clue, they did suspect the thermostat but did not know why. I called the T-stat maker who told me to remove the T-stat and change the setting on the back so that it was powered solely by the battery. Problem solved (2 yrs running)
I suspect something in the wiring/thermostat.
What type of t-stat are you using and how is it wired?

Queen Black

t-stat

The t-stat is a honeywell. It has 2 wires that is connected from the boiler. That is all I know about the t-stat. When I tried to turn it on last night something did come on for a little while. The only thing that could have been was the pump for the fuel. Then it went off and nothing has happened since. I finally got in touch with the oil company. They said the tech guy will be out. Will I have to pay for this visit also?

Mellow_2

Queen

It is hard to say what the problem is without knowing what is really happening. This sounds like the burner could not stay running and could be off on safety. I would not try anything more untill the tech gets there. He should be able to tell you what the problem was and get it fixed. If this is burner related I would hope he would not charge you to repair it because the chamber that was installed was a major job that should have included burner reajustment. If the unit has a broken part (control, motor ) then I could see a charge for the repair. How old is the boiler? The boilers can be very unreliable as they get older.

stevenyc_2

Sounds like you need a new oil company...

Where are you?

Queen Black

Hello to all and thanks for your responses. The tech has been her Friday,Saturday,Sunday. Sunday I told him I thought it was an ignition problem. They always come in turn the t-stat up and hit the reset and the boiler starts. It will burn until it shuts off. Then when it tries to start again only the fuel is pumped and it won't start the fire. Then the reset pops. When I came home from work today the reset had popped again! Last night the tech said he thinks I need a new burner because the one that is on there is 35 years old. $600.00 to replace it. He said it won't hold the adjustment. Is there any way to repair the burner? He said it is an abc burner. Has anyone heard of this burner? I think he will replace it with a beckett burner. At any rate it is getting colder and I'm tired of dealing with this problem. I just want to be able to turn the heat on and forget about it. So it looks like this whole job is gonna cost me about 1,100.00.

Queen Black

Steve

I'm in Southern New Jersey

Rodney Summers

I can only surmise they are cutting the power to the high limit with a line voltage t-stat. If the burner is not lighting off. The transformer voltage needs to be tested are the electrodes cracked? are the electrodes set correctly? Is the oil pressure right? If they all check look at the aquastat is the voltage output consistant ( that should only be there if your heating domestic water with the boiler). It could be giving low voltage and the motor not coming up to speed. If there is definately a problem with the burner changing it would be a good financial decision. The old ABC are usually nonflame retension. Replacing it with a flame retension burner will save a lot of oil. The not shutting off with the t-stat throws a curve in the schem. Not knowing what control is being controled by the stat, you need to look at the control that sends power to the primary contol. What you describe sounds like controls for water. steam generaly the stat is 24 volts to the primary. Unless they are cutting the power to the primary control with a line voltage stat. In that case the stat would be failing to open. Do you heat your domestic hot water with it. For it to stay running there has to be a contact not opening. It going off on saftey presents another problem. Is it one contol or multiple problems?

clammy

110 stat/old stack relay

it sounds like you have a old stack relay or used to have one ,where is your re set button located on the smoke pipe or on the burner ?it sounds like you may have a old 1750 rmp burner and a stack relay ,if so maybe it's time to have it up dated with a new burner or a re built burner and have a new t stat and maybe have the controls re wired ,just a though clammy can you post a photo

Steamhead (in transit)

Depending on which ABC burner it is

it might be a high-efficiency unit, or might not be. But that's not the problem.

Click on Resources above, then Find a Professional to locate someone who can fix your burner properly.

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

tommyoil

South Jersey???

Maybe I can help. Where abouts in south jersey? You may be in my coverage area.