Paloma pilot light going out?

[John Bennett]

I have a Paloma (oddball version PH-5KFE) "MARK VI" on the boat and
after 5 years with no problems, just recently the pilot light has
started occasionally extinguishing itself.

Is there any obvious reason for this happening? Any suggestions would
be most appreciated.


Cheers John

[Don Aitken]

On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 21:50:12 +0100, John Bennett

Post by John Bennett
I have a Paloma (oddball version PH-5KFE) "MARK VI" on the boat and
after 5 years with no problems, just recently the pilot light has
started occasionally extinguishing itself.
Is there any obvious reason for this happening? Any suggestions would
be most appreciated.

Has it ever been serviced? If not, it almost certainly needs it. Get
that nice Mr Corgi round.

[Drifter]

Post by John Bennett
I have a Paloma (oddball version PH-5KFE) "MARK VI" on the boat and
after 5 years with no problems, just recently the pilot light has
started occasionally extinguishing itself.
Is there any obvious reason for this happening? Any suggestions

would

Post by John Bennett
be most appreciated.
Cheers John
--
John Bennett nb "Jake B"
Email johnurw(at)jake-b.co.uk

Almost certainly the thermocouple is on the way out.
Tony
on the Basy with an old flame

[Graham Brooker]

Probably the thermocouple needs changing. May be it does not sit nicely in
the flame and needs bending. Make sure the connection bolt on the gas valve
is not loose. If in doubt get it serviced.

Graham Brooker

Post by John Bennett
I have a Paloma (oddball version PH-5KFE) "MARK VI" on the boat and
after 5 years with no problems, just recently the pilot light has
started occasionally extinguishing itself.
Is there any obvious reason for this happening? Any suggestions would
be most appreciated.
Cheers John
--
John Bennett nb "Jake B"
Email johnurw(at)jake-b.co.uk

[Bob Holmes]

Post by John Bennett
I have a Paloma (oddball version PH-5KFE) "MARK VI" on the boat and
after 5 years with no problems, just recently the pilot light has
started occasionally extinguishing itself.
Is there any obvious reason for this happening? Any suggestions would
be most appreciated.
Cheers John
--
John Bennett nb "Jake B"
Email johnurw(at)jake-b.co.uk

John,
It might be the pilot jet blocked with soot /dirt, then there isn't
quite enough heat in the reduced flame for the thermocouple. You can
poke it out with a thin strand of copper wire, it 's only a tiny hole
anyway.
Bill

[John Bennett]

Post by Bob Holmes

Post by John Bennett
I have a Paloma (oddball version PH-5KFE) "MARK VI" on the boat and
after 5 years with no problems, just recently the pilot light has
started occasionally extinguishing itself.
Is there any obvious reason for this happening? Any suggestions would
be most appreciated.
Cheers John
--
John Bennett nb "Jake B"
Email johnurw(at)jake-b.co.uk

John,
It might be the pilot jet blocked with soot /dirt, then there isn't
quite enough heat in the reduced flame for the thermocouple. You can
poke it out with a thin strand of copper wire, it 's only a tiny hole
anyway.
Bill

Thanks for all the prompt replies. I will have a look at the pilot jet
which sounds like it might be the culprit as the flame is definitely not
burning as high as it used to. The Paloma was serviced 2 or 3 years
ago and if I can't fix it then it will need another expensive CORGI job.
Fortunately it always fails "safe" - I have a gas sniffer just in case.


Kind regards John

[Boat Safety Scheme Office]

Post by John Bennett
Thanks for all the prompt replies. I will have a look at the pilot jet
which sounds like it might be the culprit as the flame is definitely not
burning as high as it used to. The Paloma was serviced 2 or 3 years
ago and if I can't fix it then it will need another expensive CORGI job.
Fortunately it always fails "safe" - I have a gas sniffer just in case.

Incomplete burning of the LPG may lead to the production of carbon
monoxide. Please also note the letter regarding water heaters in this
month's Canal and Riverboat magazine.
It is wise for anyone with lpg appliances to consider annual services
by a competent person.
And on the subject of costs for such services, it could be well worth
the investment see link to story from Eastern Daily Press 04.08.04
Warning after boat gas blast
http://new.edp24.co.uk/search/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&itemid=NOED04%20Aug%202004%2018:51:15:053&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=search&archive=0

BTW I understand from my EA colleagues that the lady is still in
hospital. The other news I learnt this week was that the man who was
blown into the dock from the interior of his boat moored in Surrey
Quays (Apr 04) died three weeks later.

Please treat all LPG systems and appliances with great respect. Gas
does not tend to treat bodgers very well.

Regards to you all.

Go boating - Stay safe
Rob @ BSS Office

[Mark Annand]

Post by Boat Safety Scheme Office
Please treat all LPG systems and appliances with great respect. Gas
does not tend to treat bodgers very well.

Not sure you should imply that the original poster is a bodger just
because he's not keen to call in a professional at the drop of a match -
he comes across as having an enquiring mind, which is just what everyone
with gas/petrol/whatever aboard a boat needs on the *other* 364 days of
the year when the nice chappess from Corgi hasn't called.

Actually, with early failures in mind, let's include the day that they
called as well.

I'm reminded of someone who's final fallback safety device was an
inconspicuous woodcut of a dragon, hung near the stove - it was there to
remind them of the other fire breather aboard the boat, and they made a
habit of glancing at it before putting a light under the kettle in the
morning ...

[Boat Safety Scheme Office]

Not sure you should imply that the original poster is a bodger >

No, no. Please do not draw any such implication. It's just a general
point about how much respect LPG demands as per your point snipped
below...

I'm reminded of someone who's final fallback safety device was an
inconspicuous woodcut of a dragon, hung near the stove - it was there to
remind them of the other fire breather aboard the boat, and they made a
habit of glancing at it before putting a light under the kettle in the
morning ...

...whatever works. Anything that will, for example, remind one crew
member to check before they strike the stove that the other crew
member hasn't just refilled the petrol tank has got to be worthwile
(if it works).

regards
Rob @ BSS Office

[John Bennett]

Post by Boat Safety Scheme Office

Not sure you should imply that the original poster is a bodger >

As the OP in question that comment is appreciated, Mark;-)

Post by Boat Safety Scheme Office
No, no. Please do not draw any such implication. It's just a general
point about how much respect LPG demands as per your point snipped
below...

I didn't take it as an insult and fully agree that the point about
taking gas safety very seriously can't be made too often.

However I do believe there are some jobs that can be done safely by "non
professionals", with the right tools, who have some knowledge and
(perhaps more importantly) common sense. Cleaning pilot jets is
probably one of them (having first turned the gas off to the appliance
of course).

In the case of my Paloma problem, I was about to remove the jet for
cleaning when I noticed a setting on the temperature control knob
labelled "Pilot jet cleaner". I did as instructed (I assume it just
pushes a thin piece of wire up the hole) and the pilot light has not
gone out since. I then went round checking all the gas connections and
appliances on the boat with the sniffer as a bonus!

Post by Boat Safety Scheme Office

I'm reminded of someone who's final fallback safety device was an
inconspicuous woodcut of a dragon, hung near the stove - it was there to
remind them of the other fire breather aboard the boat, and they made a
habit of glancing at it before putting a light under the kettle in the
morning ...

...whatever works. Anything that will, for example, remind one crew
member to check before they strike the stove that the other crew
member hasn't just refilled the petrol tank has got to be worthwile
(if it works).

I noted from the URL you gave about the recent horrible accident that
they said it was a gas cylinder fault. Perhaps the reporting was
inaccurate and it was an appliance or problem in the pipework somewhere?
A couple of years ago I bought an exchange Calor cylinder and very soon
noticed a strong smell of gas in the locker. On investigating I found
that the actual valve connection to the cylinder itself was leaking
quite badly (not the connection to my gas system). There is nothing you
can do about this except get it off the boat asap. This is a good
instance of where the BSS rules about ventilating gas lockers are very
relevant. I now always check new cylinders to see if the valve is
leaking!


Cheers John