Oil boiler not starting on first go any more - no lockout

Andy From Sligo

Hello all just like a bad penny I turn up again in this great informative group on the boards.

Grant euroflame condenser outdoor boiler:
For the last year whenever I have heard it, it has always started up on first ignition ( fan starts and then ignites and away she goes)

Well just lately in the last couple of weeks I have been listening to it , it has been starting always on the 2nd ignite now all of sudden for no reason (fan starts , then tries to ignite but doesn't.. the fan continues running then ignites again and ignites perfectly) very rarely it won't light on the 2nd try and will go on the 3rd one but that's very rare. Also it's not even going to lockout when it goes like this . Heating is working fine, rads are getting nice and hot. I am just concerned why it's not lighting first time all the time like it did. And could it eventually end up doing long term damage to the boiler if it's not starting first time?

The system has a tigerloop fitted before the boiler so I don't think it's air. I haven't shipped the photocell out yet to check but if that was dirty then it wouldn't see flame and then lock out wouldn't it? Could it be because it's cold outside and drawing in fresh colder air or that the kerosene is cold and just taking a bit longer to ignite?

Any other ideas please?. Whenever I have done search on Google it's says about boilers not starting up but it's always followed with that it locks out but ours never goes to lockout when it doesn't light first time.

Or do you think its maybe an ignition problem and that maybe the ignition prongs need sliding back just a tiny bit to the nozzle or that the prongs tips need cleaning or something like that ? Or does it sound like something else?

The boiler was new, fitted in 2012 and only put into use since December 2016 so it's still relatively new

Wearb

Was it recently serviced? What was the FGA readings? Sounds like poor combustion. Give the cell a gentle wipe and see how you go from there.

Andy From Sligo

Wearb wrote: »

Was it recently serviced? What was the FGA readings? Sounds like poor combustion. Give the cell a gentle wipe and see how you go from there.

im still saving up for a service, every time i do another bill comes in!

thanks, I will pull out the PC later on today and have a look - and even with a dirty photocell it would still stay alight?

Wearb

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

im still saving up for a service, every time i do another bill comes in!

thanks, I will pull out the PC later on today and have a look - and even with a dirty photocell it would still stay alight?

Depending on how dirty, it can cause different problems. Sometimes will see the flame, sometimes not. Also I am not suggesting that this is definitely the problem, just worth a go.

agusta

Sounds like too much air to fuel...,but it be a photocell too

Andy From Sligo

Wearb wrote: »

Was it recently serviced? What was the FGA readings? Sounds like poor combustion. Give the cell a gentle wipe and see how you go from there.

thanks - yep it was the photocell - it wasnt sooty, just the lens of it not clean - so I wiped it with a cotton bud (not sure if that was the right thing to use because of little hairs of the cotton bud) but wapped the photocell back in and now it starts first time now.

Thanks <thumbsup!>

DGOBS

RE: Saving up for a service, am I correct in saying it's a rented property? (thought I remember you saying in a past thread)
And if so, you shouldn't have to save up, you landlord is the one who is liable to have your heating appliances serviced, not you.

jimf

if the cell is starting to get fogged andy your combustion is starting to go out of zinc

a few more weeks and you could have a sooty boiler on your hands so now is the time to get it serviced

as tony says above get on to the landlord