Any gas advice out there ?
Our gas boiler is behaving as though the thermocouple has packed in but it's showing 30 mV when hot which I think means it's OK. The bit I don't understand it the flue gas thingy. Should it generate any voltage? Can anyone tell me what resistance should be across the contacts? Any suggestions?
As usual, because it was working this morning, everyone thinks it should be an easy fix.
I might replace the thermocouple anyway before calling in the cavalry.
TIA
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I've no idea on the technicalities of this but AFAIK my boiler has no pilot - are you sure you should have one?
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I assume that as the OP thinks he has a thermocouple, then he has a pilot light.
Change the thermocouple is always step one. Most of the ones I have had gone always looked all-right and gave proper readings, but they were always duff.
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>> I've no idea on the technicalities of this but AFAIK my boiler has no pilot
>> - are you sure you should have one?
>>
It depends, in my house, that im currently selling I have a conventional boiler (not a combi) that lights up when you call for gas by pumping in gas into the chamber and then igniting it.
Where I live now with my partner again a conventional boiler (again not a combi) however this has a pilot light thats on all the time (becasue I hate gas, in all its forms I actually perfer my boiler that only lets in the gas when its called for)
And I hate combi boilers, i prefer storing my hot water - I hate the idea that everytime I wash my hands after the toilet i have to call for gas, use the boiler, heat the water and wait 10 min for some hot water to come out of the tap, by this time I have lost interest switched of the tap, and not actually used the hot water thats been heated up what a waste.
A tank switch on the hot tap, and within seconds hot water is through the tap.
Last edited by: Redviper on Fri 19 Nov 10 at 12:42
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I've recently had some ag with my ole broiler - an 11 year old Glowworm Hideaway 60,
I found all the answers via diynot.com
I'd change the thermocouple, if I were thee.
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I'll run this past my plumbing tutor at college in the morning and get back to you.
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Thanks for the replies. Yes I know enough about it to be sure I should have a pilot. There is no other means of lighting the main burners!
Gosh it's cold this morning. Breakfast huddled over the Aga and may have to light the fires soon.
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Our 25 year old boiler always needs anew thermocouple very two years or so. I always carry a spare...not expensive..
First change when anything goes wrong...
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My old boiler had a pattern thermocouple fitted that failed regularly. It would come loose at the boiler end.
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>> Any gas advice out there ?
>>
>> Our gas boiler is behaving as though the thermocouple has packed in ...
Hands up who said thermocouple ? Correct. Collect your virtual chocolate biscuits over here.
Thanks again for the replies.
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when mine did this i had watched a man on rogue traders block an air pipe so he would get called back,i also seem to remember he peed in the customers sink,anyway i took my pipe off blew it through cleaned and tapped the pilot jet and its been fine since (about 5 years ago)
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>> when mine did this i had watched a man on rogue traders block an air
>> pipe so he would get called back ...
I'm always on call :-(
No callout charge :-( :-(
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Talking of dodgy plumbers reminds me of the cowboy that fixed the boiler in my former house in Liverpool.
After fitting a new thermocouple he lit a cigarette (without asking if I minded) before proceeding to test for leaks by waving the match around the pipe joints. I didn't ask him back - I had a new boiler fitted instead.
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>>before proceeding to test for leaks by waving the match around the pipe joints<<
Woss wrong with that then? same as turning on the gas to my fire or stove, only difference Shirley is that I can hear it then because its a rather big leak.
:}
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Pilot lights gradually clog up with some sort of deposit that is in the gas. I know this because of course the average so-called Corgi expert specifically excludes pilot lights from standard service of these items. My advice is to avoid these people, not believe a word they say and watch them carefully if you allow them to monkey with your stuff.
If you can get at the pilot light you can usually dismantle it with the aid of small screwdrivers and very small socket spanners. You will find the deposits usually not in the tiny hole the gas comes out of - although it's worth cleaning that too with solvent - but in a bigger hole the gas passes through on its way to the burner thingy.
If you try to do it yourself do make sure your reassembly is correct, and remember to turn the gas off first and on again afterwards. And don't blame me if you blow yourself up.
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Giving DIY advice on gas appliances - in particlar gas supply - and encouraging people to diy - is I believe illegal...
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so is murder but people still do it
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Is it true you can do any work you wish in your own home so long as it is yours inc the gas and electricity?
But not somebody elses and not for payment?
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>> Is it true you can do any work you wish in your own home so
>> long as it is yours inc the gas and electricity?
>>
>> But not somebody elses and not for payment?
Basically, yes
With the following provisos
It needs to be carried out to the relevant standards and competency. If it all goes wrong then that proves it wasn't and you can be done for it.
If you sell the house, you will need a certificate to say the work / system has been checked.
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...so is murder but people still do it...
Murder is an interesting offence in the sense there is no Act of Parliament forbidding it, it's an offence at common law.
But there are acts forbidding attempted murder, soliciting to murder and conspiracy to murder.
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I fitted a gnu electrickery power point to my bedroom, but I've avoided prosecution, so far.
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>> I fitted a gnu electrickery power point to my bedroom, but I've avoided prosecution, so far.
And avoided electrocution too ?
:)
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>>And avoided electrocution too ?<<
I don't trust this ere new fangled electrickery, much prefering the old gas mantle,
even when I've switched orf the current at the main switch, I still dab the live wire quickly just to make sure :)
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>>but I've avoided prosecution, so far.
Ok, so it's Dog, Cornwall, with mugshot on an earlier thread. Be very afraid - there will be loud knocks on your door very soon.
And, as for doing a NICEIC man out of a job - shame on you.
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>>And, as for doing a NICEIC man out of a job - shame on you.<<
I did a Gas safe man out of a job as well - changed the thermocouple & pilot on my gas fire,
simple enough jobs for someone using Vulcan logic,
I'll send Milo out - when the knock comes!
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>> Ok, so it's Dog, Cornwall....
I came across an anagram the other day which may be appropriate
A Cornishman ~ AnaChronism
Well, the gas mantles are from another time....
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>>A Cornishman ~ AnaChronism<<
Very good AJH ... I had to look it up mind, Me to a T really - stuff this modern world,
Not all of it though, just the bad bits :)
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Everyone here seems to be suffering from gas risk vertigo. There was someone like that in the last house I lived in. They asked a builder who was doing some stuff on the house to have some part of the gas equipment looked at. He called in a Corgi turd who without permission went all over the house. Then the builder said, cool as anything: 'Bad news I'm afraid. The water heaters on floors x, y and z and the room heaters on floors p and y are all condemned and will have to be replaced.'
No gas explosion could have been more frightening than the flood of rage and, yes, obscenities that poured from my lips in response. Needless to say there was nothing whatsoever wrong with any of these devices and they weren't remotely unsafe. The pound signs that had been lighting up in the builder's eyes went out abruptly as he realised that he would get no more work at all from us.
I never saw the Corgi turd. Just as well because I might easily have tried to murder him. Relations were strained for some time with the person who had let us in for all that. Damn halfwit.
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Surely not AC ! Brilliant though !
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Alas the poor corgi turd was admonished for trying to prolong ACs life.
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Corgi turd, indeed. Poor chap - just doing his job...
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AC's in a foul mood this afternoon, sommat must have upset him, perhaps the lunchtime claret was corked.
I'm keeping well clear.
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>> trying to prolong ACs life.
Absolute rubbish. He and his builder friend thought we were all idiots (because one of us was) and could be taken to the cleaners.
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Perhaps he thought the build up of carbon monoxide had done your brain cells in?
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>> Perhaps he thought the build up of carbon monoxide had done your brain cells in?
No. He thought we were faffing bourgeois prats and easy meat, because that's what the builder thought.
It is a great mistake to allow the wrong person to deal with artisans and horny-handed sons of toil. Or do we imagine that these are all honest and competent and will always give good service and proper value even when they can get away with the other thing?
Really Zero. I thought you were quite wised up, but now I'm not so sure.
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drain blocked today
water everywhere
opened up the main chamber away from the house and its clear so obviously a pipe blockage from house to first manhole
thing is ive been in and cant find anything so will need to borrow some rods
why have i done this rather than call a man in with his big truck and obviously he will want to power wash after putting his camera down?
well
my guttering was replaced by an imbecile
my slates were repaired by a moron
my windows were replaced by a gozzo
my kitchen was updated by a fool
my ceiling was replaced by incompetants
why do i say this because having sat down this afternoon the wife and i went through some of the downright bungled jobs weve had done on this house and realised every job had been done by someone who actually came recommended
it therefore follows that i cannot be alone in this world who is sick of paying out hard earned money to incompetents who do an easy job badly and therefore we are going to look at gas appliances with open eyes and closed wallets before we let the sucking of teeth l200 pickup owners with gaudy writing on the sides and poor private plates on the fronts come over our threshholds to lie and spawn down our sinks and gutters
long live the man in his castle.......................
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>> drain blocked today
>> water everywhere
>> opened up the main chamber away from the house and its clear so obviously a
>> pipe blockage from house to first manhole
>> thing is ive been in and cant find anything so will need to borrow some
>> rods
I've got some rods ...
:-)
Mind you I've an awkward layout where the soil pipe with least fall goes under the new extension and a manhole in the slate floor. I do an annual scrape 'cos when it blocks it's a beast of a job. I'ts all very well having a manhole inside but what do you do with the dripping and ahem soiled rods that you pull out? What is that long wet stain on the sofa and how did those dirty brown circles in the plaster get there? And other embarrassing questions.
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>>>What is that long wet stain on the sofa and how did those dirty brown circles in the plaster get there? And other embarrassing questions
Just say the cat's been poorly.
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>> I'ts all very well having
>> a manhole inside but what do you do with the dripping and ahem soiled rods
>> that you pull out? What is that long wet stain on the sofa and how
>> did those dirty brown circles in the plaster get there? And other embarrassing questions.
It's far less likely that I will get brown on my paint/sofa than that some incompetent builder will get brown on my paintwork or sofa. Why would he care. Oh sorry mate, that'll need repainting, £1,000 please.
In my last house I wanted a shower room fitting under the stairs in the basement - where there was a downstairs loo. Loo had been installed by previous owners' cowboy builders. Leaked because the soil pipe flowed uphill. Doh. (Said cowboy builders had put up extension that had more obvious faults than you could imagine.)
Happened to mention this at a party; daughter of friend was trainee architect and was lined up to produce some drawings. That'll be £1,000 please (ouch, I thought it was going to be a few hundred). Builder (recommended to me) says "drawings won't work, we could do it like this. Will cost you £15,000".
Stuff that. Took me a week, and cost me £1,000 including all fittings - discounted top quality fittings from ebay, etc. (And that included moving the consumer unit.)
Stuff tradesmen.
Had my boiler service last year. Reputable local firm, recommended. Sent a Romanian on a moped who spoke only a few words of English. He serviced the boiler and couldn't get it to light again. Prat. And he'd lost a bit so it wouldn't go back together straight.
Oh yes, and getting a room plastered. £1,000 please sir. WHAT! Found somebody else (recommended) who did it for about £400 (which didn't seem cheap for 2 men for a day) BUT he plastered the ceiling rose into the ceiling.
I HATE tradesmen with a vengeance. All too often they don't care, they charge too much, they're on the make and they're inherently dishonest.
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Possibly smiling and being polite to them would have some effect?
Pat
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Pat I'm so darned polite to them I pay their bills and don't complain to them.
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Best I come and do some shoddy work for you then:)
Pat
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well said mapmaker
update on my drain
i did it this morning before i came to work,needed 30 foot of those sticks you screw together but job done well and proper
i reckon i would have had to pay some cowboy £150 to do the same thing and he wouldnt have cleaned round the manhole cover like i did
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i took the liberty of taking a photo
hope youve all had your tea ;-)
i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/smartiesx3/DSC03897.jpg
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As a qualified Drain Surgeon (FRCDS) can I recommend a product "AmoKleen" Knockout - might cure it without rodding even if it oesn't may make rodding easier...
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i filled with with magic crystals this afternoon and it made no difference we went out while it did its non tricks
thanks for the thought but im geared up for plunging now :-)
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Yup. The work needed to clean up / finish off / correct / redo means that I either bodge it myself or am filled with fear and dread until it's over and done and the sum relieved from my bank account long forgotten.
John
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>> No. He thought we were faffing bourgeois prats and easy meat, because that's what the
>> builder thought.
You're right AC. It's amazing isn't it, how anything not maintained or installed personally by them is no good. We had a British Gas engineer do the annual maintenance a few years ago to the central heating. Soon after that there was a smell of gas and another phone call to get them out pronto. Another engineer came out ( miserable sod), had a look and said something had not been put back properly after the check up. Well, thanks a lot, we've just paid for months of wasted gas because of British Gas incompetence.
If this country had looked ahead, we could have geothermal heating in new builds by now. Instead they're still building places that rely on gas. So inefficient.
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I think it's my turn to be miffed at the tone of some of these posts. I have been jeered at and called gaga for losing my temper with a couple of, not out-and-out crooks exactly, but insolent and greedy men who have got used to ripping people off citing vague, exaggerated 'safety concerns' and referring to a mass of legislation touching on the installation of gas equipment.
Like others here I get annoyed when toerags take me for a fool. Like others here I am unfailingly courteous in my dealings with everyone, until they beg for rudeness which fortunately I can manage if pressed.
Yet no one has apologised for making the absurd claims that the Corgi turd was trying to save my life and 'only doing his job'. Even though many subsequent posts describe similar experiences with gas men, drain men, electricity men, builders and so on.
You had better watch out (all but corax) or I might be rude to you. You wouldn't like me if I was being rude.
:o}
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I'm still laughing at the corgi turd thing AC ! Not quite the same ring to it as a GasSafe turd though !
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I'm glad I'm not the subject of your wrath AC :-)
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I do love elegant writing about an anger issue. So much better to read than a rant...
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>> just doing his job...
Said with intended humour. I didn't expect umbrage to be taken.
:-(
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>> I didn't expect umbrage to be taken.
:-(
It wasn't really. But I seem to upset so many fragile young fellows here that I thought I'd see how it feels to be miffed and offended over nothing.
It feels a bit stupid actually. Just as I feared.
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Gas boiler pilot won't stay alight - smokie
