John Rumm on boilers

To quote you, "Note that if running the boiler from the genny you will probably need to make sure that earthing is correctly connected for the flame sensing to work properly. So basically set the genny up with an earth spike like a TT system, and tie one leg of its output to the earth."

Well, that turned out to apply in the case of my boiler, but why? Can you explain it slowly and simply? Why does the flame sensing need this?

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright
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Dunno exactly - it's something to do with flame ionisation rectifying the signal or something.

Also, as far as I can see on my 2 boilers, the return path for the spark is via the casing, so if this isn't connected to one side of the supply

- preferably the neutral(!) - there's no conductivity. Similar, I suppose, to a car engine - where the engine casting needs to be connected to the -ve side of the battery for the spark plugs (and other electrics) to work.

Reply to
Roger Mills

Yes, it effectively rus between live and earth (far too small a current to trip an RCD though).

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

I can confirm this having had to reverse engineer the Potterton Netaheat board to fault find. Feeds live through .001uf capacitor and 1M resistor into the flame and looks for a DC component. Presumably would not work if L & N were reversed at the supply.

Chris K

Reply to
Chris K

I knew about this anomaly, but only through reading this group.

Reply to
Graham.

This thread reminds me that I don't think I've seen anything from Geoff. A search on my newsbase looks like last posting was 16th May, unless he's changed his alias and I've missed it?

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

I don't know much about boilers, but it sounds like the boiler, or this par ticular component of it, doesn't like floating earth generators. In the sam e way that many caravanners found out that their generator keeps tripping o ut the RCD, until tie the earth down.

Reply to
Road_Hog

No, I called in in August to pick up a pcb, a busy personal and business life, and why spend time reading this group with the amount of idiots and trolls here, so he doesnt bother much/ at all now.

Reply to
A.Lee

What the excellent posts above said really ;-)

Reply to
John Rumm

I'm finding it hard to understand why that might happen, a floating generator would look like a supply from an isolating transformer.

Reply to
Graham.

In message , Andrew Gabriel writes

No I've not seen any posts from him either. Though did notice a post from what I think was him on an DIY forum recently

Reply to
chris French

I wondered about the RCD aspect. What's the current?

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

In article , Andrew Gabriel writes

Not entirely convinced on this one, my boiler runs on a transformer isolated supply and I assume the spark generator/flame sense circuitry does the same so I'm not sure why the earthing or supply polarity is so important.

Reply to
fred

low fractions of a mA...

Reply to
John Rumm

He is alive and well but up to his ears in expanding his empire into an adjacent unit.

Reply to
Peter Parry

Ah. I see.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

You could try temporarily disconnecting the boiler's earth wire, and then see whether it still works.

Reply to
Roger Mills

"Re: John Rumm on boilers"

On 10/12/2013 00:37, Bill Wright wrote

How dissapointing.

I'd hoped to be reading about your exploits with er, differently-attactive women.

I had my tales all ready to tell, but perhaps for another day :-)

Reply to
Ron Lowe

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