Instant hotwater ....help?

[Newcastle George]

is there a wire to the spark unit?


or just high voltage out of the icu?

There is a wire which is a permanent attached part of the ICU which attaches to the Spark Plug. Schematic below. Glasses may be required.

Click To Enlarge

100_4277 (Custom).JPG

[jon_d]

Hi George,

I'd give the sparker thing a clean.

And possibly get a high voltage neon and clip across the sparker and gnd.
See if the neon fires. This will test for HV.


I still think humidity might be a problem. Low humidity requires a higher voltage to jump. This stresses the wires and more chance of a breakdown.

It's possible the sparker voltage is climbing high on low humity days and breaking down somewhere. On high humidity days, the voltage jumps across the sparker and/but is not high enough to breakdown at the "faulty" point.

Possibly try moving or sheathing the HV wire to the sparker as a test.


Can you light it manual or is it all sealed up?

[Vik351]

Sounds like the lift rod for the gas valve is sticking,or diaphragm is kaput,and or both ,

Diaphragm is the first port of call ...

Vik...

[Newcastle George]

Hi George,

I'd give the sparker thing a clean. That has been done

And possibly get a high voltage neon and clip across the sparker and gnd.
See if the neon fires. This will test for HV.


I still think humidity might be a problem. Low humidity requires a higher voltage to jump. This stresses the wires and more chance of a breakdown.

It's possible the sparker voltage is climbing high on low humity days and breaking down somewhere. On high humidity days, the voltage jumps across the sparker and/but is not high enough to breakdown at the "faulty" point.

Possibly try moving or sheathing the HV wire to the sparker as a test. I have made sure that the leads from the ICU are not in contact with any metal or each other and they are well insulated


Can you light it manual or is it all sealed up? It can be accessed for manual lighting but that would be laborious each time we turn the hot tap on

At the moment I cannot get it to stop working/sparking. The moment it sparks the pilot flame lights and the main burner lights a second or two later.

Vic, the gas side of it seems to be working perfectly.

George

[Vik351]

George...

Change the diaphragm and all your problems will be over ...

Vik...

[jon_d]

Vik,

can you explain why?

thnaks jd

[Vik351]

Vik,

can you explain why?

thnaks jd

In my plumin days that was 99% of the prob...

The diaphragm gets a split in it and let’s water in behind the gas lift doodad . With that area now fulla water,the gas plunger can’t move up to let gas out,sometimes it moves a bit and ya get a bit of flame etc.

As in this case,when left a day or so, you turn it on and it works cos the tiny split let the water out from behind the doodad,try it again and it prolly won’t work, water is back in again.

The bigger the split,crack the worse it is,or no gas at all

There is a service kit for this, just doo it

Vik ...

[Newcastle George]

Vic, It's not the lack of flame but the intermitant lack of spark which ignites the gas to produce the flame. It can work perfectly for a couple of weeks and then the spark ceases until it decides to play again.

George

[Newcastle George]

Vik,

can you explain why?

thnaks jd

In my plumin days that was 99% of the prob...

The diaphragm gets a split in it and let’s water in behind the gas lift doodad . With that area now fulla water,the gas plunger can’t move up to let gas out,sometimes it moves a bit and ya get a bit of flame etc.

As in this case,when left a day or so, you turn it on and it works cos the tiny split let the water out from behind the doodad,try it again and it prolly won’t work, water is back in again.

The bigger the split,crack the worse it is,or no gas at all

There is a service kit for this, just doo it

Vik ...

Vic, which diaphragm are you talking about?

George

[Vik351]

Vik,

can you explain why?

thnaks jd

In my plumin days that was 99% of the prob...

The diaphragm gets a split in it and let’s water in behind the gas lift doodad . With that area now fulla water,the gas plunger can’t move up to let gas out,sometimes it moves a bit and ya get a bit of flame etc.

As in this case,when left a day or so, you turn it on and it works cos the tiny split let the water out from behind the doodad,try it again and it prolly won’t work, water is back in again.

The bigger the split,crack the worse it is,or no gas at all

There is a service kit for this, just doo it

Vik ...

Vic, which diaphragm are you talking about?

George

# 22 off your detail (water)