central heating

[SPARKY LEE]

Hi can anyone help please , i have an ancient oil fired boiler a thorn panda 55 and the flame fires up but goes out after 15-30 sec re-sett button lights up , the photocell does have a dodgey wire to it , as it has been twisted and kinked over the years does anyone have any idear were i can still get one , i tried plumb centre they say its obsolete

 

[MANDATE]

If it just the wires, is there any reason why you can't replace them.

 

[SPARKY LEE]

its moulded plastic mate , that is an option though , it could be split and soldered, was hoping to replace it , not hunded percent that is the problem ,the boiler was on but starting to smell so i turned it off ,then it wouldnt re start ,so i thought it was maybe the cell ,it would fire but stop after 30 seconds

 

[wilhelm]

i cant remember whats on a panda. sparky what is the name of the burner?? inter? anyway parts or alternate parts are always available
can you hear the spark?? other than that youll have to get someone in.

...........

 

[MANDATE]

I'm no expert, but if there is a smell I would think you could have dirty nozzle so I would replace it. If boiler flashes up ok transformer must be ok, which leaves the control box and photo cell. make sure the photo cell is clean and facing the flame.
Can't you test the photo cell, I seem to recall testing mine with conitnuity meter and torch.
I had simlilar problem with petercem control box where internal heating element had burned out, so went to lockout.
I had to replace the control box and photo cell as a matched set so you may have to do the same.

 

[SPARKY LEE]

yeah it lights mate , i took off the inspection plate , watched it fire up ok it does every time just wont stay lit for more than 30 secs to me its either the cell of its clagged up with carbon and crap , it did start to smell , oh yeah its an inter oil

 

[SPARKY LEE]

im told by other plumbers it wont work with a torch as its ultra violet light given off by the flame , i was bit unsure about that , this is the problem im told its obsolete and cant get spares

 

[MANDATE]

Well I rigged my control box up in the garage and had lamps to represent the transformer, the motor/pump, the solinoid with the photo cell placed inside a tube to simulate darkness. This way I could either leave the photo cell in darkness to simulate failure and go to lockout or remove photo cell to simulate flash up and this would switch off transformer but leave pump and solinoid on.
What is make of your control box? Does your pump have solinoid or not?