boiler help

[dietstartsmonday]

my boiler keeps going out. I relight pilot light, half an hour later its gone out again.

any ideas??

[PigletJohn]

if it actually has a pilot light, and it is a gas boiler, then it is presumably very old.

It might be the thermocouple, they last a few years and are cheap and easy.

It might be the gas valve, which is not.

You need a boiler engineer. Ask around for a recommendation. S/he must be Gas Safe registered and should show you his photo ID badge with his name on it. If he's "left it at home" or "it's in the van" tell him to fuck off smile sweetly and say you'll wait hile he fetches it before you let him start work.

At this time of year they will be busy.

[dietstartsmonday]

thank you.

Yes its old.

the thermocouple was changed 3 months ago, so would imagine its not that.

its looking serious then?

I rent but my landlord is rubbish

[PigletJohn]

There's a chance the new thermocouple was not fitted right, I suppose, maybe the flame is not playing on it well. But it could be age and some old parts are hard to find.

On the bright side, if it gets replaced by a new one, modern improved efficiency will put the gas bills down.

[dietstartsmonday]

true, just hope it doesn't take him weeks to sort

[specialsubject]

I'm afraid at this time of year it may well take weeks to sort. Your landlord is obliged to organise heating and hot water for you, so flag up NOW that you have a problem.

[dietstartsmonday]

how would he sort that with no boiler?

[Saltycopporn]

could be a blocked pilot injector. The thermocouple should sit in the flame which should be a strong bright blue flame. Any blockage could lead to cooling of the thermocouple and the pilot going out. This is not a diy job though. Gas safe registered engineer only! Good luck
.

[dietstartsmonday]

flame when it does light is odd coloured.

have left landlord a message so hopefully will get sorted

[PigletJohn]

do you mean flame is yellow rather than blue?

or if you live near the sea, is it sometimes orange?

[dietstartsmonday]

yes more yellowly I would say

[Saltycopporn]

If the pilot light is yellow then the pilot burner is probably blocked. Its a nice easy one to fix

[dietstartsmonday]

hope so, any idea what sort of cost if it is that? can't get hold of landlord so might just call someone

[bunchoffives]

Have you got a carbon monoxide alarm? I wouldn't want to use it unless I had one.

[dietstartsmonday]

its in the garage so out of the house. not using it anyway as will not turn on