Oil Boilers just packed up.....HELP !!

[Craphouserat]

We bought the place just over a yr ago - never changed the name on the warranty for the new boiler that just been put in - this was an oversight on our part. we must have sent the renewal letter onto the previous owner who's probably binned it. The boiler just got serviced last week by our oiler provider. Nothing was found to be wrong. No heating has come on this morning - no hot water - nothing. You here a slight click every time the bolier is meant to kick in i.e when you turn hot tap on or turn heating on, but the boiler doesnt kick in. Anybody got a clue what might be wrong with it? We will be phoning the people who serviced it last week as soon as they open - any advice on what should be said, should we be ranting at them? It has been slightly noisier since it has been serviced.

I'm asking this here as I have to leave for work shortly and it will be my fiance reading any advice you may post.

Thanks for in advance for any advice.

[Cooky]

check to see if it has frozen...was it very cold last night?

if so pour boiling water on the regulator, had to do it to ours earlier this week when we lost lpg supply to the kitchens

hth

[Craphouserat]

Cooky said:

check to see if it has frozen...was it very cold last night?

if so pour boiling water on the regulator, had to do it to ours earlier this week when we lost lpg supply to the kitchens

hth

Thanks for your help - it was very cold last night. - is the regulator the bit out the door of the house? Sorry to sound dumb - never dealt with boiler problems before...thanks.

[Cooky]

regulator is like a valve/tap between the tank and the boiler

[ferg]

LPG supplies have a regulator, oil supplies don't.

Has the boiler got any 'lockout' light showing?

[Ricky_M]

Check the filter on the tank hasn't frozen.

Is it a condensing boiler? If the condensate discharge pipe is run externally, check that it hasn't frozen.

Tip, do not rant at the company who serviced it, it probably has nothing to do with them and you do not want to upset a Heating Engineer in this weather!

[Craphouserat]

ferg said:

LPG supplies have a regulator, oil supplies don't.

Has the boiler got any 'lockout' light showing?

No lights showing - its not the kind of boiler that should be installed these days - we took that up with the seller after a survey was done but we were eventually satisfied that no laws were broken - i.e its a non condensing boiler.

[Craphouserat]

ferg said:

LPG supplies have a regulator, oil supplies don't.

Has the boiler got any 'lockout' light showing?

Correction - fiance just told there is burner lock out light on

[ferg]

It does sound like a filter with water in has frozen, BUT it would show flame failure lockout then...
I'm afraid it doesn't sound like the sort of thing that can be sorted at distance, sorry.

[Craphouserat]

ferg said:

It does sound like a filter with water in has frozen, BUT it would show flame failure lockout then...
I'm afraid it doesn't sound like the sort of thing that can be sorted at distance, sorry.

Thanks for your help mate - at least she will have something to say to company once they open.
Cheers
Barry

[b2hbm]

If there is a lock-out light showing, then our boiler has a reset button inside the case. Wait a minute before pressing it, re-start and then it usually kicks in.

Frequent lock-outs are a sign of impending trouble, but occasionally ours locks out if it's very cold - sub zero. It might be worth looking inside the casing/round the back or do you have a user manual with it ?

I think our problem is due to cold weather increasing oil viscosity, the tank is 10-15yds away in an unheated workshop with a copper supply line that can't really be lagged for the last few feet.

[Craphouserat]

b2hbm said:

If there is a lock-out light showing, then our boiler has a reset button inside the case. Wait a minute before pressing it, re-start and then it usually kicks in.

Frequent lock-outs are a sign of impending trouble, but occasionally ours locks out if it's very cold - sub zero. It might be worth looking inside the casing/round the back or do you have a user manual with it ?

I think our problem is due to cold weather increasing oil viscosity, the tank is 10-15yds away in an unheated workshop with a copper supply line that can't really be lagged for the last few feet.

Our tanks is about30 feet away behind our garage - out in cold. Whilst I was at work fiance read all of above - went out got rid of all snow on tank and pipes at the door - poured warm water over pipes at tank and outside the door waited 10 minutes pressed the button that was lite up and it fired up. No problems at all since. When I got in motor it said it was -8c. Presume its just been sub zero temps.

Thanks to all who responded - really helped a Pher and his O/H keep warm - especially her on a day off !! Off for a cold Kronenbourg...in a nice warm home.

Cheers all

[ferg]

Top work!

Bear in mind that it's usually water in the filter that freezes, not oil!!
When it's warm, turn off the oil, remove the filter and clean it, replace, reinstate oil.

[Craphouserat]

bks....happened again this morning. Manual says do not attempt to reset the burner more than twice constant attempts to do so may cause permanent damage to components within the burner.

Does this mean more than twice in 5 minutes - 12 hours? It doesn't say. This morning burner lockout button is lite and yesterday the button was pressed twice to get burner to kick in. We're trying to get someone out but so far no joy and I'm not keen on paying over the odds for somebody to say press the button....we could be doing that every morning for the next two/three months.

Any further advice appreciated. I'm not qualified to be fiddling around in boilers and don't really want to be trying to take filters out. It was only serviced a week ago. Was told everything was fine - g/f convinced its just cold weather - last night was only -2.5 compared with -8 the previous night.

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers

[ferg]

It's locking out for a reason and it sounds like lack of oil. I suppose you might overwork the oilpump a bit by continual reset, but I doubt it. There's no other reason I can think off why it would worry the burner, although they do often, but not always, have that advice sticker!! Have you tried thawing again and then lagging as best you can??

[Craphouserat]

ferg said:

It's locking out for a reason and it sounds like lack of oil. I suppose you might overwork the oilpump a bit by continual reset, but I doubt it. There's no other reason I can think off why it would worry the burner, although they do often, but not always, have that advice sticker!! Have you tried thawing again and then lagging as best you can??

No mate - scared incase we fk something. G/f just hit the button again - came on and concked out again. Just waiting on an engineer call.

[ferg]

If someone is on their way then fine, but if you are struggling I'd pour boiling water on the filter, followed by a few button presses. If it IS frozen it's likely to be water freezing in the filter rather than oil thickening.

[Craphouserat]

ferg said:

If someone is on their way then fine, but if you are struggling I'd pour boiling water on the filter, followed by a few button presses. If it IS frozen it's likely to be water freezing in the filter rather than oil thickening.

The engineer has just this second called - said exactly what you just said. So again thanks very much for your advice. I'm just worried we have to through this every day for the rest of the winter. Last winter was far colder and we never had any bother - my neighbours have all been fine also. Should the engineer have checked this filter on his service visit? G/f is unsure if he checked this as she just sat in living room.

[ferg]

Craphouserat said:

ferg said:

If someone is on their way then fine, but if you are struggling I'd pour boiling water on the filter, followed by a few button presses. If it IS frozen it's likely to be water freezing in the filter rather than oil thickening.

The engineer has just this second called - said exactly what you just said. So again thanks very much for your advice. I'm just worried we have to through this every day for the rest of the winter. Last winter was far colder and we never had any bother - my neighbours have all been fine also. Should the engineer have checked this filter on his service visit? G/f is unsure if he checked this as she just sat in living room.

The thing is... to block an oil line you need water really. Cold oil won't do it, not unless it gets SERIOUSLY cold. I'd guess, and please bear in mind I'm hundreds of miles away, that the filter bowl has trapped some water which has frozen. A service ought to include cleaning the filter out, yes, but there's no real 'law' about it, so be nice to the engineer!!

Edited by ferg on Saturday 4th December 10:31

[miniman]

Surprised these boilers are so sensitive to the cold. Ours is in a metal box in the garden!