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Recently had thermocouple changed now problems with spitting gurgling pilot light

Recently had burhnam boiler serviced yearly checkup. TECH recc projected thermocouple failure because unit just over 5 years old. WE agreed .In the process of cleaning heat exchanger tubes burned red wire on pilot assembly. Repaired with wire nut.Quite upset about this but agreed wire nut ok since tech did not have new wire. Now previously beautiful blue quiet standing pilot replaced with noisy gurgling pilot flame blue and yellow in character. SOUNDS COMING FroM PILOT NOT LIKE BEFORE. I wish I had left well enough alone. Concerned? WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

Comments

  • Tim McElwain
    Tim McElwain Member Posts: 4,612
    Changing a thermocouple should not affect the pilot operation. However if he removed the orifice from the pilot to clean it and he enlarged it or damaged it that would cause your pilot problem. I am not sure what the red wire was for perhaps a Piezzo igniter wire for lighting the pilot remotely/

    Get them back to repair what ever they did!
  • rrwitherspoon
    rrwitherspoon Member Posts: 104
    The boiler was having yearly maintanence. Before he changed thermocouple the Tech was cleaning off the long silver tubes in flue chamber. He removed and replace flue chamber cover in process after cleaning long burner tubes of dust and rust.
    Chamber cover caught the red wire from transformer box. This wire connects transformer box to pilot gas valve controller. This wire tells pilot light to turn on pilot gas valve to ignite long burner tubes. The wire getting caught up in flue chamber cover was an error. The red wires insulation was burned in along segment as if it had been caught in edge of flue chamber. The wire was burned to a lesser extent. The insulation did protect it somewhat. The wire was released and cut and repaired with wire nut. I called the company back today and they do not want to pay for new wire that runs from transformer box to pilot valve igniter. I am quite upset about it. I called Burnham and they said that the repair with wire nut may go against factory
    specifications and needs to be replaced with full new wire relay connection. It does not seem like a wire would be that costly.
    I do not understand why Bruni and Campesi would be giving me such a hard time. They installed the boiler in 2008. Doug their one pipe steam estimator was so nice and knowledgeable. He calculated the boiler size I would need by looking at existing radiators etc. . I wish I had refused the new thermocouple installation. I did not have anything wrong with the furnace.

  • rrwitherspoon
    rrwitherspoon Member Posts: 104
    The tech does not want to admit he burned the wire when he re- installed flue chamber cover. He was the only one who ever entered the flue chamber. No one else ever cleaned those burners before. He is being very defensive. I am trying to focus on remedy and not blame him but he is very defensive
  • rrwitherspoon
    rrwitherspoon Member Posts: 104
    I wish I could find the part number for this wire. I could install myself if I knew part number. It is a gas fired Burnham Independence boiler model #SIN7LNC-LE2 serial number 64909517 . If anyone has access to parts manual would appreciate it








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  • Tim McElwain
    Tim McElwain Member Posts: 4,612
    If that is the wire sending 24 volts to the gas valve it will be fine if reconnected with a wire nut. Is everything else working now? Send a picture of the red wire showing both ends of its connection.
  • rrwitherspoon
    rrwitherspoon Member Posts: 104
    Well he was too defensive to even look or listen at noisy pilot. He was disagreeable at that point. Anything I said he would have disagreed with me at this point. US boiler customer service says any changes to wire can void warranty because of specification
    violations. All wire nuts on my boiler are in boxes protected. This wire nut is not protected. I want a new wire like it was.
  • Tinman
    Tinman Member Posts: 2,808
    I understand. If you were my customer, I would do just that because I like happy customers. I have the parts list for that boiler and the specific wire you're referring to is not listed...which is common. For wires to be a "replacement part", they usually would have to be an ignition wire, a sensor wire, or a wire for a Piezzo ignitor like Tim said. That said, it would be really easy for the contractor to put in a continuous length of new red wire with Sta-Kon connectors on each end.
    Steve Minnich
  • rrwitherspoon
    rrwitherspoon Member Posts: 104
    pic too dark. It is an ignition wire. It tells pilot light gas valve to give more gas to light burner tubes. It is standing pilot unit.
  • rrwitherspoon
    rrwitherspoon Member Posts: 104
    The red wire connect to a ceramic seat with two wires coming in to it.
  • Tinman
    Tinman Member Posts: 2,808
    No, that's not an ignition wire. It's carrying 24 volts through a fusible link rollout switch (the ceramic you're describing) to the gas valve.
    Steve Minnich
  • rrwitherspoon
    rrwitherspoon Member Posts: 104
    so is it ok to have wire nut on that wire and still be under warranty?
  • Tinman
    Tinman Member Posts: 2,808
    I can't speak for any manufacturer but in 33 years in the business of heating, I've yet to hear of a warranty being voided due to a wire nut.
    Steve Minnich
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,161
    The only wires which cannot be repaired or connected with a wire not are thermocouple leads. If the guy made a mistake and damaged the wire, he should fix it. He did. Frankly, I can't see what the problem with that is.

    The pilot light is another problem, though, and should be fixed -- but so long as the focus stays on the non-problem, I doubt that you will get very far.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    Tinman
  • rrwitherspoon
    rrwitherspoon Member Posts: 104
    Ok i will take you advice
  • rrwitherspoon
    rrwitherspoon Member Posts: 104
    Well they sent a different tech back this time. He said that the noise we hear is a bad gas valve. He recc installing new gas valve and while I am at it I should get a new electronic ignitor. Now that I have bought a new thermocouple which by the way is not needed with this new electronic ignition retrofit kit. This is additional lot of money wasted. I have read that these new electronic ignition kits can be additional headaches. So
    I will get two more estimates and go from there. Oh by the way He recc I not use my boiler until it is repaired. Now we have to go without heat until gas valve repaired.
  • rrwitherspoon
    rrwitherspoon Member Posts: 104
    Oh by the way ... He put on a new sta-kon end to the wire that was damaged by previous tech. So What does anyone feel about the new electronic ignitors retrofit kits as apposed to old standing pilot thermocouple setup. Any comments appreciated.
  • rrwitherspoon
    rrwitherspoon Member Posts: 104
    Is there really a problem using boiler if it needs a new gas valve?
    I makes a loud erh noise when there is a call for heat. It happens after damper opens and last for 5 seconds until burners light.
  • rrwitherspoon
    rrwitherspoon Member Posts: 104
    Other HVAC did not find problem with gas valve.I wish I left the original thermocouple that was working fine.
    I found out it was a long life nickel plated thermocouple. It was working fine. I will forever question and check
    hvac recc service. There is no trust now.