Why a gas boiler often turns on and off: the causes of malfunctions and their solutions

With the approach of cold weather, a person becomes dependent on heating systems. After all, warmth, or rather, its absence, significantly affects the comfort of living and even the state of health. And, when, instead of enjoying the comfort, one has to figure out why a gas boiler often turns off and on, this causes a lot of negative. Is that right?

But it is possible to solve the problem quickly and without significant financial costs. And in some situations, the user himself can return the equipment to working capacity.

What to do when a malfunction occurs?

Gas consumers should understand that they are not in the right, but obliged to repair their home or in-house equipment. Moreover, in a timely and high quality.

And since frequent shutdown of the boiler is potentially a malfunction, it is impossible to ignore the specified legal requirement. Since for such, according Art. 9.23 Administrative Code face fine.

Repair of any gas equipment is a responsible procedure, since it significantly affects safety. Therefore, you should not overestimate your capabilities or try to save by risking the lives and health of people nearby, including relatives and friends

The size of which is 1-2 thousand rubles. And, if suddenly the situation, through the fault of the user, becomes dangerous to the life and health of people or an accident occurs, then you will have to part with 10-30 thousand rubles (Article 9.23 of the Code of Administrative Offenses).

It is easier and more reliable to contact the gas company with which the contract is signed. And all the risks will fall on their shoulders. As well as responsibility for the timeliness and quality of repairs. And for violations the company will be held liable in accordance with Art. 9.23 Administrative Code. Where it is said that penalties can reach an impressive 200 thousand rubles

It should be remembered that you should not take responsibility for yourself, trying to eliminate the cause of on / off by yourself. Especially against the background of the fact that problems with equipment inoperability should be solved by specialists of companies with which the gas consumer signed an agreement. And for ignoring this rule, additional sanctions are threatened in the amount of 1-2 thousand rubles - this is also spelled out in Art. 9.23 Administrative Code.

Any repeated violation of the above norms will result in a fine in the form of a fine of 2-5 thousand. The basis for this is the corresponding norm in the above article of the Code of Administrative Offenses.

Reasons for frequent on / off boiler

If the gas boiler is unstable, then this should be the reason. And repairs should always begin with its identification. To do this, call a specialist.

But in some cases it will be possible to identify the cause on their own, since there is nothing fantastic in identifying a malfunction. Most of them have external manifestations, which means that it is possible to identify the problem visually. That is, all that needs to be done is to inspect the gas boiler and the equipment working with it.

Modern gas boilers are structurally complex equipment, so there are a lot of reasons for its unnaturally frequent on / off. But, most of them are typical, which helps to quickly identify and eliminate almost any malfunction.

It should be understood that there are a lot of varieties of breakdowns of a gas boiler, but they are all divided into only several categories. Which greatly simplifies the task.

The types of damage include:

• clocking;
• failures, breakdowns of automation;
• low gas pressure;
• incorrect operation of ventilation and smoke exhaust systems;
• unstable operation of the electric network.

And then in more detail about how the listed reasons are identified and eliminated.

Reason # 1 - Beat

Frequent activation of a gas boiler is a classic sign of its excessive power, the supply of which is much higher than necessary. And the larger the search, the more often start / shutdown cycles occur.

The reasons that lead to clocking:

• incorrect setting of the boiler electronics;
• improper installation, operation of radiators. For example, narrowing of the channels, their clogging, kinks, distortions, which lead to a decrease in efficiency, lead to malfunctions. To neutralize the negative consequences of deficiencies can only be eliminated;
• an error in determining the power of a gas boiler upon purchase.

If a frequent on / off sequence is detected. The first thing to do is to make adjustments to the mode of operation of the boiler. You can do this yourself and in a matter of minutes, since all that is needed is to go to the service menu of the unit and reduce its power.

This is possible because modern boilers have a minimum and maximum specified value, as well as an operating range.

The timing of the gas boiler, which is caused by improper adjustment, is one of those reasons for unstable operation, which the user himself can eliminate. Why do you need to find the access code (from the seller, in a specialized service) to the service menu and after entering there, use the “minus” and “plus” buttons to set the optimal power value

But it should be understood that the described power adjustment of gas heating equipment is for the most part a fine-tuning. Therefore, it can change the indicated characteristic by only a few percent (usually within 3-8%). And such numbers indicate that when exceeded boiler power values a higher setting will be useless.

The reason for this problem is the wrong choice of equipment.This happens when unprepared buyers pay attention to anything, including the power of a gas boiler, which is considered the main indicator, but forget to compare it with the total heat output of the radiators.

Clocking is a problem that is extremely easy to identify, as the on / off cycles are regular and frequent. but it will not bring much joy. And the reason is that gross errors in determining the operating characteristics of heating equipment often lead to instability. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the causes need to be eliminated quickly, since during the clocking, increased wear of the equipment occurs. In addition, unsteady operation leads to increased gas consumption, which you have to pay

And with a significant difference between the two indicators, significant problems begin.

Which can be solved:

1. Boiler replacement.
2. An increase in the thermal power of radiators. For example, an increase in their number.

An important feature of the clocking due to a significant difference in power indicators is found only immediately after the purchase and launch of a gas unit or the replacement of radiators.

If such procedures were not carried out, then you should look for another cause of the malfunction.

Reason number 2 - breakdowns of automation

In this case, the human factor or the wear of individual elements leads to problems. Often these problems arise due to poor-quality commissioning. For example, this is what happens when the wrong installing a circulation pump into the system. As a result, the circulation of the coolant becomes unstable, as a result, the liquid in the heat exchanger will overheat.

This will be a signal for the automatics to turn off the boiler, which can be repeated at different frequencies. However, most of the coolant remains not warm enough.

In this case, most likely, you can’t do without a master. But initially, if normal ignition occurs, followed by a quick shutdown, but the water in the system is not warm enough, you can try to start the pump yourself, since it may not work correctly not only because of a breakdown, but also if air jams occur, and simply due to jamming.

Oddly enough, but the human factor often leads to failures, breakdowns of electronics. For example, an impractical approach on the part of buyers, their desire to save on quality, equipment. As well as negligence, low level of training of performers who installed, set up the boiler or equipment working with it

To do this, arm yourself with a screwdriver and unscrew the special screw on the unit body. As a result, the system will air itself. If this does not help, then the same screwdriver must carefully rotate the blades. If the outcome is positive, pump performance will be restored.

If the above procedures did not help, then definitely a specialist should be called.

Often, the cause of an unnaturally frequent inclusion of a gas boiler is a breakdown or lack of an external temperature sensor. As a result, the automation of the boiler focuses on a similar indicator of the coolant, which can make the operation of the entire system less stable and more costly.

At turbocharged boilers Fan problems often occur. What is connected with the wear of rubbing structural elements, their breakdowns, clogging of air channels. As a result, there is a lack of oxygen for gas combustion, which leads to flame attenuation. After that, the automatics turns off the boiler, but since it remains conditionally serviceable, starts will be repeated, as well as shutdowns.

Reason # 3 - low gas pressure

Perhaps this is the most dangerous of the reasons for the unstable operation of a gas boiler.Its essence is that low gas pressure not only provokes frequent shutdowns of the boiler, but, often, is accompanied by the leakage of this fuel, which can cause an explosion or fire.

Low gas pressure is often the result of a gas leak, which is dangerous. After all, even a 5 percent concentration of fuel in the room can lead to an explosion. Therefore, any gas consumer is obliged to own methods of eliminating the hazard and use them to prevent consequences

Make sure that the reason for the low pressure is leakage can be due to a specific and unpleasant odor.

In this case, the operation of all gas equipment should be suspended until the problem is resolved, which should be done by a specialist.

The place of leakage can be identified independently, for which soap foam is used. Soap solution should be applied to the joints. Where leakage is broken, the soapy solution will form bubbles.

In some cases, a decrease in gas pressure can occur without leakage. Similarly, if the meter breaks or the filter becomes clogged.

Such a reason as a breakdown of the meter is usually detected easily, since hissing sounds, extraneous sounds are emitted from its body, and the readings change in jerks.

Having detected a gas leak, each consumer is required to shut off the gas supply to the equipment. Open the windows and notify the Ministry of Emergencies or gas workers what should be done only after leaving the room. If necessary, it is necessary to organize an evacuation. Until the danger is eliminated, it is forbidden to use electrical appliances, as they can provoke an explosion

However, perform counter replacement you don’t need it yourself. This can lead to unpleasant consequences, which may be a fine for unauthorized connection to gas pipelines (Art. 7.19 Administrative Code) As a result, you will have to pay a fine, the amount of which can reach about 30 thousand rubles.

Reason # 4 - incorrect ventilation

In this situation, problems with the operation mode of the gas boiler occur due to reasons such as chemical or mechanical underburning.

So, in the first case, not enough air is supplied to the burner of the boiler. It is not enough to burn gas. The situation is aggravated by the fact that as a result of ineffective gas oxidation, a significant amount of soot is formed. Which covers all the internal surfaces of the boiler.

In advanced cases, this leads to the fact that the nozzles of the burner and the pipe channels become clogged, therefore, attenuation occurs.

In many cases, a normal cleaning of surfaces from combustion products will help restore the boiler’s performance. This is best done before the start of each heating season, or even several times during its duration.

At the same time, too much traction leads to mechanical underburning. The main sign of which is that the gas simply does not have time to burn. This causes the flame to die out and the interlock system to work.

The photo shows a design element of the smoke exhaust system clogged with soot. In such a situation, the combustion products cannot be effectively removed from the combustion chamber of the boiler. Therefore, a critical lack of air arises and the flame begins to fade. What electronics react to by switching off the boiler

The stability of the chimney can be restored to return to burning, which is carried out using a device such as gate. It is a damper installed in the exhaust duct of the smoke exhaust system.

If the specified device is not provided or is defective, then such a disadvantage should be eliminated. And this is when using modern chimney sandwich easy to do.

In difficult cases, you will have to change the design of ventilation systems, smoke exhaust.

Often, difficult climatic conditions lead to problems with gas combustion, and, consequently, with stability.

Which may be:

• strong wind;
• negative temperatures;
• precipitation.

So, with a strong wind, traction can significantly deteriorate, which will lead to underburning with a possible shutdown of the gas boiler.

At low temperatures, ice freezes on internal surfaces smoke exhaust systems, which leads to traction instability or its complete absence. Eliminate the negative consequences in this case will be obtained by eliminating the ice.

What can be done:

• mechanically, that is, simply chipped ice;
• heating the chimney channel. For example, using a single gas cylinder.

To reduce the effects of freezing ice, do not use a head (umbrella).

If an increased cyclic on / off of the boiler is noticed, and ice is detected in the chimney (as in the photo), then we can assume that the problem is identified. Since the inner channel is usually in the same situation

Precipitation leads to a decrease in traction, as well as to a decrease in its stability. The negative consequences in each of these cases are eliminated after the normalization of the situation. But, it should be remembered that it is possible to reduce the likelihood of their occurrence by changing the design of the smoke exhaust system. This is expensive, but will increase the safety of using gas equipment.

Often the attenuation occurs due to the reverse thrust. The cause of which is improper ventilation of the room where the boiler is installed.

Namely:

• lack of special channels for air exchange at the bottom of doors, moreover in the whole building;
• tightness of the premises, which is due to the use of modern windows, doors.

And also the occurrence of reverse draft indicates excessive draft in the smoke exhaust system.

All of the above leads to the fact that the formed air stream simply extinguishes the flame, after which the automation turns off the boiler. After subsequent switching on, the situation may be repeated due to the subsequent formation of reverse thrust.

In this case, negative consequences can be eliminated by creating proper ventilation in the building, as well as by installing a deflector in the chimney.

Reason No. 5 - instability of the electric network

Often the cause of boiler shutdowns / starts is the voltage drop in the system. Since upon reaching the established critical values, the electronics will shut down the unit.

Instability in the electrical network is a frequent cause of improper cyclic switching on / off of a gas boiler. And the worst thing is that it is difficult to identify an untrained user with such a cause of a problem. At the same time, it should be remembered that problems with electricity often accumulate for a long time, but the longer it takes, the more negative the result can be.

And, when the voltage is normalized, the automation will automatically generate a command signal to resume heating. This is convenient, but can create additional problems.

The reason is that in many cases, users for a long time may not even be aware of a breakdown. Or ignore it, because from the outside, everything usually does not look as problematic as it actually is.

Indeed, in the presence of an unstable voltage, electronics can fail at any time. Which is expensive to repair, and in some cases it will not work quickly to do it because of the fact that you will have to wait for the delivery of the spare part.

In addition, all other electrical equipment located in the room is at risk of damage. And most importantly, such a malfunction as power surges is a direct threat to the life and health of users.

Therefore, the performance of the gas boiler must be monitored regularly. And if a problem is identified, immediately proceed to fix it, and not talk about how often the used gas boiler should turn off. In this case, the repair must be done by a specialist.

In many cases, frequent on / off switching of the boiler indicates that. that the user does not pay due attention to it. In this way, scheduled and periodic preventive maintenance, which is the main way to prevent malfunctions, is not performed or performed in a timely manner.

Avoid breakdown of the gas boiler due to voltage instability will help Voltage regulator.

It must be appropriate power and reliable. That is, you should not purchase a device that costs a penny, especially from an unknown manufacturer.

Conclusion and useful video on the topic

The video tells about what is ticking, how does such a negative phenomenon occur, and also describes ways to deal with it:

The following video describes the situation with boiler attenuation in high winds:

Frequent repetition of the on / off cycles of any modern gas boiler directly indicates its unstable operation. And therefore, there is a malfunction or incorrect setting, which is the reason for the accelerated wear of the equipment. Therefore, identifying the problem should immediately begin to eliminate it.

Have you ever encountered interruptions in the operation of a gas boiler? What kind of problem did you encounter and how did their situation come out? Please share your experience with our readers in the comments section.