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Alde 2920 boiler


Big Bob W

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We have an old Alde 2920 boiler. To be honest, other than firing it up when we first bought the boat, we have never used it in anger - the solid fuel stove is more than adequate.

However, I tried it today and it no longer lights reliably. Its one of the old manual push button piezo ignitors. The pilot light ignites, but on releasing the push down thermostat knob, the pilot light goes out. Occasionally, it does stay lit, the burner lights, but then after a few minutes it goes out. 

Also, not sure if its related, but guess it could be,  the wires from the pilot light indicator gauge are not connected  - and for the life of me, I can not see where the spade connectors are supposed to connect!

I would really appreciate any guidance....

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Try holding the knob down for about 20 seconds once the pilot has lit then immediately after releasing it (as fast as you can) turn it up to 4 or 5. Also ensure the circulation pump is switched on or the thermostat on the boiler will shut it down once up to heat.

Edited by rgreg
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1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

I'd say the pilot flame is too small and the pilot assembly is crudded up (technical term) from lack of use. 

Am I right that these heaters don’t use a thermocouple but rely on the ionisation of the flame for the ffd?

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27 minutes ago, WotEver said:

Am I right that these heaters don’t use a thermocouple but rely on the ionisation of the flame for the ffd?

 

Some do, some use a thermocouple. I suspect the open flue version uses a thermocouple, the room sealed one uses ionisation.

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Being an expert in these bits of kit, well I'm not really, but I have some experience if messing about with them. It is a thermocouple operation. But as MTB says it's probably debris etc in the workings. Might still be the thermocouple as well.

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3 hours ago, rgreg said:

Try holding the knob down for about 20 seconds once the pilot has lit then immediately after releasing it (as fast as you can) turn it up to 4 or 5. Also ensure the circulation pump is switched on or the thermostat on the boiler will shut it down once up to heat.

I have tried that. Pilot light goes out quicker than I can turn the knob! Also, as I said previously, sometimes the pilot and burner do ignite for a few minutes before going out again.

3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

I'd say the pilot flame is too small and the pilot assembly is crudded up (technical term) from lack of use. 

 

2 hours ago, Nightwatch said:

Being an expert in these bits of kit, well I'm not really, but I have some experience if messing about with them. It is a thermocouple operation. But as MTB says it's probably debris etc in the workings. Might still be the thermocouple as well.

Think I will give the pilot assembly a clean. It does look like a good flame whilst the knob is held down though, so possibly a duff thermocouple.

Thanks for the advice .....

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I am still struggling with this 'orrible boiler! Have cleaned up the pilot assembly - although didn't seem bad. I have repositioned the thermocouple so it sits a bit more centrally in the pilot flame. I can get it to stay lit and fire up the burners now - albeit somewhat intermittently. When the burners do light, the pilot and burners go out after about 3 mins, then its back to trying to light again.

To be honest, I am not that fussed, as I said before, the log burner does the job. But I have a BSS due in about 3 months. Is the examiner going to want to see the boiler running?

 

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16 minutes ago, Big Bob W said:

To be honest, I am not that fussed, as I said before, the log burner does the job. But I have a BSS due in about 3 months. Is the examiner going to want to see the boiler running?

If it is fitted then it will be tested, it will also need to 'run' as one of the BSSC tests is to have EVERY gas appliance running at FULL, (all at the same time) and test the gas pressure.

Suggest you either get it repaired or removed completely and the gas pipe correctly capped off.

If it cannot be lit then it is considered to be non-compliant and your boat will fail the BSS

 

From the BSS :

8.8 LPG appliance burner operation
8.8.1
Are all LPG appliance burners in good condition and delivering a proper flame? 
Light all LPG appliance burners and operate them at their maximum setting at the same time.
Compare the flame pictures at each burner to the ‘burner flame trouble chart’ at Appendix L.
A satisfactory flame picture must be present at each LPG appliance burner when all burners in the
system are operating at their maximum setting at the same time.

NOTE – in the event any appliance burner cannot be lit mark your checklist ‘not verified’ and note the reason
why. In such cases the burner must be considered as non‐compliant until such time as its good condition has
been verified.

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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1 hour ago, Big Bob W said:

When the burners do light, the pilot and burners go out after about 3 mins

 

Sounds like a failing thermocouple to me.

Either that or your unauthorised modification of the thermocouple position means it no longer sits in the pilot flame when the main burner is alight. (The extra draught from the main burner running usually shifts the pilot flame position slightly.)

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4 hours ago, Big Bob W said:

Think I've sorted it.

Duff overheating sensor.

If I short out the terminals, everything stays alight and tickety boo. Will order replacement.

 

 

The other possibility of course, is it is genuinely overheating!

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8 hours ago, Jess-- said:

I noticed someone mentioned running the alde set on 4 or 5, with mine set that high it is not far short of boiling the water passing through it.

1-2 seems the best setting on mine

Sometimes mine boils on 5 but this is usually resolved by turning the pump off and back on again. Also if the water level falls too low it tends to boil.

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I find I am accasionally required to top up the header tank. (Ours has a tiny drip leak coming from a join between steel and rubber with a 'spring' type clip. I need to replace with a jubilee clip at sometime.) but have said that I'm putting in more water than is dripping out. 

Evaporation?

Martyn

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