Burner does not shut off..HELP

DownEastPowerWash

DownEastPowerWash

New member
I have an Alkota 5355JB with a Wayne burner. Recently the burner has not been shutting off when the machine goes into bypass, creating steam and what would appear to be an unsafe situation. Pretty certain that when the trigger is released and the machine goes into bypass the burner should not fire. I am not a burner guy so I am not sure where to start looking for the problem to fix it. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
 
Either the flow switch or pressure switch is hanging up. Your machine will have one or the other. A flow switch typically is a grey, red or black plastic piece that the water flows through. There is a magnet inside that slides up or down to activate a reed switch. The reed switch is attached to wires and is easily removed to test with a magnet to see if it is sticking.
A pressure switch is a little black box with wires going to it that is usually hanging off the unloader. There is a micro switch that goes bad. There is also a brass plunger that activates the micro switch that can hang up.
Either way, you want to replace it as soon as you can. It is ugly when a heater coil gets super heated and blows. There is a lot of destructive power in vaporized steam.
 
Adam, call me first thing tomorrow morning. I'll go through what to check on the machine and help you figure it out. Like Scott said, steam is nothing to play with.

 
Thank you for the replies, hoping the video doesn't happen to me. I think I might know what switch it is but I will take a photo and post a little later tonight. When I had to replace the pressure washer motor a couple weeks ago I saw this thing leaking so I replaced o-ring. Again I will post a photo of what I am talking about in a bit. Thanks again!
 
Here is a photo of what I thought was the thermostat which I replaced the o-ring in during engine swap. Second photo is what I think is the pressure relief safety feature which dumped once recently but hasn't since. Thanks again and Russ I will call in the morning.

Leaking thing.jpg 20141123_202653.jpg
 

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Benjamin said:
I don't know if Alkota made that setup so complex or if that was you, but wow way to many extra block off's and unnecessary connections. That is the pressure switch for the burner, replace that and your burner issue should be gone.
Click to expand...

That is Alkotas design.
 
Benjamin said:
I don't know if Alkota made that setup so complex or if that was you, but wow way to many extra block off's and unnecessary connections. That is the pressure switch for the burner, replace that and your burner issue should be gone.
Click to expand...

I agree, redo the plumbing on that thing while you're at it.


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No repairing the pressure switch, just replace it - considering it is there to keep your coil from exploding.
 
Benjamin said:
I don't know if Alkota made that setup so complex or if that was you, but wow way to many extra block off's and unnecessary connections. That is the pressure switch for the burner, replace that and your burner issue should be gone.
Click to expand...

Not sure, that is the way I purchased the unit, already set up. I will see if I can find a pressure switch and replace it. I would re-plumb it but it seems to be working as of now except for the burner so why mess with it. It does appear to have less flow than my other machine which is a Mi-T-M and I believe they are both rated the same.
 
Plumb for longevity of the pump. Eliminate any restrictions on water flow before the pump you can and you will increase the lifespan of your pump. Also get rid of any unnecessary restrictions after the pump. Restrictions coupled with long hoses = loss of pressure.


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DownEastPowerWash said:
Not sure, that is the way I purchased the unit, already set up. I will see if I can find a pressure switch and replace it. I would re-plumb it but it seems to be working as of now except for the burner so why mess with it. It does appear to have less flow than my other machine which is a Mi-T-M and I believe they are both rated the same.
Click to expand...

The thing you circled in red as leaking is the pressure switch.
 
I might be wrong on this but I think there is an o-ring in there that is most likely your problem. Have you taken it apart to see? I would replace the microswitch in the black box while I was at it. I carry 2 or 3 spares in my glove box. The micro switch is about a $3 item from any electronics store.
 
Vince Wood said:
I might be wrong on this but I think there is an o-ring in there that is most likely your problem. Have you taken it apart to see? I would replace the microswitch in the black box while I was at it. I carry 2 or 3 spares in my glove box. The micro switch is about a $3 item from any electronics store.
Click to expand...

The switch I would replace, never had luck replacing the o-ring.
 
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