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Burnham Revolution Boiler starts for a couple of minutes and stops

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yoyotogblo
yoyotogblo Member Posts: 26
edited January 31 in Radiant Heating

I have a Burnham Revolution Boiler that heats up 5 zones. It also has a VS3000 mixing control. Recently (during this cold snap), when the thermostats are calling for heat, the boiler would start up for a couple of minutes and then stop. The thermometer in the boiler is reading only between 120F - 130F and the pressure is at 25-30 psi . However, even though it hasn't heated up the water, it keeps stopping.

The boiler uses a mixing control that powers the circulator pump. When the water temperature is below 170F, it only passes little power to the pump. When it gets above 170F, it passes full power to the pump.

I decided to try out connecting the circulator pump yellow wiring to the line (1) with the black wiring so that it always gets full power. Once I did that, the boiler stayed on for a while and heated up the water to 220F and the house heated fine. However, when I connect it correctly (yellow to the Var Power), the boiler goes back to only turning on for a couple of minutes and turning back off.

Please any idea what could be causing this? I replaced the mixing control earlier this month because the old one was not powering the circulator pump even though the boiler was heating up fine then (https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/203020/baseboard-heaters-lukewarm-despite-boiler-being-hot#latest). This seems like a new issue but maybe it's related.

The manual is here:
https://bostonheatingsupply.com/Burnham/Burnham%20Revolution%20I%26O%20Manual.pdf

Thanks!

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Comments

  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 27,116

    Sounds like the system pump is not running or zones air locked. The boiler heats up, but no heat is being pulled out of it?

    Or the aqua-stat that controls the boiler operating condition is not functioning properly. That tekmar VS control board is not controlling the boiler, just the bypass pump. The control under that white plastic strip is the boiler temperature control.

    Additionally a relay box or something is calling on the boiler, the thermostat connections above the white strip of plastic. Maybe the call for heat is dropping off?

    That boiler pump is just to protect the boiler operating condition. Did you replace the sensor when the board was replaced?

    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • yoyotogblo
    yoyotogblo Member Posts: 26

    Yes, the system pump isn't turning on when connected normally. The boiler also isn't properly heating up. It starts heating up then stops after about a minute or 2… Then starts again in another 5 minutes and same situation. The boiler temperature control indicates that the water isn't getting heated past 130F. Wnen the temperature is that low, the system pump won't run since it only get variable power. The zones aren't air locked. Once I give the system pump full power, the system runs just fine.

    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1885479#Comment_1885479

    This is the part I don't understand. Like you mentioned, I thought the VS control was only controlling the pump. But when I give the pump full power by connecting the system pump wire to the line (instead of var power), the boiler stays on and the water heats up to 220F. If I connect the system pump wire to the var power, the boiler starts and stops without properly heating up the water. I've tried this twice and seen the same behavior. So it seems that there's some sort of connection between the var pump wire and the boiler performing correctly.

    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1885479#Comment_1885479

    The call for heat isn't dropping off. I checked the voltage and it was 24V when the call got great was occurring.

    Thanks for your feedback!

  • oreo123
    oreo123 Member Posts: 70

    temp sensor is two blue wires. The sensor itself is supposed to be firmly on the pipe. Follow the wires. Factory is plastic tie wrap that I have seen snapped and causes weird issues. If u look at page 79 and have ohmeter shut off power then remove both blue wires and compare ohms to boiler temp.

    Also the Honeywell aqua stat. I have had them go bad. Cold solder joints. When running it’s outputting 120 ac and 24 dc. Sometimes just tapping screwdriver on its cover will make it stop.

    When it stops is there 24 volts at gas valve?

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