Pilot won't fly my glow-worm

[Hammish]

Hi,
I am new to this forum,
Found it when looking for advice with my inherited, old and over maintained heating system. Just bought my council house a few weeks ago and everything was fine, had my boiler serviced before purchase hoping to save a few pounds for a wile at least but got up this morning and had no C/H or H/W.
The pilot light was out so I tried to re-light, holding the button in for a while but it just went out each time I release the button ?
Don't know much about boilers but know its not a combi. Tried to find out what model it is and can see two things with possible identity. The ignition part of the system says glow-worm spacesaver 50brmk11 and the button you hold in to light the pilot says Honywell on it. My knowlage is limited on central heating systems and appologise for my lack of system identity.
Have searched the posts for simmilar problems and have found possible answers to all sorts of systems but not this one as yet. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Hammish.

 

[kevplumb]

would try the thermocouple first

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Very simple robust reliable boiler, DONT let ANYBODY talk you into needing it replacing unless you can see for yourself that the heat exchanger is leaking and nacked, it will only be one of two things and shouldn't cost more than £250.00 max to fix, which is peanuts compared to what modern boilers cost to maintain and repair, DONT GET bg to it regardless.

 

[namsag]

Wish i could charge your rates Its choice of 3 things thermocouple gone , overheat stat gone(the usual on these boilers) or the gas valve has gone which is the most unlikely. Even if BG changed all three of these it would not come to £250.

 

[Hammish]

God its cold in here !
Thanks for all you quick replys. Just got up after a cold night in diynot, hehe.
Think I will go with the thermocouple, for now, seems to be the cheapest option as my neibour has just informed me that my outside drain looks to be choked.
looks like I will be plumbing next.
Will keep you posted, thanks again.

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Gas valves are being replaced a lot more then they used to be, did one yesterday on an old Baxi, tested t/couple first which was fine.

 

[Hammish]

It's working, I think !
Managed to change the thermocouple as you folks advised and the pilot light now stays on and fires up the main burner but think I may have another problem.
With the front casing still removed I watched the burner for a while admiring the repair and then thought that the jets of flame seemed to be sitting above the small holes on the burner on certain parts as if the gas was feeding too mutch then the flames die down and overflow from the sides of the boiler for about 10 seconds and then returns to a jet flame again. This seems to happen quite often ? and was wondering if this is normal.
I hope this makes sense but I can't think of a better way to explain it.
Can anyone advise.
Thanks again.
Hammish.

 

[kevplumb]

dont run a balanced flue appliance with the case off

thats why its lifting /spreading

 

[Slogger]

its a horrible boiler the only people who like them are landlords and that is cos they are reliable

yes reliable but soooo uneconomical and time wasting get a combi a condensing one and save cash and save the planet that little bit more

 

[shaggy]

Best boiler ever made slogger, but I am a landlord. I've got 3 of them just coming up to 30 years old. They may not be efficient at getting heat from burning gas but the total energy consumed over 30 years is lower than fitting a new combi every few years; plus the energy spent by the engineer running his van to go and repair it and the energy spent in producing spares. When you're saving the planet it's the total energy consumed that matters. Long live the Glow-Worm Space-Saver.

 

[kevplumb]

woooooo go shaggy

 

[shaggy]

All it needs is the occasional thermocouple every few years, @ less than a fiver.

 

[kevplumb]

cant beat a big lump of cast for long life mate

 

[Hammish]

Thanks kevplumb,

What an idiot I am, would never have thought of the case as being the problem
guess my brain has frozen from lack of heat, hehe.
Thanks again for all input to this post, would never have expected to get a reply so soon expert advice.

Yes, I can feel the heat starting to thaw out my fingertips.
Now I can concentrate on the blocked drain

Thankyou,
Hammish.

 

[shaggy]

Kev:

cant beat a big lump of cast for long life mate

...and the Space-Saver heat-exchanger also makes a good door stop.