Gloworm Ultimate 50ff

[Robert Tyrrell]

Just called at a breakdown on one of these and ant find the fault!
Gloworm tech aren't answering the phones and it's doing my head in tbh.
The thing sparks, the fan and pump run but it won't ignite.
Many duggestions as to what it might be?

 

[quality]

pilot injector blocked or failed gas solenoid

 

[jtsplumbing]

is it sparking ??

 

[Gasmk1]

pilot injector is very prone to blocking on these two small holes can be cleaned with wire new injector about £12.00 be careful as the nut sometimes sticks and snaps at the olive which will mean new pilot supply. also could be gas valve nit opening for pilot easy to prove undo pilot tube

 

[Last Plumber]

as above mainly

Pilot blocked
Failed solenoid
Blockage to gas valve (filter) Manometer on WP test point to make sure gas is there
Spark weak or bad position maybe even tracking through damaged HT lead.
Air intake on pilot blocked ?

 

[JAH HEATING]

It's got lights on the board aswell that point you in directions for faults on these.

Think it has 3 lights if I remember rightly

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

is it sparking ??

Yep - it's sparking. I replaced a damaged HT lead as that was the original diagnosis.

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

Blockage to gas valve (filter) Manometer on WP test point to make sure gas is there ?

Didn't think of the one - I'll give it a try later today when I go back

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

It's got lights on the board aswell that point you in directions for faults on these.

Think it has 3 lights if I remember rightly

Yep - 3 neons, but which is No. 1?

 

[JAH HEATING]

Yep - 3 neons, but which is No. 1?

Haha I remember thinking the same

 

[JAH HEATING]

Aren't there two boards for these? A seven an a five wire?

I tell you what it's not like swapping a board on an isar when changing these, not a straight swap by any means

 

[Gasmk1]

Aren't there two boards for these? A seven an a five wire?

I tell you what it's not like swapping a board on an isar when changing these, not a straight swap by any means

yes single or double fuse i dont mind changing them fiddly but easy.

 

[gassafe]

I replaced a faulty PCb on a glowworm ultimate once as it was dead, it then only got to the sparking stage & I thought the new pcb was a duff but it was the pilot injector absolutely blocked solid.... Little wire brush managed to clear it & was okay since!

This one hadn't been serviced with big pile sediment over burners etc

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

Just to update you all

I went back to this one yesterday and followed all the advice, but to no avail.
After following the fault finder in the MI I have determined that the air pressure switch has given up.
There was gas at the pilot, but the pilot doesn't light. I checked the gas with my Honeywell sniffer btw.
There's a good spark, and as the boiler is sparking away I checked voltage at the APS only to find that I didn't have 230v so I'm presuming that its the APS at fault.

Just two queries though:

If the fan isn't working at full speed can this cause a problem with the APS?
I ask because the fan is making a grating noise but it is running.

Is the Ultimate 50FF fan the same as the Micron 50FF fan? There appears to be a huge difference in the price for the two and yet they appear to be the same, looking at the images I can find.

 

[Last Plumber]

If it's sparking and gas is there it is not the pressure switch !
Is the spark in the right place and 2-4 mm from strike surface, have you filed or Emery papered it clean ?

 

[Last Plumber]

I still think pilot blockage !
Gas may be there but not enough.
Change pilot and electrode !

That's what I would be doing

 

[Gasmk1]

new pilot injector the holes are tiny in these it doesnt take much to block them

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

If the fan isn't working at full speed can this cause a problem with the APS?
I ask because the fan is making a grating noise but it is running.

Is the Ultimate 50FF fan the same as the Micron 50FF fan? There appears to be a huge difference in the price for the two and yet they appear to be the same, looking at the images I can find.

 

[quality]

If its sparking then the fan and APS switch are working

 

[Gasmk1]

fans do get noisy but it is operating the aps otherwise it wouldnt spark

1 call for heat
2 aps proves
3 spark
4 pilot solenoid open
6 pilot lights and proves with ionisation
7 main solenoid opens

you are getting to 4 so it has to be gas related (or spark is not enough to ignite ) you can prove this.

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

fans do get noisy but it is operating the aps otherwise it wouldnt spark

1 call for heat
2 aps proves
3 spark
4 pilot solenoid open
6 pilot lights and proves with ionisation
7 main solenoid opens

you are getting to 4 so it has to be gas related (or spark is not enough to ignite ) you can prove this.

That's exactly what I was thinking but I thought I'd just check - I'm never that confident with these things although I should be