When it comes to boiler problems, it’s always difficult to troubleshoot (with a basic knowledge)on issues relating to breaker totally trips, boiler not firing or boiler backfires.
If you have noticed your boiler stopped working, only to discover that something tripped the breaker and after attempting to fire the boiler (furnace), it refused to fire or panel power breaker keep tripping. Don’t worry, I have witnessed such before and will share my experience and how to solve this problems.
To help share some idea on this problem, today we’re going to answer the question, “Why does my oil boiler trip the circuit breaker?”, “what relationship has oil or gas boiler has with electric power?” , “What action should you take to reinstall normal operation of the boil furnace? “. Please follow up carefully with the explanations or answers to the above questions.
Why Does My Oil or Gas Boiler Trip The Circuit Breaker?
There are so many issues that can trip the circuit breaker of a boiler. But with my own experience and researches made during such problem onboard a ship I was managing, the major issues to check includes:
– Airflow: if you might have noticed, the trip might be during or after blower purging. In this case it’s simple a blockage on the airflow which forces the blower motor resistor or overload protection to trip the hole system. Try to clean clogged dirty blower filter, and the furnace tubes, for proper air passage.
– Electronic ignition: Most boilers uses electric power (electrode) to generate ignition to fire up while fuel or gas flows in. Sometimes, due to high temperature or age, the electrode cable insulations might surface to the body of the boiler causing high voltage, then trip the breakers for safety. Check the connection cables, renew them if possible.
– Faulty contactor or circuit breaker: likewise the electrical conductors, same the circuit breakers can also get old and fails to function properly. Try to use another circuit breaker of same voltage or current as per manufacturers recommendation.
– Limit switch : when it refused to limit normal, then it will limit abnormally. check contact faces, clean as required or change them with new.
– Air controller: this is another common issues that can contribute to an overworking boiler blower. When the air regulator closes fully or blocked-off the air registers forcing the eclectic motor to overload or him consuming high voltage than required.
All of the above mentioned can also cause the boiler not to fire sometimes, or fire at all. Including fuel filters clogging, nozzle assembly blockages, etc.
How Can You Solve Boiler or Furnace Circuit Breaker Trips ?
Make sure that air passages are cleared, check the electrical conductors (cables) inside and outside the boiler. Be sure that electrodes are in normal position, also check that the circuit breakers powering the system is capable of the load ( circuit breaker itself may have malfunctioned).
Note: In some instances, a tripped circuit breaker isn’t your boiler fault at all. The panel might share a breaker with another appliance (such as pumps) that caused the trip. Therefore, check for what exact connections linked to the circuit breaker in question, that will enable you obtain proper solution.
what Relationship Has Oil or Gas Boiler Has With Electric Power?
Haven explain all of the above questions, by now you might have noticed why your boiler or even your home furnace required electricity to work. That is to power the blower motor, electronic ignitor, controllers, etc.
Hopefully this article helps you. If you have any questions, feel free to drop them on the discussion box below. I will share ideas with you. Also Subscribe below for direct newsletter and articles.
Discover more from Marine And Offshore Insight
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
