Oil burner not working

OldmanMondeo

So the oil burner has stopped working. Checked the oil tank, has oil, opened the back of the burner to re-set the burner, the little red button was not lit. Made sure the timer was on, all lit up there, checked the main fuse, not tripped. rechecked the burner, nothing.

Is there are fuses in the burner? Anything I should look for that might save me a call out? Gonna have to leave it tonight and have a look when it is bright. Hopefully it won't be raining tomorrow.

shane0007

Check the high limit stat. It is normally located beside the boiler stat by unscrewing the black cover and pressing the button.

Avns1s

shane0007 wrote: »

Check the high limit stat. It is normally located beside the boiler stat by unscrewing the black cover and pressing the button.

This ^^. Highly likely that its tripped out. Why is another matter! Have you been using the boiler this year??

OldmanMondeo

Avns1s wrote: »

This ^^. Highly likely that its tripped out. Why is another matter! Have you been using the boiler this year??

Cheers, yeah the boiler is used everyday, it is the home heating. Unless water somehow managed to get in there.

Is the high limit stat like a normal thermostat? or is it near where the re-set button is? I will take a picture and post it. It might help.

shane0007

It is not on the burner but on the boiler thermostat itself, obviously depending on the boiler you have. You should post this info. The boiler thermostat is the adjustment temperature stat that you set the temperature of the boiler output. The high limit stat is normally built into this stat with a removable cap to reveal the reset button.
If this has tripped, it is generally a circulation problem, such as a faulty circulating pump, faulty pump capacitor, stuck motor or faulty stat itself, or indeed a wiring issue.

OldmanMondeo

Cheers, I have got it working. I will have to spend time tomorrow trying to see what might have caused it to trip. Have a feeling some water managed to get in.

Problem was exactly as Shane pointed out, big thumbs up there.

shane0007

If your system is pressurised, check the system pressure and if it is low, the water level in the boiler could very well be low and produced steam within the boiler. This could also trip the high limit stat.

OldmanMondeo

Ok, looking to try and sort this. The stat has tripped most evenings this week. I bled the Rad's last week, hell of a lot of air in them. I will bleed them again tomorrow. Is there anything else I can check to try and solve this. Don't have the cash to get someone out to sort it.

shane0007

The boiler definitely has low water content. Is your system pressurised or vented?

jimf

see posts 5 and 7 in this thread

your problem is either of these

OldmanMondeo

shane0007 wrote: »

The boiler definitely has low water content. Is your system pressurised or vented?

Not sure. It is an oil burner. When you open the back of the burner there is a red round unit, like a brake servo. I presume it is pressurised, I will chuck a picture up later.

How do I check for low water content? Or is it a job for a professional?

demanufactured

Stop using the boiler now before it gets destroyed.


Is there what looks like a clock in your hot press giving a pressure reading???

shane0007

Do you have a big tank and a little tank in your attic or just a big tank?

OldmanMondeo

shane0007 wrote: »

Do you have a big tank and a little tank in your attic or just a big tank?

1 big tank. Which was overflowing this morning, the outside drain was dripping quite a lot.

OldmanMondeo

demanufactured wrote: »

Stop using the boiler now before it gets destroyed.


Is there what looks like a clock in your hot press giving a pressure reading???

No clock in hot press. How can the boiler get destroyed?

shane0007

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

No clock in hot press. How can the boiler get destroyed?

By running the boiler with low water content.

Check the system for a pressure gauge. It may be at the boiler or in the hot press. It should then have a fill valve beside it.

OldmanMondeo

Ok, had a look, the only gauge I can see read "5". The boiler layout has the main electrics at the bottom, with the red lit reset button. Above it is a red circular unit with pipes in and out, one seem to have a pressure valve on it.

Does this look low? If it is, how do I fill the system and how much by?

OldmanMondeo

I have taken a few pictures of the boiler. All help is much appreciated.

DoneDL

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

I have taken a few pictures of the boiler. All help is much appreciated.

You are looking for a gauge like a clock that says psi and bar, it`s probably in the cylinder cupboard. Do not touch any thing on the boiler or burner until the system has been refilled to approx 1 bar

OldmanMondeo

Had a good route around the burner and nothing like the PSI gauge there. Will route around the hot press.

OldmanMondeo

Ok looked everywhere, there is no gauge. Time to get a call out...

shane0007

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Ok looked everywhere, there is no gauge. Time to get a call out...

Take the cover off the back of the boiler and see of it is there

OldmanMondeo

shane0007 wrote: »

Take the cover off the back of the boiler and see of it is there

I followed all the pipe work in and around the boiler. At the other side of boiler to the pictures where the exhaust vent is the is pipes but no gauge.

There is a small valve at the bottom of the red pot, looks like a car tyre valve.

kbq

its possible you have a leak in the coil in your copper cylinder which is causing your header tank to overflow, if so you need a new cylinder. The copper cylinder is the only place where your 2 hot water circuits meet, (rads and taps)

shane0007

kbq wrote: »

its possible you have a leak in the coil in your copper cylinder which is causing your header tank to overflow, if so you need a new cylinder. The copper cylinder is the only place where your 2 hot water circuits meet, (rads and taps)

It's a pressurised system. The expansion vessel above the burner is a dead giveaway. Also OP said there is only 1 tank in the attic.
There has to be a pressure gauge somewhere & means of filling the system. Check the attic also. Could be teed off the mains to the cwst if it was previously a vented system.

jimjimt

Most likely their is a filler valve somewhere.

But it would not be the first oil boiler to be fed from the main attic tank with the use of a non return valve.


Have a look at the pictures of the auto filler valve and the filling loop.
Most likely their is a auto filler valve hiding in your house somewhere.

OldmanMondeo

Ok, just down from the attic no sign. Checked where the mains comes into the kitchen, not there. PIMA with it TBH. Will have another look around the boiler in the morning and re-check the hotpress.

I even found the manual but nothing in that about the refill valve.

Thanks everyone.

DoneDL

PIMA, welcome to plumbing:D:D:D

OldmanMondeo

DoneDL wrote: »

PIMA, welcome to plumbing:D:D:D

The only thing to make my smile about this. I am sure the builders who built this house where cowboys. Window locks all breaking, Plaster cracking the list goes on...

jimjimt

On your hot water cylinder you have a coil with the the flow and return form your oil boiler.

Do these pipes or one of the pipes go up in to your attic ?

OldmanMondeo

All pipe go to the attic, none seem to be connected to the boiler. The mains comes in via the rear of the house, so I would assume that the boiler has a direct feed from the mains.

shane0007

Take a picture of your hot press pipework

OldmanMondeo

shane0007 wrote: »

Take a picture of your hot press pipework

Will do, tomorrow. Tonight is beer time and feck the heating. I will sleep in front of the fire...