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riello f5 burner not firing

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Richard_d
Richard_d Member Posts: 8

sputtered shut down would not restart

replaced filter, nozzle cleaned screen on pump … still would not fire .

checked power, fuel from tank … all good .

checked capacitor was supposed to be 12.4 micro farads mine tested at 9 …. therefore replaced. …. still would not fire … replaced control box still would not fire.

replaced fuel pump still would not fire. replaced electrodes still would not fire

replaced solenoid … still would fire, replaced nozzle again thought maybe I contaminated still not firing …

fan motor will run when jumping 5&6 …..could it still be the motor?

any help appreciated

Comments

  • HydronicMike
    HydronicMike Member Posts: 279

    Call a competent pro experienced with troubleshooting and setting up combustion on a Riello burner. Especially if you don't have the correct vacuum and pressure gauges (with adapters), and a combustion analyzer, and smoke tester-and know how to use them. When you replaced the pump, what was the existing pressure and did you set the same pressure on the new pump?
    If you knew what you were doing you wouldn't have had to replace all those parts.
    I've been fixing burners for over 35 years, I've never replaced all those parts on a Riello. Probably a dozen boxes, a few motors, 1 set of electrodes, a few motors, a few solenoids. Components rarely fail and are easy to check.
    You probably haven't properly bled the system, have a vacuum leak or restriction, and/or don't have combustion set up properly.
    If it ran when you jumped 5 & 6, it's not the motor.

  • Richard_d
    Richard_d Member Posts: 8

    replaced the pump oem from riello without adjusting pressure riello said they are shipped @ 145-150psi which is what my boiler calls for . It is a buderus g115 was installed 5 yrs ago.

    HydronicMike
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 19,804

    @Richard_d

    You have replaced so many parts it difficult to say what is going on.

    Does it try to start and go on lockout?

    Or it doesn't try to start at all?

  • Richard_d
    Richard_d Member Posts: 8

    tries to fire but does not .. initially before replacing capacitor fan motor would not run even if jumped across 5&6 …. now motor does run when jumped ….

  • HydronicMike
    HydronicMike Member Posts: 279
    edited January 4

    You have to check/confirm with pressure gauge. As mentioned, you MUST get a competent tech experienced with Riello burners. It would’ve been a lot cheaper than replacing all those parts.

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 19,804
    edited January 5

    Since you changed the motor and the pump you probably missing either spark or fuel.

    Maybe disconnect the nozzle line from the pump and see if you're getting oil and check for spark. The electrodes have to be set right.

    AS @HydronicMike mentioned you're in this pretty deep. You really need a tech with the correct tools and a combustion analyzer

    Your oil supplier must have a tech or know of one if your buying oil from a company with no service.

  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 7,290

    Any Riello OEM setup for the G115 shows pump pressure anywhere from 160 to 205 psi depending on size, so IDK where you got 145-150 psi from. This is not DIY. Where are you located?

    GGrossSuperTechRichard_d
  • Richard_d
    Richard_d Member Posts: 8
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 7,290

    Pretty close to Riello retrofit specs.

    Screenshot_20260106_162141_Samsung Notes.jpg

    Do you have Riello pressure and vacuum gauges? Is there atomization in the chamber? Have you looked down the air tube? Giant coke ball sitting in there?

  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 3,401

    Tries to start ? Just a flash then locks out ? Try a .75 60 W instead of the B . It could be the mix of the fuel oil .. Years ago we had a standard … I only use W now…

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • rick in Alaska
    rick in Alaska Member Posts: 1,520

    My money is on the fuel pump coupler being stripped out. Take the fuel pump back off and look at the inside of the coupler on the fuel pump side, and make sure it has the "D" shape inside, and not round. I have had a few of them do that.

    Rick

    old_diy_guy
  • archibald tuttle
    archibald tuttle Member Posts: 1,170

    I'm with rick. you won't go broke betting on fuel problem with riello. haven't experienced coupler failure myself but iirc the couple is a nylon D that could give up. but given all the parts replacement and depending how high the level of oil in your tank compared to the burner and whether the supply line goes overhead I also wouldn't be surprised if you have lost prime. maybe you don't mention and you have been bleeding clear on these retrials but are you checking for solid oil flow at the bleeder? I have had more trouble with the air on one riello than on hundreds of other burners in my experience. it did have an up and over oil line although it was well terminated with flare connections and the burner was about even with the bottom of the oil tank but I could never get that thing to prime and I could never identify a source of air. i put in a tee with valves in the oil line right before the boiler and I would run it out of a five gallon can and then I would partially crack the valve to the oil tank so it was still getting plenty of oil out of the can and it would start to draw on the tank line and then slowly over five mins I would close off the 5 gallon can and fully open the line from the tank. and then it would run a few months and air up again. my conclusion was, always two pipe riello. no problems since. maybe a tiger loop would have worked but I was so damn frustrated with this thing, i ran the second pipe and never (fingers crossed 5 years later) had another problem.

    but could we catch a breath and go back to the beginning. you started with it sputtered but wouldn't light before you replaced anything iirc. i presume that the boiler had shut down and you mean it sputtered but wouldn't light when you reset it?

    i'm a little confused that you later say the fan wouldn't run until you replaced the capacitor because if the fan wouldn't run that's the same motor that runs the pump and it shouldn't have sputtered (you might have heard buzzing of ignition but i wouldn't call that sputtered. or did the symptom change as you went through the various replacements and trials?

  • HydronicMike
    HydronicMike Member Posts: 279

    You got an OP with no tools, no training (especially on a Riello), no pressure/vacuum gauge, no combustion equipment, just changing parts. This is an exercise in futility, and if it is solved, it will only be by luck. But without proper verification about combustion, potentially dangerous.

    GrallertSuperTech
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 7,290

    I've been working on Riello burners since the Mectron series was common. I don't think I've ever had to replace the nylon coupling (Pump Drive Key). I don't gamble, other than slots once every few years maybe, but I'd bet the ranch that the coupling isn't the culprit. A professional might know if they happened to walk by the burner one day.

  • Richard_d
    Richard_d Member Posts: 8

    sputtering and subsequent shut down happened when the temperature dropped outside and burner was on for longer periods

    fuel from tank checked… no blockage .275 gallon tank 3/4 full

    line was removed from tank to burner blew out both ends also blew into the tank … no blockage

    at this point motor wold not start even when jumping 5&6

    checked electrical connections and specs with multimeter discovered that capacitor was out of range replaced after replacement would now start when jumping 5&6 . but when control box was in place solenoid would not open to disperse fuel….. replaced control box … now motor would start with control box in place ..solenoid would open tries to fire but does not ….fuel was coming through but not forcefully .

    replaced pump…. now have fuel coming through pump at bleeder forcefully … no air

    It appears to me from comments that I need to verify pressure and vacuum and quality of fuel.

    thank you