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Help needed - Boiler stopped working - Beast from the east incoming

  • 26-02-2018 07:44PM
    #1
    budgemook
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,935 ✭✭✭


    Hi, hoping someone here can help me. Yesterday I accidentally left the hear on with the thermostat in the house set slightly higher than usual. When I got home the heat was off and wasn't coming back on. I left it until this evening to try and get it going but so far have been unable.

    I checked the oil - there's about 100 litres in the tank. I pressed the red reset button, which is lit up, and it started to work but it will not kick in. I turned the power off and tried again but still it will not fire up.

    I have been trying to bleed it but am not sure now.

    This is my boiler (which came with the house and is soon to be replaced)
    zmUh9Ubl.png

    I tried to turn the disc that is circled here but it ended up just popping off. On further inspection, it doesn't look like it has threads for screwing - not sure what's going on there.
    igOjlPml.png

    Any idea how I can get this going again? The little chamber in the photo is about 1/4 fill, which you can kind of see in the photo with the circled disc.

    Any help greatly appreciated.


Comments

  • #2
    jimf
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,991 ✭✭✭jimf


    looks like your firevalve is possibly goosed and not letting oil through


  • #3
    budgemook
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,935 ✭✭✭budgemook


    jimf wrote: »
    looks like your firevalve is possibly goosed and not letting oil through

    Thanks for that jimf,

    Just a couple of questions:
    - is the fire valve the valve under that disc that I somehow popped off?
    - would leaving the heat on break it?
    - is fixing it a big job that requires draining things and, more importantly, a plumber?

    Thanks again for the reply.


  • #4
    Wearb
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,478 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    That threaded spindle on the fire valve should be sticking up about 5 or 10mm more than in the photo for it to be open and allow oil through.

    But as Jim wrote, it might be broken, a common enough thing.


  • #5
    budgemook
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,935 ✭✭✭budgemook


    Just looked at a YouTube video showing how a fire valve works. I'll see if I can screw it back on so the spindle is up 5 - 10mm and if not then I'll assume it's broken and look into getting it replaced.

    I guess it might have been the heat from leaving the heating on that broke it / made the safety feature kick in prematurely.


  • #6
    jimf
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,991 ✭✭✭jimf


    the heat from the boiler itself will have had no effect on the valve

    they need flame to be activated but they are a finicky bit of kit and do give trouble

    if your confident you could try and crack a joint after the valve and see if you have oil coming through

    just be careful you don't leave an oil leak behind you


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  • #7
    budgemook
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,935 ✭✭✭budgemook


    jimf wrote: »
    the heat from the boiler itself will have had no effect on the valve

    they need flame to be activated but they are a finicky bit of kit and do give trouble

    if your confident you could try and crack a joint after the valve and see if you have oil coming through

    just be careful you don't leave an oil leak behind you

    I'm not 100% following you when you say crack a joint but I can try lifting the spindle with a vice grips and turn the oil on and see if it starts going through - that should tell me right? Or do you mean to loosen the nuts either side of the valve?

    Last thing, I guess it's not too difficult to replace as there won't be oil pulled through so long as the pump is turned off.


  • #8
    jimf
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,991 ✭✭✭jimf


    crack as in loosen the joint at the right hand side of the valve

    turn oil off at tank when replacing as oil will gravity flow even with pump off


  • #9
    budgemook
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,935 ✭✭✭budgemook


    jimf wrote: »
    crack as in loosen the joint at the right hand side of the valve

    turn oil off at tank when replacing as oil will gravity flow even with pump off

    Okay I will try that before attempting to replace. TBH I'm not clear on how the oil will get through just by loosening the joint on the right hand side if the valve is closed but that's okay :) Between raising the valve and loosening the joint I should find out quick enough - I'll head out there shortly to see.

    Thanks again.


  • #10
    budgemook
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,935 ✭✭✭budgemook


    Couldn't get it going anyway. I think with the weather I don't really have much time to be messing around so I'm going to see if I can find a plumber to call around.


  • #11
    jimf
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,991 ✭✭✭jimf


    if the valve is closed the oil will not be getting through

    the next step would be doing the same to the other joint to see if you have oil there if not it would be possible you have an airlock


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  • #12
    budgemook
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,935 ✭✭✭budgemook


    jimf wrote: »
    if the valve is closed the oil will not be getting through

    the next step would be doing the same to the other joint to see if you have oil there if not it would be possible you have an airlock

    oh I get you now. I wasn't able to open the joint on the right hand side as my adjustable spanner seems to be seized up somehow! I was trying to screw the disk back onto the spindle - it was going on fine but then popped back off so something seems wrong with it.


  • #13
    agusta
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,590 ✭✭✭agusta


    budgemook wrote: »
    Hi, hoping someone here can help me. Yesterday I accidentally left the hear on with the thermostat in the house set slightly higher than usual. When I got home the heat was off and wasn't coming back on. I left it until this evening to try and get it going but so far have been unable.

    I checked the oil - there's about 100 litres in the tank. I pressed the red reset button, which is lit up, and it started to work but it will not kick in. I turned the power off and tried again but still it will not fire up.

    I have been trying to bleed it but am not sure now.

    This is my boiler (which came with the house and is soon to be replaced)
    zmUh9Ubl.png

    I tried to turn the disc that is circled here but it ended up just popping off. On further inspection, it doesn't look like it has threads for screwing - not sure what's going on there.
    igOjlPml.png

    Any idea how I can get this going again? The little chamber in the photo is about 1/4 fill, which you can kind of see in the photo with the circled disc.

    Any help greatly appreciated.
    How do you know you only have 100 litres of oil in the tank.What level are you getting on the dipstick.Depending on the tank,its possible to have close on 100 litres of oil in an oil tank before it reaches the outlet pipe.My money is on you need to get oil.Then bleed the burner


  • #14
    budgemook
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,935 ✭✭✭budgemook


    agusta wrote: »
    How do you know you only have 100 litres of oil in the tank.What level are you getting on the dipstick.Depending on the tank,its possible to have close on 100 litres of oil in an oil tank before it reaches the outlet pipe.My money is on you need to get oil.Then bleed the burner

    It's coming up about 6 inches on the dipstick and it's a large tank. It's low enough but the pipe comes out at the bottom of the tank. I'll have a better idea when I look at it again in the morning when it's bright.

    In any case, I think I've ruined the fire valve by pulling at it.


  • #15
    agusta
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,590 ✭✭✭agusta


    The wheel disc just came off the lead threaded part.The lead part that is on the on top of the firevalve [on the treaded spindle] is what opens and closes the firevalve.if you look closely you will see it with the wheel disc off.


  • #16
    budgemook
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,935 ✭✭✭budgemook


    All fixed now. I think what happened is that the oil did run out and then I broke the fire valve pulling at it - the old fire valve is certainly broken, the inner part of the wheel is not in it so there were no threads for it to pull the valve up.

    Got a fill of oil (thankfully Liffey oil were able to help me out), fitted the new valve (8.95 in Woodies) and bled the boiler then to get it working. Delighted now that I didn't need a plumber, a handy enough job thanks to the help here.

    Thanks All


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