Burner Problem

[thekintnerboy]

Hello!  What a great site!  Although I do not know much about my gas burner, I am learning a bit  as I go.  Hope someone can help with an issue I am having.

Been in my house about 1.5 yrs.  My hot water base board burner heating system is about 10 yrs old, converted from oil to gas about 5yrs ago.  When I moved in, I installed a 7 day prog thermostat.  Worked like a charm.  Heat worked great all last winter. 

This winter, however, it has been an adventure.  The burner seems to do its own thing.  The temp window on the burner is set to 140-180.  It is my understanding that with the heat on, the burner will maintain a water temp of at leat 140.  Should the temp drop below 140, the burner kicks on to maintain the temp.  Often the temp gauge on my burner is well below 140, with the needle as far low as it can go, indicating the temp is very low.  The thermostat can be calling for heat, the circulator pumping fine, but cold water is being pumped.  Eventually the burner will kick on, an hour late.....6 hours late.  We have had some COLD mornings.

Most of the time the heat works as it should, but doesnt work enough that it drives us crazy (several times a week).  Baby is coming this summer, so I need the heat working 100% next winter.  HELP!  Pic of burner attached - not sure why....but it felt right.

[RegUS_PatOff]

may need a model number of the boiler ..

[applianceman18007260692]

Looks to me like that gray box with leads coming from the gas valve is the control. It must have a probe deep in the pond accessing the temp of that water and powering up that gas valve below it on water temp demand. Solution: Must be a loose corroded wire or a bad intermittant control. Just a guess. I have never ever seen that contraption before. Looks like a nice design though. The bi-metal must be faulty on that control. The red thingy must be a popoff valve. If demand is met above and should the control cease to shutdown that puppy lets off a lot of steam. Again just a guess.

[Bobice]

[user=4554]applianceman18007260692[/user] wrote:

Looks to me like that gray box with leads coming from the gas valve is the control. It must have a probe deep in the pond accessing the temp of that water and powering up that gas valve below it on water temp demand. Solution: Must be a loose corroded wire or a bad intermittant control. Just a guess. I have never ever seen that contraption before. Looks like a nice design though. The bi-metal must be faulty on that control. The red thingy must be a popoff valve. If demand is met above and should the control cease to shutdown that puppy lets off a lot of steam. Again just a guess.

JW that is known as a Combination Aquastat. Maintains boiler water temperature as well as having the connections for the circulator. Honeywell makes a replacement. R 8182 D

[Bobice]

http://customer.honeywell.com/techlit/pdf/PackedLit/69-0599.pdf

[thekintnerboy]

Appreciate the replies guys.  Are you thinking the AquaStat should be swapped out?

I am guessing, after checking out the instructions, this may be over my head.

[Bobice]

Very easy to replace. Turn off power, wire for wire from old Aquastat to new.

Loosen set screw and slide out old stat, insert new.