Oil boiler lockout

[wolfspark]

This should help you to understand how a oil burner work, this is the boiler start up sequence. Main switch (5 amp fuse) - time clock - room stat - high limit stat boiler stat - capacitor (kick starts motor) - motor spins fan and oil pump - photocell (looks for darkness) - (ok) control box - solenoid coil energizes thus letting oil through while electrodes spark - flame established - photocell reacts to light - run position. By understanding the start up sequence and how the burner works you can find the fault with your burner

Thanks for that. I've ordered a replacement photocell so that will now be the next step and, hopefully, rectify the fault. Fingers crossed!

 

[Boilerman2]

IT WILL!!!

 

[wolfspark]

The photocell arrived on Saturday morning and I fitted it straight away. The control box appeared to be operating correctly, and the boiler was igniting everytime but Saturday afternoon it locked out again and was a bugger to reset. I took the burner out to have a look and the oil was definitely getting through.

When it did the same thing in the evening I became curious about how effective the spark was so on resetting the lockout I pulled out the motor plug to listen for the spark. I couldn't hear it so I took the burner off, connected the tranny straight to 230v and juiced it up - no spark. I made sure the electrodes were clean, closed the gap slightly and tried again - spark. Put the burner back together and back in the boiler and fired up several times no problem.

Sunday morning it locked out again so I took the control box off and put 230v on the tranny connections but couldn't hear anything. Repeatedly switched 230v on and off to the tranny and I eventually heard the spark. Control box back on, the boiler fired up instantly. Had to do this another few times yesterday, having to switch the power on an off to the tranny probably 20 times before hearing a spark.

So it would appear that intermittent faults on both photocell and transformer have been causing the problem. I've ordered a replacement tranny which I should get in the next day or two and, hopefully, the boiler will be up and running again.

 

[WDIK]

there has to be a flame before the cell can see it

it allways was the ign trans, when you get a new one try the orignal cell

then consider who your listening to.

 

[casius66]

I agree with above post, I would always check for the spark 1st in this situation and work away from there (that's why I asked in earlier post if you could hear it sparking). We all work in slightly different ways and I'm sure the fellas giving advice would quickly cure it if they were on-site