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Burner not working correctly

w_d_c
w_d_c Member Posts: 5
I have a Burnham independence steam boiler. It starts up and will run for a while and then will shut down and immediately refire then shut down again and refire it will continually do this. I spoke with the plumber who did the install and he thought it might be the pigtail pipe under the pressure control that might be clogged so I shut down the boiler remove the pressure control and the pigtail they were clean, I ran water though the pigtail pipe and reinstalled everything turned it on and after it got going it did the same thing. he suggested I check the electrical ground to the boiler, I did and it was fine, he suggested I jump out the thermostat, I did and there was no change, he told me to keep an eye on the low water cutout to see if the red light indicating low water was coming on and it was not, the water level in the boiler is fine. He is scratching his head and we can't figure this out. Could it be a faulty control u nit? I need some help. I am an electrician this is very frustrating for me. I also pulled one of the wires off of the pressure control while the boiler was running to see if it would shut down and try to refire but it worked correctly and stayed off Can anybody help.
Thanks Wayne

Comments

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    Does it have a "Cycle-Guard" control on it?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • wmtandson
    wmtandson Member Posts: 62
    the low voltage circuit to the burner is being interrupted
    Look at the wire ring diagram ,its shows the path
  • w_d_c
    w_d_c Member Posts: 5
    don,t know what that is???
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,177
    Is the pressure control shutting it off? In some systems that can make a remarkably short off cycle.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • wmtandson
    wmtandson Member Posts: 62
    a voltage/ohm meter is one tool you can use
  • kcopp
    kcopp Member Posts: 4,419
    Not a fan of the "cycle-gard" Low Water cutoffs.... just when you are getting momentum it decides to have an ADHD moment and check for water level.
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
    Jump the thermostat to simulate a call for heat, and while running, momentarily jump over the safeties until you find the one which is causing this. Do not permanently disable these safeties. Don't forget any sort of damper/roll-out switch.
    The cycle guard LWCO will keep the boiler off for a couple of minutes, every ten, or twenty minutes to double check the water level. This should eventually be replaced with a Safgard LWCO, which does not have this feature.
    Is the waterlevel steady while steaming? Has the boiler been cleaned (see skimming).
    Was the gas supply pressure checked to be within the mfg's specs?--NBC
  • unclejohn
    unclejohn Member Posts: 1,833
    Where did you jumper the T'stat at the stat or boiler. What is the time between cycles? Do you have heat or is the house below the tstat setting?
  • w_d_c
    w_d_c Member Posts: 5
    i jumped it out at the boiler
    as soon as it shuts down maybe 5 seconds before it restarts and then it shuts down as soon as it ignites and will keep on doing it
    i believe the apartment is still looking for heat
    someone suggested to me that if the tenant is turning the tstat down from say 68 degrees down to say 55 degrees while they are at work and turning it back up to 68 when they get home that the boiler could be dumping out on pressure ?
  • unclejohn
    unclejohn Member Posts: 1,833
    Try cleaning the flame sensor.
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,177
    If it shuts down as soon as it ignites, it's probably not pressure -- although there would be no harm to checking that. Sounds to me like a problem with the burner controls and safeties.

    In regard to the tenant turning down the heat that far -- he or she isn't doing either you or themselves (whoever is paying for the fuel!). The boiler could well be cycling on pressure doing that,but I would think that the cycles would be at least a little longer -- andshould only happen after 15 or 20 minutes of
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Abracadabra
    Abracadabra Member Posts: 1,948
    Had a similiar problem on a customer's WM. Ended up being the ignition module. I opened up the module and there was a cold solder joint that would intermittently open up.
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    If you have a constant 24 to 27 VAC to the ignition module; terminals labeled perhaps 24 ground and TH-W for instance, depends upon model...the wiring diagram would indicate the correct ones. If that voltage stays there while the fire quick cycles on and off then the problem is downstream of the module. All controls before this point are correctly calling for heat.
    If good 24 VAC then as said above flame sensor or module may be at fault. Clean flame sensor with steel wool first. Also any ground connections to the burner must be clean. Carefully pull off and push back on all 1/4" spade terminals to give you a fresh "bite" for the connection.
    Everyone here enjoys feedback if your problem is resolved.
  • unclejohn
    unclejohn Member Posts: 1,833
    I had a similar problem yesterday with a Burnham and it turned out to be the pilot or rather the spark rod/ flame sensor. You can not just replace the spark rod. What I did was get a flame sensor of the truck and wired to the Honeywell control and held it in the pilot flame and it would work fine. On newer Honeywell you can read flame signal. Mine would bounce around from 7 to 1.
  • w_d_c
    w_d_c Member Posts: 5
    Mine was bouncing around from 1 to 7 also, if you are refering to the green light flashing the code.
  • unclejohn
    unclejohn Member Posts: 1,833
    edited January 2015
    Yes. The green light will flash a long single then flowed by the flame signal in short flashes. I contacted Burnham directly for the part number, don't trust counter people to get right part. The new pilot assembly now has a spark rod and separate flame sense rod.
  • w_d_c
    w_d_c Member Posts: 5
    I just want to take a minute to thank everyone who has tried to help me with this issue. It stop doing it on its own the next day and I have been keeping an eye on it since.
    I will keep you updated if it happens again and will use the suggestions that you all have been so kind to share with me.
    Thanks again Wayne