Boiler Spark Generator
 

Hi
I have bought a 1300 watt generator to power my central heating during power
cuts. However the boiler will not ignite. I am thinking this is due to the
spark generator requiring a large instantaneous current. The thing is the
boilers internal fuse is 2amp and the connection to the mains has a 3 amp
fuse. The generator is rated 3.7 amp. Have I bought in insufficiently
powerful generator? Is there anything I can do?

Thanks

Mark

Boiler Spark Generator
 

"Mark Wood" wrote in message
...
Hi
I have bought a 1300 watt generator to power my central heating during
power cuts. However the boiler will not ignite. I am thinking this is due
to the spark generator requiring a large instantaneous current. The thing
is the boilers internal fuse is 2amp and the connection to the mains has a
3 amp fuse. The generator is rated 3.7 amp. Have I bought in
insufficiently powerful generator? Is there anything I can do?

Thanks

Mark

It's called a 3-position single pole c/o (change-over) with centre off,
but such a beast is not made for standard single wall panels, so use a 3A
toggle with thick bush (from RS, Rapid, Maplin or Farnell) and drill a
suitable hole in blank panel so that protrudimg bush has a securing nut.
Remember to run Earth wire to make metal thread and lever safe.
You may find an-all plastic gismo with a similar function available from any
auto spares shop.
Jim

Boiler Spark Generator [I sent prevous msg in error]
 

Sent previous msg in error, being my reply is to msg with header entitled 1
Gang - 2 Way Switch
"Jim Gregory" wrote in message
...
"Mark Wood" wrote in message
...
Hi
I have bought a 1300 watt generator to power my central heating during
power cuts. However the boiler will not ignite. I am thinking this is due
to the spark generator requiring a large instantaneous current. The thing
is the boilers internal fuse is 2amp and the connection to the mains has
a 3 amp fuse. The generator is rated 3.7 amp. Have I bought in
insufficiently powerful generator? Is there anything I can do?

Thanks

Mark

It's called a 3-position single pole c/o (change-over) with centre off,
but such a beast is not made for standard single wall panels, so use a 3A
toggle with thick bush (from RS, Rapid, Maplin or Farnell) and drill a
suitable hole in blank panel so that protrudimg bush has a securing nut.
Remember to run Earth wire to make metal thread and lever safe.
You may find an-all plastic gismo with a similar function available from
any
auto spares shop.
Jim

Boiler Spark Generator
 

In message , Mark
Wood writes
Hi
I have bought a 1300 watt generator to power my central heating during power
cuts. However the boiler will not ignite. I am thinking this is due to the
spark generator requiring a large instantaneous current. The thing is the
boilers internal fuse is 2amp and the connection to the mains has a 3 amp
fuse. The generator is rated 3.7 amp. Have I bought in insufficiently
powerful generator? Is there anything I can do?

I'll give you a tenner for the genny

you've not really given much useful info, have you

my guess is that you're getting no flame sensing because you haven't
earthed it properly

--
geoff

Boiler Spark Generator
 

On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 19:51:05 +0000, Jim Gregory wrote:

"Mark Wood" wrote in message
...
Hi
I have bought a 1300 watt generator to power my central heating during
power cuts. However the boiler will not ignite. I am thinking this is due
to the spark generator requiring a large instantaneous current. The thing
is the boilers internal fuse is 2amp and the connection to the mains has a
3 amp fuse. The generator is rated 3.7 amp. Have I bought in
insufficiently powerful generator? Is there anything I can do?

Thanks

Check your earthing arrangements when using the genset and also the
polarity. i.e. how is neutral tied to earth?
Some boilers are sensistive to poor earthing and wrong polarity.



--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html

Boiler Spark Generator
 

In article ,
Mark Wood wrote:
I have bought a 1300 watt generator to power my central heating during
power cuts. However the boiler will not ignite. I am thinking this is
due to the spark generator requiring a large instantaneous current. The
thing is the boilers internal fuse is 2amp and the connection to the
mains has a 3 amp fuse. The generator is rated 3.7 amp. Have I bought
in insufficiently powerful generator? Is there anything I can do?

My system works happily off a 300 watt invertor and car battery. I'd doubt
any domestic system needs 1.3 kW.

--
*Snowmen fall from Heaven unassembled*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Boiler Spark Generator
 

On Tue, 13 Dec 2005 00:58:27 +0000 (GMT), Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

However the boiler will not ignite. I am thinking this is due to
the spark generator requiring a large instantaneous current.

My system works happily off a 300 watt invertor and car battery. I'd
doubt any domestic system needs 1.3 kW.

Mine uses about 300W to run, blower and both pumps. The blower may
require up to 500W to start (3 x 150W). I get the impression that the
OP's system is oil not gas so the spark is a little bit more pokey but
I wouldn't expect its load to be anything like the startup umph
required by the blower...

More likely is the boiler isn't being fed from the generator
correctly, either it's not actually getting power on it's mains input
or it doesn't like a floating supply. Pay attention to generator
chassis, real earth (as in a user provided earth spike) and bonding
between them and one of the generator phases, aka "neutral". If you
don't understand this read up first, plenty of threads in here about
generators and feeding houses.

Another possibilty is the electronics not liking the wave form from
the generator but I put that below the above as a possibilty.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

Boiler Spark Generator
 

In article om,
Dave Liquorice wrote:
My system works happily off a 300 watt invertor and car battery. I'd
doubt any domestic system needs 1.3 kW.

Mine uses about 300W to run, blower and both pumps. The blower may
require up to 500W to start (3 x 150W). I get the impression that the
OP's system is oil not gas so the spark is a little bit more pokey but
I wouldn't expect its load to be anything like the startup umph
required by the blower...

Ah - didn't pick up that it might be oil.

--
*If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Boiler Spark Generator
 

Sorry I did not give enough info. I am a bit new to this.
My boiler is a gas condensing type. I have earthed the Generator to the
water supply pipes. I have wired the boiler to a 13 amp plug (fitted with a
3amp fuse) and plugged this into the generator. When I plug the boiler back
into the mains it starts first time. The Generator is a Kipor KGE1300Tc
digital convertor generator. Will have a mess around with the earth supply.
Thanks for all the replys so far.

Mark

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article om,
Dave Liquorice wrote:
My system works happily off a 300 watt invertor and car battery. I'd
doubt any domestic system needs 1.3 kW.

Mine uses about 300W to run, blower and both pumps. The blower may
require up to 500W to start (3 x 150W). I get the impression that the
OP's system is oil not gas so the spark is a little bit more pokey but
I wouldn't expect its load to be anything like the startup umph
required by the blower...

Ah - didn't pick up that it might be oil.

--
*If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Boiler Spark Generator
 

On Tue, 13 Dec 2005 19:12:27 -0000, Mark Wood wrote:

I have earthed the Generator to the water supply pipes.

In this day and age of plastic pipes that is no longer considered
"best practice". Conductive pipe work will still be bonded but it's
not for fault currents but to (try) and ensure that things that should
be at ground potentional are.

The earth terminal of the generator should be connected to an earth
spike driven into the real ground physically close to the generator.
You then need to check that the wire/pin on the generators 13A socket
marked "neutral" is also bonded to that earth connection. If it it
isn't, it's probably best *not* to modify the generator, the balanced
nature of its output is a little safer if earths aren't very good or
non-existant.

I'd make up a 13A Plug 13A 30mA RCD socket adapter that has a flying
lead to connect to earth terminal of the generator (thus the spike)
and connect to the earth and neutral pins in the 13A side.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail