Glow Worm Space Saver problem - boiler wont start or fire up

[BenLondon]

Hello

Is it possible that someone can help or advise me with my boiler problem please?

I have searched the forums already for 'Glow Worm Space Saver Boiler wont start' & similar searches and they came back blank, am i missing something? If I am could someone point me in the right thread direction plase?

My problem is this: my boiler will not fire up when we try to get HW or CH working. It has been this way for just under a week. Earlier in the week it would fire up for a moment and then turn off, now nothing at all.

I have been away for a few days so not much of an issue yet but now I am back its is colder than a polar bears whiskers here.

The pilot light is alight and flame is steady, the time settings on the timer are ok and batteries fine and we have tried over-riding with 'continuous' mode as well.
The room thermostat is on approriate temp and we have tried increasing it to get the boiler to start as well. The dial on the front of the boiler is on a decent setting and have increased but to no avail.
We have bled the radiators and all were fine, no air in pump either. Also check there is power to wall socket that supplies controls and checked fuses as well.
We have had the boiler serviced every year in the past 4 years but missed it out this autumn (...doh!), never had problems before.

I asked a friend of mine to have a look at it before I went away and he said it is an old system and problem could be either of the thermostats or the pump burnt out.
I asked him to change them whilst I was away as the parts weren't too expensive and he drained the system and refilled. He said the water was rather clean for an old system, no gunk in it., but system will still not light up. He doesnt want to touch the boiler or gas at all, could it be a problem in the boiler?

There is water in the system now but not much pressure from hot taps like before and obviously the water is not hot.

My CH set up is an open vent system (15 years old?)
Glow Worm Space Saver 45-60b balanced flue boiler
Grundfos water pump (new) replacing old Grundfos Selectric 4
Honeywell 3 port mid position vavle
Honeywell timer (no model number visible) LCD screen and two slider switches
Honeywell room thermostat (new one to be fitted)
Old Honeywell tank thermostat replaced with new thermostat, cant see make.
Typical Sundial 'Y plan' pack?

Any advice help and information would be very much appreciated even if only so I know what is going on when I call an engineer.

Regards

Benn

 

[ChrisR]

The boiler should have a pilot light permanently on.
Is it?

 

[bengasman]

Could be anything but the pump actually. Valve, fan, aps, board, thermostat or the contols setup.
Hard to say without further info. If it is a balanced flue model, fan and aps are obviously out.


look at the bottom of this page for threads about your boiler

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

OP states that pilot is on and steady, also that its a BF!

A question I would be asking is :- Is there power getting to the boiler ?
If yes then the problem is in the boiler and probably gas valve or thermostat
If no then Its to do with controls and you need to trace the call for heat.

Heres something to try and post back.
[Electricity can kill so if you don't feel confident leave it to a pro.]

One of those 99p - 1.99p mains testing screwdrivers will tell you.

Those honeywell timers with the sliders often go wrong. Its not easy to test there so have a look in the room stat and tell me if theres 240v getting to terminal 1.

Its unlikely that both stats have gone so your next suspect is the diverter valve head.

Follow the diverter valve wire into the control box. With a call for heat from your CH and HW stats; your white and grey wires respectively should be live.
Is the orange wire live? When it is live, that is the signal that makes your boiler light and your pump run.

 

[BenLondon]

Hello all,

Thanks for a super fast reply.

I have tested with screwdriver and there is power to room thermostat, no power to boiler, power to tank thermostat.

I think I have found the problem: I was going to test valve as well but decided to have a look in the timer and found the PCB is fried. There are water marks all over the board and one transistor is split or popped, another is burnt out and the whole thing looks a mess. Going to replace this and see if it will fire up the boiler. The LCD screen was just running off the batteries so all looked fine from outside, all other connections through it not possible as board dead.

I will keep you posted as to success or not. Fingers crossed and thanks to all for the fast help and information.

Regards

Benn

 

[Agile]

decided to have a look in the timer and found the PCB is fried. There are water marks all over the board and one transistor is split or popped, another is burnt out and the whole thing looks a mess.

Regards

Benn

Sounds as if asking your friend to replace the pump was a very bad idea!

In any case it is obvious to a professional that it was not the pump at fault!

Tony

 

[bengasman]

Oops, it seems we have been found out.
Okay, I admit it.
the only reason we give advice to diy is to encourage them to do work that takes knowledge, training, experience and expensive tools, so we can come later to repair the damage for 3 times more money than the job would have taken originally.

 

[BenLondon]

hi

the pump is in a different part of the house to the timer so i dont think that could be the reason for the water in timer.
The house was rented out until this summer and they tenants said there was a leak after rain in the roof in the utility room, which the agency fixed. I think that may have done it in and staring to use heating lately blew it.

oh well, new pump anyway to replace old model only £60.

Regards

Benn

 

[bengasman]

oh well, new pump anyway to replace old model only £60.

Regards

Benn

Is this a different pump from the one your friend replaced?

 

[gas_man_gaz]

if ya gettin power to ya stats sounds unlikely 2me that ya clock is at fault