Boiler pilot keeps blowing out!

[RigidRaider]

Flippin' wind keeps blowing it out. It's a balanced flue and we've wired a steel plate onto the windward side of the cage, which seems to help. We are very exposed to westerlies.

The pilot flame is about 1.5 inches long - can it be increased and would that help, do you think?

 

[Mr Smyth]

A pilot flame being blown out can suggest other issues.
One of these could be the integrity of the case seal. Wind is unlikely to blow in through the flue, down through the fins of the HE to where the pilot is unless it has somewhere to go.
I would suggest getting a CORGI to look at this. Probably in need of a good service.
I would not suggest working on any appliance unless you are competent to do so.

 

[Blasphemous]

I agree with Mr Smyth. I also have concerns about the 'steel plate' you have wired onto the windward side of the cage'

I don't know where you have the boiler sited but you need to ensure you don't block the flue.

 

[donametchi]

is the flue terminating at the corner of your building.you could have turbulance problems.i would also recommend a service by a corgi.the thermocouple connections could be loose/pilot tube blocked?/faulty thermocouple/defective asd

 

[RigidRaider]

Thanks. The back of the house is orientated due west with nothing but open fields between us and Morcambe Bay so we get the full force of the westerlies. The flue outlet/inlet is on one side, in the gap between us and the neighbours, so yes, there's turbulence and a heck of a lot of air moving around. Our neighbour, a retired plumber of nearly 50 years experience, wired the plate (about 15" x 6") to the windward side of the cage when I was away on a business trip and the pilot kept blowing out. It was an attempt to shelter the flue a little from the direct blast of the wind and seems to have made a difference. It certainly doesn't block the flue at all.

That said, the paper gasket around the pilot inspection window has disintegratd and the glass is loose so yes, maybe there's enough air gettinng through to extinguish the flame. Is this ordinary board or something flameproof?