My partner has a Gloworm Fuelsaver F Boiler that has developed a problem in that it doesn't work properly. It comes on and the flame kicks in for about 5-10 seconds and then goes out. The only way she can get a little heating or hot water is to leave it programmed on permanently and it will keep firing up for 5-10 seconds over a period of hours.

Does this mean a new boiler is required or is it just the controller that needs replacing. She cannot really afford a new boiler and put up with this problem since winter 2006. Any help is greatly aprreciated.

On 25 Feb, 15:36, sllimk wrote:
My partner has a Gloworm Fuelsaver F Boiler that has developed a problem
in that it doesn't work properly. It comes on and the flame kicks in for
about 5-10 seconds and then goes out. The only way she can get a little
heating or hot water is to leave it programmed on permanently and it
will keep firing up for 5-10 seconds over a period of hours.

Does this mean a new boiler is required or is it just the controller
that needs replacing. She cannot really afford a new boiler and put up
with this problem since winter 2006. Any help is greatly aprreciated.

--
sllimk

1) Get an approved tech to sort out the problem and then sign up for
an annual servicing and breakdown plan.

On 2007-02-25 15:36:37 +0000, sllimk said:


My partner has a Gloworm Fuelsaver F Boiler that has developed a problem
in that it doesn't work properly.

That would be a problem.


It comes on and the flame kicks in for
about 5-10 seconds and then goes out. The only way she can get a little
heating or hot water is to leave it programmed on permanently and it
will keep firing up for 5-10 seconds over a period of hours.

Does this mean a new boiler is required or is it just the controller
that needs replacing. She cannot really afford a new boiler and put up
with this problem since winter 2006. Any help is greatly aprreciated.


You may (or may not) remember the British Gas advert for their rip off service
contracts where there's an older (= reliable) fitter and a dozy apprentice with
their toolkit out playing the role of paramedics.

Mrs. Jones, the homeowner, is looking on very worried. Clearly the heating
system has had major trauma (as the Americans would say).

Shortly, the older fitter says: "Mrs. Jones..... it's yer pump!"

Mrs. Jones asks "Will it be all right?" and the fitter smiles and nods.

A very relieved looking Mrs. Jones doesn't realise that the smile is as
he thinks
about the £150 per annum that she has paid for replacement of a £30 pump.

So here's your opportunity to be a hero.

If the heating and the hot water do follow the correct behaviour as
selected by the programmer -
i.e. heating when that's selected and HW for that, then the controller
and motorised valve should be
OK. Otherwise, this would be suspect.

This really leaves the pump. If that has stopped, the behaviour will
be as you describe - i.e. short periods
of the boiler running then the thermostat stopping it almost
immediately because the water is not being
circulated.

There are two probable causes:

- Pump has seized. If it has, it may be possible to free the rotor
by undoing the large screw in the centre (which is actually a cap),
assuming it has one, and turning the rotor with a large screwdriver.
If you are lucky this will free it up. It's possible that it has
become seized during the summer if not in use (e.g. HW heated by
immersion and boiler off) or because some sludge or other crud has
become lodged in it. It may be that the rotor bearing is simply
knackered. If the pump is as old as the boiler probably is, then the
pump may well beyond its useful life.
Be prepared that a new pump may be needed. Taking the screw out will
release a few drops of water which may well be dirty and sludgy. To
avoid withdrawal of hero status and "other things", it would be prudent
to put down a plastic sheet and plenty of rags and newspapers.



- Pump over-run thermostat is defective. The pump is run from this
so that water keeps circulating after the burner stops. If the
thermostat fails, no power to pump


You can diagnose between these by checking that there's power at the
pump using a neon tester or meter, or by turning the boiler on wiht the
gas off. The pump should be powered at this point and if the case
gets hot when the water is cold, you know there is electricity there.

In message , sllimk
writes

My partner has a Gloworm Fuelsaver F Boiler that has developed a
problem
in that it doesn't work properly. It comes on and the flame kicks in
for
about 5-10 seconds and then goes out. The only way she can get a little
heating or hot water is to leave it programmed on permanently and it
will keep firing up for 5-10 seconds over a period of hours.

Does this mean a new boiler is required or is it just the controller
that needs replacing. She cannot really afford a new boiler and put up
with this problem since winter 2006. Any help is greatly aprreciated.


Normally this would be associated with heat not being removed from the
heat exchanger quickly enough and the boiler overheat stat cutting out

HOWEVER

this is a Fuelsaver, and some of them have a problem unique to
fuelsavers - the fans have windings which are prone to overheating and a
resettable thermal fuse which will cut out when the windings get hot (a
matter of seconds to minutes) and close again when the windings cool
down - a fault which would prolly be beyond the diagnostic capabilities
of more than a few CH fitters out there, lucky you asked here

.... your fan's ****ed



--
geoff

On 2007-02-25 22:09:09 +0000, raden said:

In message , sllimk
writes

My partner has a Gloworm Fuelsaver F Boiler that has developed a problem
in that it doesn't work properly. It comes on and the flame kicks in for
about 5-10 seconds and then goes out. The only way she can get a little
heating or hot water is to leave it programmed on permanently and it
will keep firing up for 5-10 seconds over a period of hours.

Does this mean a new boiler is required or is it just the controller
that needs replacing. She cannot really afford a new boiler and put up
with this problem since winter 2006. Any help is greatly aprreciated.


Normally this would be associated with heat not being removed from the
heat exchanger quickly enough and the boiler overheat stat cutting out

HOWEVER

this is a Fuelsaver, and some of them have a problem unique to
fuelsavers - the fans have windings which are prone to overheating and
a resettable thermal fuse which will cut out when the windings get hot
(a matter of seconds to minutes) and close again when the windings cool
down - a fault which would prolly be beyond the diagnostic capabilities
of more than a few CH fitters out there, lucky you asked here

... your fan's ****ed


I had a Fuelsaver with no fan...... (I'm pretty sure it was this model,
but might have been an earlier version?)....

In message , Andy Hall writes
On 2007-02-25 22:09:09 +0000, raden said:

In message , sllimk
writes
My partner has a Gloworm Fuelsaver F Boiler that has developed a
problem
in that it doesn't work properly. It comes on and the flame kicks in for
about 5-10 seconds and then goes out. The only way she can get a little
heating or hot water is to leave it programmed on permanently and it
will keep firing up for 5-10 seconds over a period of hours.
Does this mean a new boiler is required or is it just the
controller
that needs replacing. She cannot really afford a new boiler and put up
with this problem since winter 2006. Any help is greatly aprreciated.
Normally this would be associated with heat not being removed from
the heat exchanger quickly enough and the boiler overheat stat
cutting out
HOWEVER
this is a Fuelsaver, and some of them have a problem unique to
fuelsavers - the fans have windings which are prone to overheating and
a resettable thermal fuse which will cut out when the windings get hot
(a matter of seconds to minutes) and close again when the windings
cool down - a fault which would prolly be beyond the diagnostic
capabilities of more than a few CH fitters out there, lucky you asked here
... your fan's ****ed


I had a Fuelsaver with no fan...... (I'm pretty sure it was this model,
but might have been an earlier version?)....


Ah, but I think that Fuelsaver "F" rather gives it away



--
geoff

On 2007-02-25 23:52:57 +0000, raden said:

In message , Andy Hall writes
On 2007-02-25 22:09:09 +0000, raden said:

In message , sllimk
writes
My partner has a Gloworm Fuelsaver F Boiler that has developed a problem
in that it doesn't work properly. It comes on and the flame kicks in for
about 5-10 seconds and then goes out. The only way she can get a little
heating or hot water is to leave it programmed on permanently and it
will keep firing up for 5-10 seconds over a period of hours.
Does this mean a new boiler is required or is it just the controller
that needs replacing. She cannot really afford a new boiler and put up
with this problem since winter 2006. Any help is greatly aprreciated.
Normally this would be associated with heat not being removed from
the heat exchanger quickly enough and the boiler overheat stat cutting
out
HOWEVER
this is a Fuelsaver, and some of them have a problem unique to
fuelsavers - the fans have windings which are prone to overheating and
a resettable thermal fuse which will cut out when the windings get hot
(a matter of seconds to minutes) and close again when the windings cool
down - a fault which would prolly be beyond the diagnostic
capabilities of more than a few CH fitters out there, lucky you asked
here
... your fan's ****ed


I had a Fuelsaver with no fan...... (I'm pretty sure it was this model,
but might have been an earlier version?)....


Ah, but I think that Fuelsaver "F" rather gives it away

F*cked?

Andy Hall wrote:

I had a Fuelsaver with no fan...... (I'm pretty sure it was this model,
but might have been an earlier version?)....

My house came with a Fuelsaver 55F - that had a fan...

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 2007-02-26 01:31:00 +0000, John Rumm said:

Andy Hall wrote:

I had a Fuelsaver with no fan...... (I'm pretty sure it was this model,
but might have been an earlier version?)....

My house came with a Fuelsaver 55F - that had a fan...

Ah so it stands for fan as well as f*cked, then....

Even so, I still think that this wouldn't exclude Mrs Jones and the
over-run thermostat as candidates,
I had a failed over-run thermostat at one point - well to be precise
the complete thermostat since this
is part of it;

On Sun, 25 Feb 2007 22:22:29 +0000, Andy Hall wrote:

On 2007-02-25 22:09:09 +0000, raden said:

In message , sllimk
writes

My partner has a Gloworm Fuelsaver F Boiler that has developed a problem
in that it doesn't work properly. It comes on and the flame kicks in for
about 5-10 seconds and then goes out. The only way she can get a little
heating or hot water is to leave it programmed on permanently and it
will keep firing up for 5-10 seconds over a period of hours.

Does this mean a new boiler is required or is it just the controller
that needs replacing. She cannot really afford a new boiler and put up
with this problem since winter 2006. Any help is greatly aprreciated.


Normally this would be associated with heat not being removed from the
heat exchanger quickly enough and the boiler overheat stat cutting out

HOWEVER

this is a Fuelsaver, and some of them have a problem unique to
fuelsavers - the fans have windings which are prone to overheating and
a resettable thermal fuse which will cut out when the windings get hot
(a matter of seconds to minutes) and close again when the windings cool
down - a fault which would prolly be beyond the diagnostic capabilities
of more than a few CH fitters out there, lucky you asked here

... your fan's ****ed


I had a Fuelsaver with no fan...... (I'm pretty sure it was this model,
but might have been an earlier version?)....

Yes model names even span technology "epochs" see the wiki.





--
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
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html
Gas Fitting Standards Docs he http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFittingStandards

On Mon, 26 Feb 2007 17:44:45 +0000, Ed Sirett wrote:

Yes model names even span technology "epochs" see the wiki.

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?...iler_Evolution