Pilot light going out

Canonball · Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 6:46 pm Post Subject: Pilot light going out

Hi guys, I have an old spacesaver 38 and since the weather has turn cold I have had to put the CH on instead of just water, and everytime I try the pilot light goes out after about 10mins.
With just the hot water selected it will stay lit all the time, any suggestions.
BTW Its a new thermocouple

gas4you · Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 6:48 pm Post Subject:

Is it an old gravity primary system?

If so check the ch pump hasn't stuck making the boiler overheat. I think the overheat may be linked to the thermocouple on this one, but can't remember for certain.

__________________
Dave
DRL Gas Services

Canonball · Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 7:11 pm Post Subject:

No its a fully pumped system so I am led to believe, and I can hear the pump in the bedroom under the floor boards and the rads are getting warm, its currently been 15mins without going out (thats a first!)

Would air locking do this and basically the pilot is the safety system to stop overheat as I have had air in one of the rads nearest the tank

Canonball · Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 7:19 pm Post Subject:

Looks like I found the problem, when I switched from hot water to CH I can hear like running water down the inside of the pipe suggesting air in the system, I have ran around the rads and no air from them though.

Any suggestions?

Space cat · Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 7:39 pm Post Subject:

It can be a pig of a job getting the air out of radiator pipework. Sometimes you need full pump pressure to blow an airlock out of an inverted loop of pipe. On the other hand it is possible for the pump to suck air IN through bleed valves when you open them. It all depends on where the pump is in the circuit.

I inherited a badly laid out system with many inverted loops and I find the following method works:

1) Turn off all the radiators except the one nearest the boiler.

2) Run the pump and listen for air.

3) When all seems quiet, STOP THE PUMP and bleed that radiator.

4) Turn that one off and open the next one.

Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4. You may have to go back to the first radiator and repeat the whole cycle. With pumped hot water I treat the cylinder coil as a radiator.

__________________
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Canonball · Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 7:58 pm Post Subject:

Thank you very much, I shall try that tomorrow morning.

gas4you · Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 9:36 pm Post Subject:

Could also be lack of water in system due to blockage in the cold feed or the F&E tank in the loft empty.

__________________
Dave
DRL Gas Services

namsag · Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 9:41 pm Post Subject:

There is nothing on a space saver that would affect CHmore thanHW..Other than the length of time the ain burne is on to give aount of heat.... your pilot is partially blocked and needs cleaning.

Canonball · Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 9:35 am Post Subject:

Thanks guys, I have done the radiator trick and most of the air is out the system.

CH stayed on all evening but at a lower level as when I turn the thermostat up above half way it will only last for 20mins before pilot out.

I suspect I have a thermostat problem as I have noticed the hot water being extremely hot at times, unless there is any more advice?

Space cat · Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 10:06 am Post Subject:

Quote:

I have noticed the hot water being extremely hot at times, unless there is any more advice?

Do you have a fully pumped system or is your hot water running on gravity?

gas4you wrote:

Could also be lack of water in system due to blockage in the cold feed or the F&E tank in the loft empty.

Gas4you is right. It won't do you any good to bleed all the air out if the pump sucks it straight back in! Have a look in your tank.

__________________
Their base is so secret, even the space cats don't know where they are.

namsag · Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:09 pm Post Subject:

It is a partially blocked pilot (being pulled away from t/couple) that is going out simply because on heating the main burner is on longer than it is on for just HW,,, Which is why it stayed on when you turned the stat down( boiler cutting on and off sooner)...

There is no over heat stat or anything connected to the pilot on an old 38 spaceaver that air in sytem or boiler overheating would affect..

At worst it may be a slight leak on heat exchanger that is opening up when it has been on for a while and driping onto pilot

Canonball · Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:21 pm Post Subject:

Thank you very much, it was the pilot light partial blocked after all, even though the flame was blue and looked OK, I havent had a problem since I cleaned it.

Once again thank you all

plas03 · Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:39 pm Post Subject:

hi
ive just found my baxi solo 2 r.s central heating boiler gas light keep going out & when i relight it it gos out in about ten min, can you tell me the prolem
thank you
roy butterworth