Why wont my pilot stay lit Glowworm Hideaway 100

[Gasmk1]

It’s fairly simple but you need someone who knows older boilers. We cannot tell you anything about the gas side of things.

 

[spartacus]

It’s fairly simple but you need someone who knows older boilers. We cannot tell you anything about the gas side of things.

In the end it was the thermocouple, and a bit of installation error.

After he left, he left a spare thermocouple and a spare gas valve here. I inspected the gas valve, found how the thermocouple connected, screwed it in, ensuring all connections where sound. Fortunately you can see the solenoid plunger from the side of a disconnected gas valve. I heated the thermocouple with a blow torch and was able to get the solenoid to engage.

So then I removed the thermocouple from my boiler, removed the flue safety device, connected the thermocouple at the gas valve, making sure the plastic connector visible from the side of the gas valve was aligned and making contact with the top end of the thermocouple. Then heating the thermocouple with a blow torch, the pilot stays lit.

Reintroduced the safety valve and repeated the same experiment. I could not get a contact and hence no pilot light. I don't think it is the safety device causing the issue; I just think once i screw that in I am not getting a good connection to the plastic connector that carries the voltage to the solenoid. So tonight that is removed. Tomorrow I will sort it out and get the gas engineer to come back and check my work.

Tonight we have heat!

 

[Gasmk1]

so you have removed the safety device, not really a good idea

 

[Ric2013]

so you have removed the safety device, not really a good idea

It's how they do things over here lol.

While I agree the OP should not have bypassed such a device except for the minimum time required to isolate the fault, it must be pretty frustrating to have found the need to do this in order to narrow down the faultfinding process. Hopefully the OP will be alive and well tomorrow and will be able to get the RGI to rectify with safety device back in place.

 

[spartacus]

It's how they do things over here lol.

While I agree the OP should not have bypassed such a device except for the minimum time required to isolate the fault, it must be pretty frustrating to have found the need to do this in order to narrow down the faultfinding process. Hopefully the OP will be alive and well tomorrow and will be able to get the RGI to rectify with safety device back in place.

Surprise...I did live through the night.

And besides... THIS RGI, the last RGI who serviced the boiler, The RGI who did the last gas safety certificate when we bought the house, and anyone else who has ever looked at this boiler in the past 40 years.... left the flue safety device dangling at the back of the boiler. So connected or not... it wasn't doing anything.

 

[Lou]

Hi

Thanks for posting on the forum. Unfortunately it is against the law for you to take the cover off your boiler and do things to it if you are not a qualified Gas Engineer.

Due to this our members are not permitted to advise you on anything regarding you fixing your boiler for your own safety to be honest.

Thanks for understanding. I am going to close this thread now.