Riello Boiler Problem

Traditional · 15-03-2009 8:08pm

yes it is that model u mentioned , no i have the gear for the service , a gauge 10 bar for kero 12 for diesel but i will try that , used to look for the tell tale smoke on the diesel .

JIMMYBOND007 · 17-03-2009 1:05am

you need to get a oftec engineer to look at your boiler and burner,black smoke=carbon monoxide which can be fatal and can kill.oftec lads are qualified engineers that know what they are doing ,you can not get the safe operation of a boiler by gussing how many turns of air or pump pressure needs to be,every boiler operates different there for different preformances,the professionals use a gas flue analayser to get the best effiencey out of your boiler in a safe manner as per manufactors instructions.engineer will give you a printout of analayser result as proof of the way he left your boiler ,which also shows your effiencey.word has it that house insurance companys will be asking for a copy of these results in the near future,so in case of a house fire they know a unqualified person was at boiler.hopefully oftec will be fully in this year and anybody who is not qualified will get a big fine(supposed to be €12000) or imprisonment:)

Traditional · 17-03-2009 2:09am

i would look lovely using a gas analayser on a kerosene burner , go back to oftec and ask them that , will you i think the carbon has got into your brain , with fines as you seem to be hell bent on telling us , thats why the manufacturer give manuals with the burners so we can mess around with them its great !! , you should go out to BLACKROCK with your magic wand as the council is looking for a lad like you that wrecked 3 houses and see your handyman work ha ha ,

Traditional · 17-03-2009 2:15am

An Oftec engineer ??
no such thing , all it is a bit of cardboard with your name on it , and that qualifies you as an engineer ?? i dont think so , oftec are a money making outfit , engineers go to universitys for years on end and have qualifcations , not some 2 bit course down in the middle of the bog , get a life for your self and stop being an imposter as you will be found out by the insurance companies , ha ha never heard as much BULL !

JIMMYBOND007 · 22-03-2009 2:29am

"i would look lovely using a gas analayser on kerosene burner"no such a thing as oftec engineer?
see these type comments just prove that this cowboy does not have any idea what he is on about when it comes to boilers.lesson 1 cowboy come back when you know something about the subject that the tread is about!
gas analayser measures the amount of gases out of any flue on a oil boiler or gas boiler;)have you got that?has it sunk in yet? as for oftec if you ring any oil boiler manufactors and ask them who should fit my boiler they tell you any oftec engineer as printed on bottom of all manufactors instruction booklets.just like gas boilers should be installed by rgi lads as seen on tv ads.so donkey get your facts right 1st,who did you say worked in blackrock now?these are the type of people yous should be aware of !

blackrock comments arent really nice when people got injured in the accident,it could of been one of your family members .

JIMMYBOND007 · 22-03-2009 2:35am

"i would look lovely using a gas analayser on kerosene burner"no such a thing as oftec engineer?
see these type comments just prove that this cowboy does not have any idea what he is on about when it comes to boilers.lesson 1 cowboy come back when you know something about the subject that the tread is about!
gas analayser measures the amount of gases out of any flue on a oil boiler or gas boiler;)have you got that?has it sunk in yet? as for oftec if you ring any oil boiler manufactors and ask them who should fit my boiler they tell you any oftec engineer as printed on bottom of all manufactors instruction booklets.just like gas boilers should be installed by rgi lads as seen on tv ads.so donkey get your facts right 1st,who did you say worked in blackrock now?these are the type of people yous should be aware of !

blackrock comments arent really nice when people got injured in the accident,it could of been one of your family members .

Traditional · 22-03-2009 12:37pm

Dont be changing the subject , OFTEC is a comercial enterprise that anyone off the street can sign up for a course , no previous exp. needed , and your telling me that after doing the Gid 1 & 3 Makes an engineer ? you can hire a gas analayser these days if you really need one . and by the way it was an OFTEC approved trumped up so called engineer that caused that problem out the south side , people use Board Gais approved Installers and thats a fact they are the safest .

PeteHeat · 22-03-2009 10:55pm

Hi Traditional,

You are correct when you say OFTEC is a commercial enterprise, well at least the training providers are making the money running the training courses.

I think you are wrong about the qualification and who can complete the course, as I understand it anyone who wants to pay can take the course but not the exam without proof that they completed their apprenticship.

Also when anyone servicing oil boilers looks for insurance they will have to produce proof they took the course and passed the exam.

The very burners under discussion were amoung the easiest to set up and many plumbers / heating engineers dispensed with using the flue gas analyser.

Looks like boilers will have to be set up properly from now on, the element of forgiveness (around 10 > 15% inefficiency) will no longer be tolerated.

Traditional · 23-03-2009 12:26am

hi peteheat,
dont cod yourself its money they are after i know everybody thinks its an ideal world out there , but there is no regulation , ok RGI are trying to get in on the act now but cant see it taking off too well i can pick up the ph now and have insurance for gas work etc no problem , and a dodgy Gid , did anyone ever tell you to stop work ? no i dont think so and it wont happen , another scam RGI have dreamt up mind you its a good one them saying they are going to regulate the industry and get a large payment from Dublin Gas for running it , as well as a fee to be a member every year !

Traditional · 23-03-2009 11:53pm

hi James ,
what can one do with contaminated oil ? its just black sludge in fuel filter and tank was just filled , can it be seperated ?
thanks

JamesM · 24-03-2009 10:16am

Traditional wrote: »

hi James ,
what can one do with contaminated oil ? its just black sludge in fuel filter and tank was just filled , can it be seperated ?
thanks

Dirty sludge and water will sink to the bottom of a container. The oil above it should be fine.
If you open an older filter unit to clean the filter element, you can find that the oil seal will have expanded and will not fit back in when you try to put it together again. If the filter unit is old, it might be better to replace the whole unit.
Jim.

JIMMYBOND007 · 25-03-2009 1:35am

you really dont keep up with the times do you?how am i changing subject??

you can not just walk in off the street and do an oftec course you have to be fully qualified in a trade.have you got proof of an oftec engineer doing that job out in blackrock!!!because if you dont thats a very bad comment to post on a thread.personally i think that comment is bullys/;t! i will enquire off oftec to see is this ture. if it was an oftec lad he should of not been near it as oftec is for oil boilers and rgi is for gas lads.rgi have a date already set i think its 26th of april,so any body caught after that will get fined.so just go do the courses and be done with them ,you never now you might learn something!where can you hire an analayser?because all receipts on analaysers have an id number so the shop that hires these out have to take engineers details so they can be located in case something goes wrong ! im glad rgi and oftec is coming in as it will ellimate all the cowboys and maybe oil and gas engineers will not get bad names for doing 15mins services!!good engineers will do service between 50-60mins ,then customers get there moneys worth and safe operating boiler. if you have to get a new boiler (gas or oil) it must be an oftec or rgi engineer installing it and commissoning it or the manufactors do not stand by the warrenty on the boiler.another thing is you can not commission anything anyway if your not qualified to do so!!;)
by the way rgi lads are board gais approved!!there all on board gais website as approved installers!!

JIMMYBOND007 · 25-03-2009 3:43am

contaminated in what way?wrong oil or water and sediment content?tanks may accumulate water due to condensation,the problem with the filter been blocked is water in oil storage tank can lead to microbiological growth which will block filters and cause appliance combustion problems.inspect tank for possible contamination by dipping the tank with water identification paste on a probe.water at the bottom of the tank should be taken out by dropping a tube connected to a hand pump down to the bottom of the tank.water can be drained by a drain valve if fitted.dispoable filters and seals should be changed annual on filter,if it has see through plastic cup change for aluimumin one ,plastic ones crack all the time.
if wrong oil was delivered ,remove oil from tank and refill again with right oil.

JamesM · 25-03-2009 11:15pm

JIMMYBOND007 wrote: »

you really dont keep up with the times do you?how am i changing subject?? you can not just walk in off the street and do an oftec course you have to be fully qualified in a trade.have you got proof of an oftec engineer doing that job out in blackrock!!!because if you dont thats a very bad comment to post on a thread.personally i think that comment is bullys/;t! i will enquire off oftec to see is this ture. if it was an oftec lad he should of not been near it as oftec is for oil boilers and rgi is for gas lads.rgi have a date already set i think its 26th of april,so any body caught after that will get fined.so just go do the courses and be done with them ,you never now you might learn something!where can you hire an analayser?because all receipts on analaysers have an id number so the shop that hires these out have to take engineers details so they can be located in case something goes wrong ! im glad rgi and oftec is coming in as it will ellimate all the cowboys and maybe oil and gas engineers will not get bad names for doing 15mins services!!good engineers will do service between 50-60mins ,then customers get there moneys worth and safe operating boiler. if you have to get a new boiler (gas or oil) it must be an oftec or rgi engineer installing it and commissoning it or the manufactors do not stand by the warrenty on the boiler.another thing is you can not commission anything anyway if your not qualified to do so!!;)
by the way rgi lads are board gais approved!!there all on board gais website as approved installers!!

I am afraid that you are more like M than 007. You seem to have a lot of knowledge about oil and gas burners, but I doubt that you have ever got your hands dirty.
Out in the real world, certainly the guys who service gas seem to be qualified, but the oil guys I know are the "old school" and do not have any qualifications.(although some are plumbers). Many of them have over 30 years experience.
You say "if you have to get a new boiler (gas or oil) it must be an oftec or rgi engineer installing it and commissoning it or the manufactors do not stand by the warrenty on the boiler." Any qualified plumber can install a new oil boiler, most of them have not heard of OFTEC.
I admit that there are cowboys out there, and that it might be a good thing to have some regulation, but there are no rules or regulations yet - as far as oil is concerned.
Also, this is a DIY forum. People ask for help, and those of us who have some experience try to advise them. We all know that the job should be left to a qualified (or experienced ) person, but maybe it's a cold weekend, or someone is a bit strapped for cash, and so we try to help them. Your advice on contaminated oil is helpful, but remember what forum you are on.
Jim.

Traditional · 26-03-2009 12:17am

hi James , thanks for that info on the sludge you were perfectly right the next day i cleaned out the oil filter and replaced the element ran off about a gallon of oil til it ran clear , vented the oil pump and up she started . ah i got a bit carried away in here and probaly said the wrong thing , but sure thats life !

Traditional · 26-03-2009 12:20am

jimmy what would you charge to clean out my tank ?

JIMMYBOND007 · 05-05-2009 2:45am

ha,ha jim"i never got my hands dirty"i started work at the age of 13,i have trade plus house alarm qualified and gis,gid,dsc(gas)+oft 50/101/105e/600a(oftec)plus cscs tickets for excavators and worked on oil tankers so i find that a little insulting,when you'v ploughed what i have harood jim come back to me then."many of them have 30years experience"ignorance is no excuse jim,they have to keep up with changing times.i do agree with you when you say any plumber can install a new boiler,but they can NOT COMMISSION THEM,Plumbers ring me all the time now to commission boilers for them,and that is ok as long as i carry out all safety checks and commission it for them.eg boiler manual"the boiler is guarnteed for a period of 12 months from the date of installation providing that any work undertaken is authorised by the company and carried out by an approved service engineer(oftec).theres talk of it coming in october this year,now if manufactors are supporting it and goverment are to ,do you think its not going to happen of course it is,so people will just have to get use to it.just like safe pass and nct has come in.i know its a diy forum and like you said"those of us who have some experience try to advise them"my advice is simple,i got a lad to look at my car a job that should of cost me 500 ended up costing me 3000 to get hole engine rebuilt ,so you learn from your mistakes in life(just like traditional didnt mean what he said about oftec lad in blackrock)anyway jim i know things are bad and people are strapped for cash if i can help them in anyway i will or advise them.
by the way jim what age am i??

thankx M;)

john paul · 30-09-2009 11:59am

Hi,
how can i tell if there is to much air getting to the boiler?
Is there any way of checking?
John Paul

PeteHeat · 01-10-2009 7:17pm

john paul wrote: »

Hi,
how can i tell if there is to much air getting to the boiler?
Is there any way of checking?
John Paul

Not really helpful for DIY however there are there ways,

1) Experience

2) Using flue a gas analyser they cost anywhere from €600.00 > €1200.00

3) There is a cheaper unit that you can use to do a "Spot Test" still costs around €200.00 for the kit.

I think you might find it better value to have your boiler serviced by someone who has the equipment.

.

bailey300 · 07-11-2009 5:38pm

Hi all. Hate asking a dumb question off you guys, but where is the bleed nipple on a warmflow internal boiler. (Usual story, let the tank run out, got a fill and the wee red reset button only works for 20 secs) I've researched enough to know about bleeding out the air and restarting it, but i can't find this bleed nipple. Have pulled off the front covers but not sure what is what. Tried googling to get a picture of this bleed nipple thing, but the results are hilarious, if not what I'm looking for

Any "Ann and Barry" descriptions much appreciated.

moylsie · 10-01-2010 7:37pm

hi guys
i'm having a similar problem to bailey here. let the oil tank run out, bled the system after we got a refill. now the system aint working at all, boiler not even firing. help!!!!! its freezing!!

demanufactured · 10-01-2010 7:57pm

JIMMYBOND007 wrote: »

ha,ha jim"i never got my hands dirty"i started work at the age of 13,i have trade plus house alarm qualified and gis,gid,dsc(gas)+oft 50/101/105e/600a(oftec)plus cscs tickets for excavators and worked on oil tankers so i find that a little insulting,when you'v ploughed what i have harood jim come back to me then."many of them have 30years experience"ignorance is no excuse jim,they have to keep up with changing times.i do agree with you when you say any plumber can install a new boiler,but they can NOT COMMISSION THEM,Plumbers ring me all the time now to commission boilers for them,and that is ok as long as i carry out all safety checks and commission it for them.eg boiler manual"the boiler is guarnteed for a period of 12 months from the date of installation providing that any work undertaken is authorised by the company and carried out by an approved service engineer(oftec).theres talk of it coming in october this year,now if manufactors are supporting it and goverment are to ,do you think its not going to happen of course it is,so people will just have to get use to it.just like safe pass and nct has come in.i know its a diy forum and like you said"those of us who have some experience try to advise them"my advice is simple,i got a lad to look at my car a job that should of cost me 500 ended up costing me 3000 to get hole engine rebuilt ,so you learn from your mistakes in life(just like traditional didnt mean what he said about oftec lad in blackrock)anyway jim i know things are bad and people are strapped for cash if i can help them in anyway i will or advise them.
by the way jim what age am i??

thankx M;)

That was insanely hard to read......

kenfab24 · 12-11-2010 12:14am

Hi all

i have a pellet heatin system and the water pump has to be changed out every year, when it has been shut off for the summer, im in my home 4 yrs and have had to get a new pump every winter, if any one knows how to recondision the pumps and what parts i would need it would be a great help to me and save me a few euro, as i couls do the work myself. i have tow pumps i could fix if i have the know how, any help i would be crateful.

thank you for you help inadvance.

dirtypipes · 12-11-2010 6:40pm

hi, this is my first post so here goes,

i'm always having to reset the dual stat on my riello boiler as it fails to start (although it makes all the right noises), so i'm assuming that this is my problem, just to be sure does anyone have a quick test to verify/check that it is indeed the problem. i pulled out the photo cell and cleaned it as it was quite dirty, but the problem remains. cheers.:)

ntpm · 13-11-2010 11:31pm

dirtypipes wrote: »

hi, this is my first post so here goes,

i'm always having to reset the dual stat on my riello boiler as it fails to start (although it makes all the right noises), so i'm assuming that this is my problem, just to be sure does anyone have a quick test to verify/check that it is indeed the problem. i pulled out the photo cell and cleaned it as it was quite dirty, but the problem remains. cheers.:)

Just for info:
Dual stat consits of a control stat that controls the temperature of the water and a High limit stat normally trips at 90-95C.
So your boiler is getting too hot and not able to reject heat.

usual reasons are as follows:
#1 Boiler needs servicing/ combustion chamber clogging up.
#2 Main control stat not switching off/ regulating properly.( replace dual stat).
#3 Circulation pump sticking/ fauly.
#4 Air in boiler... need venting or automatic air vent not functioning. Insufficient water / pressure in system.
#5 Ocassionally if the timeclock / stat turns of the boiler/pump the heat inside the boiler builds up and trips the high limit stat. Turn control stat to minimum and test for a few days.

Trial and error sometimes to find fault.

Moynihan14 · 03-10-2011 2:04am

Hey can anyone help me. I have a riello RDB 1 oil burner and there is no flame. Its starts ok and u can hear the ignition come in but then it locks out with no flame. I thought it was maybe the oil pump but this seems fine and filters are clear. I recently changed the nozzle and it ran for a few days but is now doing what i have described. Would this be a problem with the photocell? it is clean but would it have went faulty?

ART6 · 03-10-2011 8:03am

Moynihan14 wrote: »

Hey can anyone help me. I have a riello RDB 1 oil burner and there is no flame. Its starts ok and u can hear the ignition come in but then it locks out with no flame. I thought it was maybe the oil pump but this seems fine and filters are clear. I recently changed the nozzle and it ran for a few days but is now doing what i have described. Would this be a problem with the photocell? it is clean but would it have went faulty?

Assuming that there is oil spraying into the furnace then it's more likely that the igniter is not igniting it. This can be caused by the igniter electrodes being slightly displaced so that there is no spark between them, or that the spark is too far away from the burner nozzle to light the oil. If you can hear the igniter running then the spark is probably there, so the second cause is more likely. The electrode tips should be 4 mm apart and 2 - 2.5 mm from the burner nozzle. Carefully bend them if they aren't.

Walsh10 · 12-12-2011 7:53pm

hi rdb problem,flame established runs for 1 min then flame goes 7 sec later flame is established again this process repeats itself over and over untill i turn burner off, oil pressure is at 10bar (ker) oil pump is not jamming, photocell is clean maybe faulty.help plz

Walsh10 · 12-12-2011 8:25pm

hi help plz rdb problem.Burner fires up flame is good for 1min then flame goes 7sec later flame is good again,this process keeps happening until burner is turned off,oil presser is 10bar,oil pump is clean and free,photocell is clean help if you can

whizbang · 14-12-2011 1:49am

kenfab24 wrote: »

Hi all

i have a pellet heatin system and the water pump has to be changed out every year, when it has been shut off for the summer, im in my home 4 yrs and have had to get a new pump every winter, if any one knows how to recondision the pumps and what parts i would need it would be a great help to me and save me a few euro, as i couls do the work myself. i have tow pumps i could fix if i have the know how, any help i would be crateful.

have you stripped the pumps apart yet ?
most of the time its crud/limescale/rust/etc inside the motor armature.
usually these motors have flooded armatures and sealed from windings with a stainless steel tube that has to be close to the armature for the magnetic effect to make the armature spin. any crud buildup causes the armature to stop spinning.
If they are left running in this state the windings will burn out and smell is unmistakeable. then its a bin!
if not burnt, chances are you can clean it out.
then treat your system.

Billy Bunting · 14-12-2011 9:38pm

Walsh10 wrote: »

hi help plz rdb problem.Burner fires up flame is good for 1min then flame goes 7sec later flame is good again,this process keeps happening until burner is turned off,oil presser is 10bar,oil pump is clean and free,photocell is clean help if you can

Sounds like it could be fuel starvation, have you checked the pump filter, fuel filter, fire valve ??

cnocbui · 15-12-2011 4:31pm

Walsh10 wrote: »

hi help plz rdb problem.Burner fires up flame is good for 1min then flame goes 7sec later flame is good again,this process keeps happening until burner is turned off,oil presser is 10bar,oil pump is clean and free,photocell is clean help if you can

That sounds like the photocell is faulty. It can be clean and still not work.

Imstuck · 01-02-2012 10:17pm

I hope someone can help me! I have had a lot gone on with my boiler recently so here goes: 1: boiler found to be cutting off/ 5 secs, and blowing black smoke, cleared boiler out, cleaned photocell, new nozzle, nozzle should be, 1.25 60S, now found to be wrong one it is fitted currently with .65 80B. It started up after an intermittent start and the smoke was clear, although there was still smoke coming out of the exhaust? breather? Pipe that goes out of the base of the boiler casing, it ran on timer for half an hour, (it may have cut out before timer was up) Now I go to fire it and there is Zilch, nothing , not a sound, HELP PLEASE!!!
It is an RDB2.2 150kw

Billy Bunting · 01-02-2012 10:22pm

What boiler is it fitted to ?

Imstuck · 01-02-2012 10:40pm

Billy Bunting wrote: »

What boiler is it fitted to ?

Thanks for your quick response Billy, it's a firebird, I'll get the model in a minute!

Imstuck · 01-02-2012 10:54pm

Imstuck wrote: »

Billy Bunting wrote: »

What boiler is it fitted to ?

I can't see where it says what model it is, only the burner..... If you familiar with them the burner goes in near the top of the boiler with all the baffles etc down below, I thinkthey are the other way around more often than not?

Billy Bunting · 01-02-2012 11:04pm

You changed the nozzle from a 1.25gph to a .65gph, why? have you changed the air damper setting also, pump pressure ?

If you can tell us the exact model we can tell you the correct settings.

Has the burner reset button eluminated ??

Imstuck · 01-02-2012 11:27pm

Billy Bunting wrote: »

You changed the nozzle from a 1.25gph to a .65gph, why? have you changed the air damper setting also, pump pressure ?

If you can tell us the exact model we can tell you the correct settings.

Has the burner reset button eluminated ??

Had a relative/in law who is a plumber(he did plumbing 4 years ago in house) check all pressures fuel intake etc prior to getting new nozzle, the heating shop gave me the nozzle telling me that would be fine, although after reading more on the net I'm guessing this is not so. The burner reset button is not eluminated, and when pressed does nothing, I did press the button under the screw on the thermostat to see would it do the trick (reset button?) but to no avail.
I will get the model from somewhere tomorrow for the boiler it must be on it somewhere, it's pitch black out there now!

Billy Bunting · 01-02-2012 11:36pm

If the burner reset isnt eluminated then chances are you have an issue with something else,(though it will still need setting up) you tried the hi-limit stat and nothing, is there power out to the stat ? is the boiler hot ?? is the pump running ??

Imstuck · 02-02-2012 10:25am

Billy Bunting wrote: »

If the burner reset isnt eluminated then chances are you have an issue with something else,(though it will still need setting up) you tried the hi-limit stat and nothing, is there power out to the stat ? is the boiler hot ?? is the pump running ??

There is nothing running at the minute, at all, I'm going to check that there is power out to it now, the boiler is a Firebird, Condensing model, Enviromax Heatpac, 26kw is ticked.

Imstuck · 02-02-2012 2:43pm

Imstuck wrote: »

Billy Bunting wrote: »

If the burner reset isnt eluminated then chances are you have an issue with something else,(though it will still need setting up) you tried the hi-limit stat and nothing, is there power out to the stat ? is the boiler hot ?? is the pump running ??

There is nothing running at the minute, at all, I'm going to check that there is power out to it now, the boiler is a Firebird, Condensing model, Enviromax Heatpac, 26kw is ticked.

Update: I have sorted the power problem, it was a different issue altogether.
I was also looking at the table for the nozzles wrong, the original nozzle was .65 80s, the new one is a .65 80b, could this be why smoke is still coming through the pipe on the floor? And the smoke coming through the vent is a LOT clearer but not as clear as I imagine it should be. I'm. currently en route to get exact nozzle but I have a feeling this isn't the exact cause, all pressures etc have been set???

Billy Bunting · 02-02-2012 6:08pm

This is a Condensing Boiler, you really cannot mess around with it, it requires FGA in order to set it up correctly, there is a very fine balance in getting it right and messing up big time.

RAFA B · 22-04-2013 10:03am

Switched on my boiler yesterday from the switch in the kitchen and noticed the boiler didn't come on at all. I went outside and hit the red switch and it came on straightaway but didn't ignite and cut out after 30 seconds. Checked the oil in the tank and there is some there though not a lot. Any ideas? Please and thanks.

Robbie.G · 22-04-2013 10:05am

RAFA B wrote: »

Switched on my boiler yesterday from the switch in the kitchen and noticed the boiler didn't come on at all. I went outside and hit the red switch and it came on straightaway but didn't ignite and cut out after 30 seconds. Checked the oil in the tank and there is some there though not a lot. Any ideas? Please and thanks.

It sounds like fuel problems.Is there enough oil in tank ? Is the oil level higher than burner? Oil filter possible problem

BarryM · 22-04-2013 10:23am

RAFA B wrote: »

Switched on my boiler yesterday from the switch in the kitchen and noticed the boiler didn't come on at all. I went outside and hit the red switch and it came on straightaway but didn't ignite and cut out after 30 seconds. Checked the oil in the tank and there is some there though not a lot. Any ideas? Please and thanks.

Was it off for long? If so, maybe dampness? If not, as was said, fuel, open the filter and see if it is running freely.

Dampness can be a problem if water got inside, is it a condenser or chimney?

ART6 · 22-04-2013 10:44am

RAFA B wrote: »

Switched on my boiler yesterday from the switch in the kitchen and noticed the boiler didn't come on at all. I went outside and hit the red switch and it came on straightaway but didn't ignite and cut out after 30 seconds. Checked the oil in the tank and there is some there though not a lot. Any ideas? Please and thanks.

Other than fuel, a common problem with these is that either the igniter is not working or the photocell is faulty or simply dirty. When the unit tries to start it first purges the furnace with air, then turns on the fuel and starts the igniter. If the photocell doesn't detect flame within a few seconds then the unit cuts out on flame failure. When it tries to ignite you should be able to hear the igniter running -- a buzzing noise from the spark. No noise, then the igniter is faulty. If you can hear the igniter buzzing then it might just be dirt on the photocell, but you need to withdraw the burner to clean it (being very careful not to bend the igniter prongs. Also, of course, ensure that both the oil and power supply are turned off.

If it still doesn't work, and there is oil getting to the burner, then you might need a new controller. They are readily available from heating supplies firms and they simply plug in, so easy to change, but unless you know what you're doing it would be better to hire a service engineer, or you could be spending money unnecessarily.

RAFA B · 22-04-2013 10:59am

Thanks for all the replies appreciated. Was only off for a few days. I haven't a clue myself but i really think it's because of the low level of oil. I had it serviced around a year and a half back so needs a service which i will do now. Should i top the oil up before the service engineer comes to service it??

Robbie.G · 22-04-2013 1:16pm

RAFA B wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies appreciated. Was only off for a few days. I haven't a clue myself but i really think it's because of the low level of oil. I had it serviced around a year and a half back so needs a service which i will do now. Should i top the oil up before the service engineer comes to service it??

Boiler cannot be serviced if there's no oil as it can't be tested and setup properly.If the reason it won't work is other than oil service man should be able to sort that out

PeteHeat · 22-04-2013 1:22pm

RAFA B wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies appreciated. Was only off for a few days. I haven't a clue myself but i really think it's because of the low level of oil. I had it serviced around a year and a half back so needs a service which i will do now. Should i top the oil up before the service engineer comes to service it??

Yes, if there is no oil he can't trouble shoot or set the burner with the flue gas analyser.

He will have to return to complete the job which in fairness would mean further cost to you.

You may wish to save time by telling him you ran out of oil as that means he doesn't have to start in depth fault finding.

BTW in it's present state you need a boiler repair then a service, you wouldn't ask your garage to service your car then tell them it's parked on the hard shoulder of a motorway.
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QBE · 23-04-2013 2:54am

RAFA B wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies appreciated. Was only off for a few days. I haven't a clue myself but i really think it's because of the low level of oil. I had it serviced around a year and a half back so needs a service which i will do now. Should i top the oil up before the service engineer comes to service it??

RAFA. it would be advisable to use an OFTEC tech to service that boiler. I am not OFTEC affiliated or a member (as yet). But this will give you peace of mind knowing the tech has the min knowledge needed to properly service your boiler. More to servicing a burner and boiler than a clean and nozel change.

Riello Boiler Problem

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