Pilot Install Safety

justme

I hope this is okay. After responding to another post with this reply, I though it might be a good "New Thread" for the wall.
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Yesterday, I read this Post about the Pilot Tube and agreed that this is sometimes a job within itself. Today, on the otherhand. I got a call from a guy who just had his Boiler serviced two days ago. He said his boiler was "pinging" and just to be on the safeside he turned off the gas. The technician that was there two days ago, for whatever reason changed the 24 volt gas valve.

I arrive on the job and after looking the system over, turn the gas on (First Mistake), I then take my torch and Light the Pilot (Second Mistake), I then watch and almost "Run" for my life when the boiler snds 5' flames and damn near explodes in the boiler room.

Well, First, I turned off the gas main, then the power, then I changed My Pants!

After looking over everything One More Time (This time much more carefully) I Changed the Pilot Assembly (The Explosion really kicked it), I changed the Thermocouple (Just in case) and I soaped everythng down. That's when I found the problem!

Aparently, the threads were crossed and the gas filled the fire chamber prior to ignition.

Again, I say If Only He Cared!

The Moral of this story......

First: Care enough to soap it down when your done!

As for me, for now on when I get there, if the pilot is out and the gas is off, I'm doing a "Soap Test" befor I even think about anything else.

Sheeesh!

Dale

A good habit

My company learned from a court case, not a greedy person but an insurance co. that had the fire policy and an internal policy to look for someone other than themselves to pay claims, that after changing or fixing ANYTHING gas to do a leak check on completion and most importantly WRITE "recheck,no leak" on the file document. Kind of like checking the stat to see if it really does stop the boiler burner after changing out an old G60. Another good habit is to "waste the first match" when relighting,(getting the match near the burner with you not looking in) especially important with LP after a gas out fill.

Weezbo

wow! that must have been enlightening...

lp is a different animal from nat gas i definitely think it is wise to respect fire ,electricity and Water. "under control" they are useful things,letting them off on thier own tangent can be a lot different...

Unknown

If everyone carried

a combustible gas indicator and checked before they leaped no one would get hurt.

justme

Fuuny you should mention that...

I just accuired one today and it's getting charged as we speak!

Unknown

It will save your

life if you use it correctly.

bob_44

Safety

I wonder if they still sell those black rubber explosion proof flashlights like the gas company guys carried?

Bob Harper

leak testing

I recommend a good electronic sniffer before you use a soap bubble soln. Many soaps will give a false positive thus nullifying a sniffer. Also, when using bubble soln.s always use a manufactured non-corrosive soln. You can get stress cracking from the Cl ions in most soaps. Be sure to wash it down well, esp. at the regulator vent limit cap if present. You can cause a unit to overfire from plugging this vent hole with congealed soap.

FYI, our techs must sniff upon arrival,complete the middle section of 22 pt checklist, then sniff again when firing for combustible gas and CO. Don't forget to sniff if you touched any tubing or the pilot adjustment screw.

Always locate the shutoff before firing any appliance and have a line of retreat. Respect LP and test for it at the floor level, where it is hiding waiting to ambush you. BTW, most techs I know that got poofed by LP were veterans that got too comfortable. Now they don't have eyebrows or hair on their arms.

Al Corelli - Agix Associates

Do you have a copy of this checklist?
Please contact me at agix1@optonline.net