Problems with boiler system . . . . . :(

Mehullakhani

Hey guys

Just wondering if you can shed some light on the problems that I have just started experiencing with my boiler/CH.

I moved into a block of flats about 3mnths ago. They are about 8-9yrs old. The boiler is, I have been told, a combi-boiler. It has a white box on the wall in the boiler cupboard, and a big hot water cylinder thing too ( sorry, i am not too good with this sort of thing ).

Anyway, everything was working fine until this weekend. Normally I have the heating and HW on a timer, and by the time I wake up, there is hot water and the radiators are warm.

Anyway, on sunday, this didnt happen . I thought it was odd, but just put it down as one of those things . I started it myself, by pressing the 'extra hour' button on the control panel and everything was okay.

This morning about 6am, I was semi-awake, and I thought let me just check on the boiler, and whilst it was making all the correct sounds and whirring away, the red light on the boiler was on . Usually it has a yellow light.

The radiators were cold, and there was no hot water. The instructions on the boiler say that if the red light is on a fault has occured, and that you shoudl press the black switch. I think this is a reset switch. I did this, and it still didnt work. I keep trying, but it would just turn on, wait a few seconds and then flick to the red light. It still makes all the correct noises, and the green power light comes on as usual.

I went back to bed, and then woke up at 7:30. I then went back to the boiler and hit the extra hour button, and everything worked fine - no problems at all. Hot water and CH as usual .

Any ideas ?

R

Mehul

cattie

Sorry I can't help, but just wanted to say that as you also have a cylinder along with a boiler & have to wait for hot water to be heated, it doesn't sound as if you have a combination boiler. Combination boilers give hot water on demand & you don't have a wait for it to be heated.

moneysavingplumber

I bet that you have a Potterton Suprima. It's not a combi, although you may have a combination indirect cylinder (flat lid on top of it fills via a ballvalve in top compartment), which may have caused some confusion.

If it is the Suprima I'm betting that you have a hairline crack in the ignition electrode that is becoming damp overnight which would make it more difficult for it to ignite in the morning. Once it fails it will go to lock-out mode and need to be reset. Once some voltage has passed through it it will dry out a little and then be able to ignite later. It may also be a sticking gas control valve. The other possibility is that it is overheating at the end of it's evening cycle the night before and then failing to light the following morning as a result, this is the least likely option, and you can verify this by checking it before you go to bed to see if it has locked out. Either way, you'll need a competent CORGI registered engineer to diagnose and fix it. Whatever you do don't let someone just fit a new PCB unless they have positively diagnosed that this is the fault as it will be £140.00 down the drain if they are wrong as they are not returnable, unless of course they are willing to take the risk and cover the cost if it is wrong.

Mehullakhani

Hiya everyone

Thanks for all your help . I am still a bit confused - so I have put some pics on my website - if you guys could have a look, perhaps it would give you a better idea of what I am talking about

https://www.mehullakhani.plus.com/heating.htm

Thanks

Mehul

moneysavingplumber

I'm laughing at myself here, obviously not a Potterton Suprima! But it could well be the same problem that I described, although I have never heard of the boiler that you have. Either way you need a professional to sort it out. You have a sealed heating system and an unvented cylinder. It' not something that you should attempt to repair yourself.