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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Plumbing Questions >> External Oil boiler continuously firing https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1292750698 Message started by pansypots on Dec 19^th, 2010, 9:24am

Title: External Oil boiler continuously firing
Post by pansypots on Dec 19^th, 2010, 9:24am

Hi

I'm not an engineer and I know nothing about boilers! My Camray 5 external boiler has a frost stat so it fires at 5c for 5mins or so, but recently the boiler has started firing automatically for long periods. The air temp outside is showing -10c so is my boiler just working really hard to protect itself? Last night it fired on and off for about an hour or more each time all night. :-?

Title: Re: External Oil boiler continuously firing
Post by thescruff on Dec 19^th, 2010, 2:04pm

It's when it doesn't fire and freezes solid that you need to worry.

Sounds about right, has it got a pipe stat inline with the frost stat, it will save you a bucket load of cash if you haven't.

Title: Re: External Oil boiler continuously firing
Post by pansypots on Jan 1^st, 2011, 12:51pm

Thanks for replying; didn't realise I had a response until I logged on today!

Anyway, the boiler has it's frost stat inside the control panel but the boiler is lagged so should the frost stat be behind the lagging? This means we have to burn oil to heat the whole of the inside of the boiler casing to get the frost stat to warm up inside the control panel; if it's -12 outside this would burn up a whole lot of oil. Surely the boiler parts beneath the lagging are the parts that should not be allowed to freeze whereas the current configuration relies on the boiler leaking heat through the lagging to eventually warm up the forst stat; doesn't seem to be a very efficient way of doing things. And it keeps us awake all night!

Title: Re: External Oil boiler continuously firing
Post by thescruff on Jan 1^st, 2011, 4:52pm

You should be able to wire a pipe stat fitted on the return pipe in the boiler, so when it gets to say 20c it interrupts the frost stat.