PLEASE HELP!!!! Boiler shutting off, no heat, infant in house

curiousity kills

It sounds like a draft or flame rollout switch neither of which are intended for reseting without the cause fixed I am surprised no one can come for weeks try as many phonecalls as it takes.Good luck

RGD

Smith boiler shutting off, won't come back on until reset

1st time poster here...

PLEASE HELP...We have no heat and no one can come for service for at least 3 weeks (called 32 places) and we have an Infant in the home.

I have a home with gas smith boier and radiators. WHen I turn up the tstat all the way the boiler will come on and fire for 3-8 minutes, then burner shuts down to where only pilot is lit. It will not come back on until I hit the little reset switch on the front of the boiler.

I also noticed that while it's on the pressure gauge stays at 0. After resetting the boiler a few times finally the pipe coming out of the boier to the various radiators gets hot...but the radiators do not.

Can anyone help????

Ask any questions you need to, but bear in mind I know little about this kind of stuff. Just trying to keep my wife and kids from developing icicles on their noses.

THANK YOU in advance!

curiousity kills

I know you said pilot but is this oil or gas and steam or forced hot water

RGD

Gas and steam

Its a Smith GB250 Gas Boiler Steam radiators

Unknown

Is the little reset switch

on the fluepipe diverter tee , or where the diverter is built into the boiler ? If you have to repeatedly hit that switch , you have a a draft problem and really need to keep looking for a pro to get it fixed . Icicles on your family's noses is the least of worries with that kind of problem . Did you try Find a Pro on this website ? Where are you located ?

RGD

I'm in RI. No one can come out for weeks they say.

The little switch is on the front of the boiler. Two wires coming from it. One to the little box that has the ignition button on it and 1 to a little box that says "Cut-In" and has a screw on the top to adjust.

Hope that helps. I'm sorry for the stupidity but I do not know anything about boilers.

Guy_6

Rollout

That sounds like a rollout switch, which will shut down the boiler if the flames are "rolling out" of the combustion chamber. It is indicative of:
a) a clogged boiler.
b) a flue damper that is not fully operating.
c) a blocked chimney.

Any of the above is an unsafe condition, and that switch is doing it's job to keep you safe.

I find it hard to believe that a service call is 3 weeks out. Try calling GEM plumbing in Lincoln RI. They are very service oriented.

Guy Woollard
Smith Boiler Co./ Mestek
GWoollard@Mestek.com

john_27

best idea is to try to find someone....but...have you checked
your venting....your vaporstat may be shutting short cycling the boiler...a question: after the boiler shuts off, have you waited a few minutes to see if the system restatrs?..........let us know.

ScottMP

Thats what I was going to say Guy.

I find it hard to belive that NO ONE will comeout for three weeks.

This is a unsafe situation that can NOT be repaired or fixed thru a Website.

Call Gem on Monday. If its really cold call them NOW.

If you don't like them keep calling untill you find someone. No One is THAT busy.

Good Luck

Scott

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

RGD

Hi, thanks for the reply. I called gem 1st...lol and was told earliest they could come out is 1st week of November...YIKES!

We bought this house last October and the heating worked fine but I don't know if and when anything has been cleaned.

RGD

Update

Ok. Had to stay in the basement for an hour resetting the switch, but now it seems as though when the tstat is raised the boile now cycles on for a few minutes, then off for a minute or so then on again. Good news is that it is now semi-warm in the house.

I am still trying...to no avail as of yet...to get in contact with someone to come out, even if all it needs is a good cleaning.

RGD

ok I have a really stupid question but if that switch is a draft/flame rollout switch, could the problem be attributed to the plate in front of the flame being off?

RMA

?

Check water level
low water cut off
have you ever blown down the low water cut off or auto feed?
may be rusted up or blocked

Al Gregory

You know if your resetting a roll out switch there is a good chance your committing suicide. I live is south eastern mass and I dont have my heat on today. Its not that cold. Go buy a space heater and leave the boiler alone before you kill the infant that lives in that house. Don't mean to be an idiot but that is what it boils down to.

Phil_6

please...

stop pushing the d*%# little red button before you're all dead. We'll all sleep a little better. If you can't resist the urge please print out these messages and leave them for the medical examiner so they know what happened, and don't have to spend all that tax money investigating. And maybe the newspapers won't blame the "faulty" equipment that's really working but being defeated by your finger.

RGD

Ok...I'm not hitting the switch anymore. Haven't since this afternoon. Tstat is resting comfortably at 68º. Boiler starts up when it gets below and it runs for about 10 minutes to warm everything up then shuts off.

If it trips again I will not push the reset button. Thank you all for the help and the warnings. I did not realize it was that dangerous. I finally got ahold of a Heating guy who penciled me in for Monday a.m. He had 52 calls today for no heat. Imagine that!

Well, I'll let everyone know what the problem was once it's fixed. Thanks again!

RGD

Hi Rick,

Water level is 3/4 the way up the tube, Low water shut off seems to be working no lights at least, which according to the MFg. website means all ok.