Trainco Redfyre 28/32 Burner problems

[Keith F Miller]

Thanks Oilman - yes, I can get about 7cm if I pull the transformer up and draw the attached HT cables through the glands, so there should be enough to play with if I need to put a new txfr in and cut/join the output cables.... I'll test it properly before committing to a new one though

 

[Terrywookfit]

Why not test it in situ !??

 

[snb]

I wouldn't waste spending £100 on a 30 year old burner that parts are to get. A complete new burner can be obtained for less than £250 and at least it would be all new

 

[Keith F Miller]

Thanks SNB - I think you're probably right, but I'm already a couple of hundred pounds down on this f'ing burner and it just seems to go from bad to worse - throwing good money after bad...Once you start progressively replacing parts which then turn out to be the wrong parts and not needed, then you get into this cycle of despair.... Anyway, where would I maybe find a replacement boiler for £250 that will fit in the Tiranco cabinet port and plug straight through to the (brsnd new!) timer I've just replaced? The basic boiler is fine and the only local advice seems to be a completely new system with a £3K condensing boiler installed etc blah blah - £only £5K pounds blah...which is maybe the last thing I want to hear

 

[Keith F Miller]

Thanks Terrywookfit - yes I'll try to test it in situ first, but I'm just looking ahead, and if the pro engineer who skuttled off with the opinion that the transformer was forked and a replacement couldn't be sourced turns out to be correct, then I probably would need to graft a new one in. Although I'm suspicious that a TXFR would fail progressively over a period of weeks and a few huindred on/off cycles, which was what actually happened in this case. If a TXFR fails, it goes down suddenly and never comes back, I think. That's why I rekoned it was the control hardware that was goosed. But I'll try and test it like you suggested and see if any ignition arc appears on the electrodes...

 

[snb]

https://www.hwos.co.uk/oil/burners/eogb/eogb-x400-complete-burner-14-36k.html. This is a direct replacement

 

[Keith F Miller]

Thanks SNB - brilliant = it even has the same ignition controller unit as I've just bought and replaced on the old clunker (Satronic TF830B). So I suppose I have a new Potterton timer unit now installed and a spare ignition controller if I was to go for that option. Still, makes feel a bit of an arse having shelled out almost £200 on parts and an unknown sum yet to be invoiced on the engineer who shrugged his shoulder and scarpered after delivering his terminal diagnosis. I could have bought a complete new unit for all the money I've spent on trying and failing to repair the bloody old dog. Live and learn. I had no idea these things were so cheap = I was thinking high £hundreds or well above £thousand

 

[oilhead]

Transformers can fail progressively with repeated cycling. If you look at the data plate, you will see it has a rating expressed as a % in a time period. Yours is probably 33% in 3 mins. If the burner has been reigniting itself, this can be easily exceeded. Whilst a new burner is comparatively cheap, it needs to be rewired to the boiler, and then commissioned with a flue gas analyser and a pressure gauge.

 

[Keith F Miller]

At last - sorted... looks like it was the transformer... so down over £300 on a 30 year old clunker and just waiting now for something more to fail. My bad decision to go down the repair route, I suppose. How in the name of fook can transformers fail? No moving parts to ge wrong - only wire and insulation...... oh no! the buggers just locked out again! run for 2 minutes then pfut!

 

[oilboffin]

Transformers are like us they get tired and the windings break down.Bob