old boiler not firing, help!

Steamhead (in transit)

some of these old gas trains behave very differently from modern ones. This is not a DIY job. Try the Find a Professional page of this site.

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Matt L.

My sister has this house with an old Bryant gravity boiler and a two pipe direct return system, there is a steel expansion tank above the boiler, no circulator, 1st and 2nd floor radiators... problem is: I have a pilot light, when I create a call for heat with the thermostat nothing happens...there is a magnetic diaphram gas valve with a little knurled knob on top that says manual/automatic, when I switch it to manual the burner fires and runs like normal, when I release the knob the burner shuts off...I have never seen this type of gas valve and there is also another type of valve piped in the gas line just before this valve, unknown what that might be?..my question is could this be the thermocouple? I was under the impression with a bad thermocouple, I would have no pilot light, but I do...any suggestions, thanks !!

Mark Hunt

You are


going to have to call a pro for this.

Mark H

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