Pilot won't light in this weather

[MDJO]

Hi.. I'm hoping someone might be able to help me. When the weather is like it is today i.e. cold but more specifically very 'still' ; our boiler (condensing about 9 yrs old) will not work. Normally I can just manually relight the pilot but not this afternoon (switched on OK off the timer this morning and then proceeded to keep switching itself on at random times throughout the morning although the timer switch and thermostat were turned off..but thats another story ) Anyway, it the pilot wouldn't light at all (fan was turning, there was a clicking noise like it was trying to light, and a small amount of steam coming out of the outside vent but it just wouldn't light) I definately know its related to the outside weather as this happened last winter and earlier this winter but only on days like today, when there is 'no weather'. A friends plumber had also mentioned in passing that it is related to air pressue.
So, in a desperate attempt to get it going, i took my hairdryer outside and created some 'wind' next to the vent and voila, it lit. So can i ask, what is going on here? I don't fancy having to hairdry the vent every morning so my question is, is this an issue that can be fixed or am I at the mercy of the weather???
Many thanks if you can help (and any help on the mysterious self switching on would be also much appreciated)
Kind Regards
MD

 

[unfinishedsweet]

You could check the vent pipe and the chamber if they aren't dirty or blocked. Also you could check the air pressure switch. Eventually the fan desn't produce enough flow but it's rather pointing to APS

 

[sonray ltd]

loads of info on everything but no info on what the boiler make/model is.

like a needle in a haystack.

 

[Deleted member 2053]

There are quite a few possibilities here - many of which I would have expected to be sorted by a good service. Does this boiler get an annual service?