Glowworm Ultimate FF40 - 3 leds lit - continuous sparking

[alandf]

Heating has just stopped the other day. Looking through the GLowworm manual we have 3 leds lit and the pilot light has come on. However the spark continues forever.

Had a gas man out to look at the system and he has recommended getting the PCB board replaced and a new ignitor unit as the one on the boiler is "unsafe". The spark is coming out of the top of the electrode and also from the bottom and hitting the base of the pilot light unit so yes I agree doesn't look right there.

My question is how does the system know the pilot is lit? There doesn't appear to be anything around the boiler to sense it is lit. Does it feedback somehow through the electrode? Is there a way to override this to check the rest of the system still works and narrow the problem down?

What else can I legally check?

If I buy a new PCB and ignitor unit am I allowed to change them myself or do I need to get a registered guy in?

THanks

Alan

 

[gas4you]

First of all I would forget about buying a new pcb until you have replaced the spark electrode and lead.

The spark electrode is used to ignite the gas as in a spark plug, but is also used to detect the flame is there, alight and stable.

Because of the high voltage needed to produce the spark, it will spark ok and overcome the resistance caused by the faulty electrode.

However, because the voltage/current required for the pcb to detect the flame, the resutance of the faulty electrode will stop this being sent to the pcb.

Technically any removal of the combustion chamber case needs to be carried out by an RGI, but NOT the one you have had round to date.

 

[gavinda]

i'd also be dubious about the board being faulty, ask him to just change the elecrode and lead out, then see what happens.

 

[BingoBongo]

why didnt he change it??

 

[gavinda]

maybe he wasnt driving an artic