Boiler needs to be reset to start

[Peter S.]

My oil boiler has been giving me headaches lately. I have 3 zones plus hot water. All 4 are working properly in terms of the thermostat and zone valves. Once the boiler reaches 190 degrees, it shuts off. It allows itself to drop in temperature and will not restart to get to the 190 degrees again. I have to manually reset it by hitting the reset button. And then the process repeats. If I lower the thermostats to where the house is not calling for heat, then the boiler just allows itself to drop and become cold. then, I need to hit the reset button again. who's got some ideas what to do next? again, thermostats and zone valves are functioning just fine.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Does it try to start and then trip out? Or just go off and not try at all? Knowing that help determine if oil or electrical related.

If electrical, could be a relay, dirty or pitted contacts or the like.

If oil related, dirty filter, electrode gap, fire eye.

[Jerry.Tan]

If this works similar to the forced air oil furnace I once had, I had a reset on the control box, another on the electric motor that ran the oil pump and burner, and one more on the blower fan motor.

You dont have a blower fan, but Im sure you have the other two. WHERE IS THIS RESET BUTTON LOCATED? I would help to know this!

There are a lot of possible causes, but my reset would trip if the flame was poor (may need a new nozzle) Or trip from AIR IN THE OIL LINE. (BLEED IT!!!!). Before you bleed the oil line, I'd change the oil filter right away if it's been more than a year since changed. Then bleed it real well.

If that dont do it, thre are lots of other reasons, such as bad flame sensor, failing motor, failing spark transformer, spark gap too small, bad wires, tight bearings or overloaded oil pump.

There could also be some sort of overheat sensor that is failing or the water is getting too hot.

But I'd begin by replacing the filter, bleeding and possibly getting a new nozzle while cleaning all burner parts, espcially the flame sensor. (A Basic Tuneup).

[trader_4]

An overheating sensor circuit problem is the only scenario that I see that would fit the circumstances. If it's fuel, spark, etc, you would not think that it would run fine once started and only require one reset each time to get it started again.

[Art Todesco]

Not being a boiler person for some 40 years, I'm guessing that the temp is set a bit high and it is tripping the over temp safety. I'd try lowering it a few degrees, maybe to 180 or 185. Or maybe, and I really don't know the safety ramifications here, raise the safety by a few degrees, if settable. And also, maybe the safety sensor is defective. I once had a new furnace, with an over temp safety that had so wide a range from trip point down to reset (auto), that if was causing many problems. Replacing the unit fixed everything.

[TimR]

I don't know how old your boilers are, but I've seen some pretty old ones that still told you what was wrong.

They're either off on flame failure, off on some other fault, and there's either an indicator light, or a light that flashes a code, or a little screen that displays an error code.

When you reset it cancels the code.

I would check the condition very carefully before resetting. It seems to be tripping some kind of safety.

[Pavel314]

I just had this problem with mine last month and had to replace the primary oil control box, the gizmo where the reset button is located. It cost abou t $160 for the new control box. Simple job; a few screws to remove, then a few color-coded wires to connect. If yours has a jumper, a loop of wire con necting two of the contact screws on the box, don't forget to move that to the new one.Just make the new one look like the old one, wire-wise, and it should be OK.

Paul

[Tekkie®]

Pavel314 posted for all of us...

should be OK.

+1 then transformer, cad eye, next guess.

[Peter]

It runs to the 190 degrees and then we get heat in the house. Then the boiler allows it's temp to drop and never comes back on if I don't hit the reset.ccp

[Peter]

Where would I find the spot to lower/raise the temperature?

[Peter]

Which of these two boxes would you switch? I am assuming the Honeywell one in my pics.

[Peter]

Pretty much what I'm thinking based on what I've been reading.

[bob haller]

nothing to mess with if it gets below freezing where you are.....

Having just helped some friends who had a boiler that acted wierd occasiona lly:( the property owners family came home after a brief trip to a wrecked home, water logged, radiators and ines broke all over, water fooding neighb ors basement. Cielings down everywhere:(

The home was deemed not worth fixing te heating system was a complete loss. the house was a piece of crap, bad roof K&T wiring buried in walls. the ho meowner is in jail on a unreleated matter.

The home is going back to the mortage company its not worth repairing....

[Stormin Mormon]

No where on Home Owners Hub.

Try usenet group alt home repair.

- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .

. .

[TimR]

Allows it's temp to drop?

That's not specific enough.

You need to know what is happening.

When your house gets warm, your thermostat will turn the boiler off. That's one possibility.

Or, your boiler can hit a fault condition, and a safety switch can turn the boiler off. That's a completely different scenario.

My bet would be on the second case. But you need to know before you can fix it right.

When the boiler is off, and you have to reset it, is there any kind of error code or light showing?

[trader_4]

Given that he said:

" never comes back on if I don't hit the reset", it's not the thermostat.

Given what he said, I think you're right.

Apparently he does.

If you knew he has to reset the boiler to get it to go on, why would you drag the thermostat red herring into it?

[TimR]

Because I missed where he said he's already tried lowering the thermostat. And I don't like his wording that the boiler "allows itself to drop." It doesn't, something forces it to drop.

I think the boiler is tripping a safety. But, which one?

Most boilers that I've looked at have an indicator that tells which one. Do most boilers that exist have one? No idea, I can only speak to the ones I've seen.

Adjusting the boiler temperature without knowing which safety is a bad idea.

[trader_4]

That isn't the definitive part. The definitive part is that he said that he needs to push the reset button each time to restart it. *That* is what tells you that it's not a thermostat issue.

That would be the physics of heat transfer.

I think you're on to something.

That almost certainly depends on the age of the boiler. A recent one probably does. A 40 year old one, probably doesn't.

Adjusting it down 10 degrees might not be a bad idea. If it's hitting an over temp limit due to a bad sensor, then it might continue to run, giving an indication of the problem. Apparently it runs OK once started. I agree turning it up isn't a good idea.

[Peter]

Needed a new relay

[Pavel314]

This is like the one I replaced except mine doesn't have that little black switch in the upper left corner. I'm at work right now and don't have the exact model number that I used.