Hello Victron Community,
I’m seeking some advice regarding an intermittent “flame loss” error I’m experiencing with my gas boiler when it’s powered by my Victron inverter setup. I’ve done a fair bit of troubleshooting and believe I’ve narrowed down the likely cause,.
My Setup:
- Boiler: Morco 24 Series II gas boiler
- Power Source: 2x 110ah LiFePO4 12V batteries
- Inverter: Victron 12/1200, Pure Sine Wave Inverter.
Problem: After varying periods of time, my gas boiler throws a “flame loss” error and locks out when running from the Victron inverter.
Troubleshooting & What I’ve Confirmed So Far:
- Boiler Works Fine on Mains: Crucially, when I connect the boiler directly to mains electricity, it runs absolutely perfectly without any flame loss errors or issues, even over extended periods. This strongly suggests the boiler itself (flame sensor, gas valve, PCB, fan, etc.) is functional and not inherently faulty.
- Inverter Type Confirmed: my Victron inverter is a Pure Sine Wave model. This rules out waveform distortion as the primary cause of the boiler’s issues, which is often a common problem with modified sine wave inverters.
- Inverter Manual Research: I’ve been through my Victron inverter’s manual and found the jumper settings relating to Neutral-Earth bonding:
- FJ1 (default): Neutral Floating
- FJ2: Neutral Connected to Earth/Chassis
My Understanding & Suspected Solution: Based on research and advice, I understand that sensitive appliances like gas boilers (particularly their flame rectification/detection circuits) require a stable and reliable earth reference. In a grid-connected system, the neutral is typically bonded to earth at the point of supply. With my inverter being the source of AC power, if the neutral is floating (current FJ1 setting), this could be causing the boiler’s control board to intermittently lose its earth reference, leading to the flame loss error.
Therefore, I believe that bonding the neutral to earth within the inverter by setting the jumper to FJ2 is the most likely solution to my boiler’s problem, providing the stable earth reference it needs.
My Specific Challenge & Questions:
Difficulty Removing FJ1 Jumper: I’m having difficulty physically removing the jumper from the FJ1 male connector inside the inverter. It feels quite stiff, and I don’t want to damage anything. There is a plastic protective covering over the connection which I have gripped with plyers to pull the whole jumper off. The metal connections (Spade connector?) aren’t moving but the plastic is, so the plastic plastic will be pierced if I keep pulling as the metal connectors don’t seem to be moving.
- Has anyone encountered this before?
- Are there any specific tools, techniques, or tricks for safely removing these jumpers without damaging the pins or the circuit board?
- Is it simply a case of firm but careful pulling, or is there a clip/release mechanism I’m missing? (I’ve inspected it closely but can’t see one).
Confirmation of Solution: Can anyone confirm from their experience that setting the inverter to FJ2 (neutral bonded to earth/chassis) is indeed the correct and likely solution for a gas boiler experiencing flame loss errors in such a setup?
Any tips or confirmation would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you in advance,