I have an old (1977) Glow-worm Spacesaver 50BF boilerwith a pilot problem.
The problem seems to be that the split pilot flame is small and weak, and does not make it to the thermocouple. I removed the front of the boiler and gave it a clean out, and was able to see the thermocouple clearly. The flame from the pilot is only about half an inch high, and a good quarter of an inch away from the thermocouple. So when I have lit the pilot, it does not matter how long I hold the knob in, as soon as I release it, the flame goes out.
I know that I should be thinking about replacing the boiler, but finances won't stretch that far at the moment, so I am looking for a fix coming up to winter, even if it means a new gas valve (is that possible?).
MJT Controls seem to still supply all the spares for this boiler, so that is not an issue. I am just looking for hints at what could be the problem.
All ideas gratefully received. Thanks.
Alistair