Glow-worm Ultimate 40FF electrode continously sparking

[quagmire]

My heating recently packed in completely- previously the controller had been playing up for a long time, stalling out when it hits one of the pegs that trips the heating on or off (it was an old glow-worm mastermind).

The initial fault seemed to be the mid-position valve so I decided to save some money and buy a complete Danfoss kit that included a new valve, programmer, wiring box and room and tank thermostats so i could fix the heating and solve the annoying problem of having to manually turn the heating on and off all in one go...

Having put this in the boiler now doesnt work. The pilot lights but the main flame doesnt come up and the electrode just sits there sparking all day. The solenoid for the main gas valve has a resistance in the mega ohms, but only seems to be recieving 50-100V. The fan is running ok. The neons on the PCB show number 4 is off, which tells me i have a problem with the ignition system.

What can i check before i call someone in? Could i have caused this by making an error in the wiring up of the new controls? Or are these symptoms definitley a boiler fault?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Barsteward]

Strong possibility the circuit board is duff.
They are not renowned for their longevity.
I had problems with boiler intermittently cutting out, then ignition constantly sparking. All down to the circuit board.

 

[namsag]

Check you have not reversed the polarity , this causes boilers just to carry on sparking

 

[bones001]

before you suspect the pcb make sure the pilot flame is big enough. if in doubt, remove the front off the boiler, get a lighter and while the boiler is trynig to ignite get the lighter flame and place it on the electrode then see if the main burner ignites, if it does then you have a partial blockage in the pilot injector. obviously only do this if you know what you are doing

 

[gas4you]

Check all leads are connected properly and not shorting to earth somewhere.

 

[DP]

Bones, pilot is alight. Spark is still there. I think you are not familiar with ignition sequence on boilers.

The next thing that should happen is SPARK DISCONNECTION (flame rectification) and then and ONLY THEN, main burner will light. Holding a lighter flame to the main burner is going to do zilch as there will be no gas there. The gas valve second stage will only open when the spark at the pilot is removed

OP, do as gas4you suggests, check polarity at the boiler L and N termination.

 

[bengasman]

Check voltage between phase and neutral and compare to voltage between phase and earth, also measure between neutral and earth. If neutral and earth is not zero or the others are different, correct that first.
As this fault appeared after electrical diy, it is more likely to be dodgy wiring than a duff pcb. Could be that the pcb died due to wrong wiring though.

 

[zimmers]

The only time i had this was on the 24 i worscter and it was the live and neutral being crossed from the switch spare to the boiler shed been told new pcb and i couldnt slag him off for telling her that i only found it by luck i doubt this helps but you never know

 

[bones001]

Bones, pilot is alight. Spark is still there. I think you are not familiar with ignition sequence on boilers.
.

I am extremely familiar with ignition sequences on boilers. If the pilot flame is too small then the rectification system will not realise the pilot has lit yet therefore it will continue to spark and not open up the main burner. adding a bigger flame properly engulfing the gap between the probe will determine whether that is the problem or the board itself.

 

[zimmers]

oh the lads have already told you this sorry

 

[DP]

Bones, if there is insufficient gas at the pilot burner (due to a blockage or what not) pilot will not light. Dirty injector on the Ultimates results in spark but no flame.

Of course a naked flame will establish a reduced pilot flame, but fail to see what manual lighting has to do with failure of flame rectification due to (possible) mains reversal.

If my reply has hurt your feelings, I apologise

 

[bones001]

- - - -

 

[DP]

Obviously you think you know it all and have an opinion that every one else is a fool.

I raise my hat to you O mighty heating engineer who has never been beat yet and knows everything about every boiler ever made..

 

[bones001]

I gave a perfectly possible reason (added to the other possible reasons given by other posters, (yours included)) why this particular boiler could be doing this and you say I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm not the one dismissing the other theories as rubbish and claiming mine to be the correct answer without even seeing the damn thing. You sound like a few engineers I have come accross, you know the ones who don't know whats wrong with a boiler so it "must be the board". I bet you have a cupboard at home full of perfectly good working PCBs that you have took off peoples boilers and then realised the problem is still there, therefore having to look a little harder for the solution then finding it right under your nose.

 

[bones001]

oh and another thing to do before you buy a new board, clean the electrode if it looks black as this is another possible reason for you. DP you wanna dismiss that theory as utter nonsense too?