Glow Worm Majorca

[laupsek]

Hello, I'm looking for some independent advice on my Glow Worm Majorca which I estimate is probably over 25 years old - maybe older.
Last winter was our first in our new house and we had to call out a heating engineer twice because the pilot light blew out (not cheap at £80 a time.) We tried to relight the flame ourselves but although the igniter sparked it just refused to light. I think the engineer said we needed a new igniter - though as to why the spark wouldn't "catch" I don't know. He suggested a new boiler as the parts are no longer obtainable. Does anyone know if this is true?
We like our heating system as the water heats quite rapidly and our bills are not high at all - in fact they are half of what the previous occupant paid since I insulated all of the doors and windows soon after moving in. Furthermore, we don't want the expense of paying about £2000 for a new boiler (including fitting) especially if the fault appears to be quite minor.
Sadly, the pilot light has again blown out and we now face the same problem once more. The engineer is all to happy to take the £80 for the 10 mins he takes to light the pilot but it's obviously not a long-term solution for us.
Any advice would be welcomed.

 

[ChrisR]

Get a new igniter put on it, there would be something which could be used. That's maybe the only part which doesn't have to be the original - in my view.

 

[namsag]

You can actually get to the pilot underneath on a majorca using a carefully bent taper, awkward first time you do it but gets easier when you know exactly where to put it
Reason for pilot going out is it is not burning correctly and needs proper stripping and cleaning.
Try close on 35 year old i actaully changed my majorca when i moved into my house 24 years ago as it was gettin on then.
Parts not been avialable for a long time, some used a repetitive spark ignition and some used a push button.
But bit of 8mm pipe with match or a flue brush handle with a match in it will do the trick

 

[mehran]

did you not see how old the boiler was before moving in? best thing to do is start saving then if it does throw a wobbler you have the funds. if you do change it try and do it in the summer as it be a little will cheaper then the dead of winter

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

We tried to relight the flame ourselves but although the igniter sparked it just refused to light.

Perhaps the injector is impeded internally or externally by some dirt or a cremated kamikaze insect which is why it keeps blowing out.

A thing I have found with these is that a slightly dirty flame causes debris [rust dropping from the heat exchanger above] to land in the area of the pilot. This means that there is often a build up of gas before the main burner ignites resulting in explosive ignition.
If it wasn't for my parents getting one of these fitted back in 1977 I may have chosen a different profession. Nowadays when I visit my mother and hear the boiler light with a bang I realise that a service is again overdue .

 

[ChrisR]

I remember taping a cook's match to a hacksaw blade when I didn't have access to 8mm pipe!

Hey Slug - where ya been??!

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

Been on my summer ventures Chris. A week in Belgium for Rock Werchter then a 3 week road trip to Hungary for the Sziget festival and Red Bull Air Race.

 

[laupsek]

Thanks to all who replied with their advice. I did eventually manage to locate the area where the pilot light and igniter wire meet and held a match (soaked in a small amount of wax to keep it burning longer and taped to a chopstick) in the general direction of the two. It lit fairly easily and we breathed a sigh of relief. Now we can start saving our pennies for a new boiler and think about a possible service in the meantime.

 

[Soggy_weetabix]

All it needs is a service. A pin vice will clean the injector if its at fault and a thermocouple is no more than a fiver if if it needs changing.

Most parts are available as they are generic.

Dave