On 1/25/2021 6:48 AM, trader_4 wrote:
On Monday, January 25, 2021 at 9:20:23 AM UTC-5, Bob F wrote:
On 1/25/2021 5:35 AM, trader_4 wrote:
On Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 6:08:48 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Things are getting weirder by the minute...

Thanks to you, I found what looks like a fifth switch, just two feet or so above the floor, on a horizontal pipe that runs directly in. It's tiny, old, metallic and dusty (not colored). It's also set perpendicular to the pipe. (All the other boilers have that tiny switch set parallel to the pipe.)

Trouble is, strong as I am, I can't budge it with my fingers. It's not even quite clear whether it's SUPPOSED to be movable, so I'm not going to risk breaking it.

Again, it's not a switch thing. The only thing needed for the pilot light to have gas going
out of it is a supply of gas, pushing the gas valve knob with it in the pilot lighting position
and a pilot light tube that is not clogged with a insect, debris, etc. It does not require
anything to do with electricity.

She uses the word "switch" for valves.

I missed that. In which case it's time she called a pro before something bad happens.
Though from that last post it sounds like she might have found the gas valve for the
boiler and it's off. But the description of it being "tiny" doesn't fit and you would think
that if was turned off by the service guys recently it would not be dusty, but who knows.
If it is off, it's very likely done intentionally, either by the service guy so he'd get a call
back or someone else. I don't see how a service visit on a boiler winds up ending with
the gas valve off. You'd have it on to test it and you'd have it on until it's running normally,
etc. No reason to turn it off after that, unless it's to save a buck on gas for the pilot
over the summer. Seems odd that a service guy would do that though, unless he's
aiming for a call back. Another thing, this appears to be a multi-family building,
is she the only person involved with this boiler? Maybe somebody else disconnected
a gas pipe and that's why the valve is turned off. Who knows. I suppose she could
post some pics.

What she described sounds exactly like the oldest gas valves I have
seen. Why it is off is certainly a good question.