Boiler Cutting Out?

Skyhigh

Hi,

We've got a Pottterton Suprima 40L and I've recently noticed that it seems to be cutting out for some reason.

We only tend to run it for an hour at a time, but it will still cut out.
- Boiler cuts out,
- Light on boiler flashes green for 5 mins
- Goes green but with a flashing red/amber light for 20 secs
- Goes green, boiler comes back on.

The Potterton site and notes on the boiler suggest this is a 'lockout' and to reset the boiler using the 'reset' switch (does nothing)...but doesn't say why it may get locked out

I've turned the boiler down from the maximum to quite low and it seems to be taking longer to cut out, but it's still doing it.


* To be honest, I've never noticed the light or the buttons on the boiler, since they're hiddden behind a cover/panel and I've never noticed it...!

The house is only 4 years old, but I wouldn't expect too much to be going wrong...but who knows.



The only 'trouble' we've had is that our en-suite radiator (seems to be the first in the 'chain' of radiators) was getting quite a lot of air....but I fitted an Aladdin auto-vent, which vented the air out automatically.

Oh and I've had to replace the valves in 2 taps and clean all the others in the house since they had really bad calcium deposits - making some taps impossible to turn off.


So...any idea's?

Over heating?

A build up of deposits in the system due to air in the radiators (caused by some other problem?)

I have no idea.

[Although, I'm tempted to sign up to a HomeServe type boiler/heating offer, just so I can get them to give the system a go over....]


thanks!

Skyhigh

Sounds familiar?
http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=76759

oh dear

barrymoney

yeah, sounds like it, though it could be something else. Mine used to lock out, and it got gradually worse, so i'd recommend getting it sorted. mine was PCB problem.

Your boiler is quite new, you should have more chance of getting some sense out of Potterton (i think they offer to service the newer ones to fix PCB problem, but theyre pretty cagey about the whole situation -- as seen on Watchdog, for example).

Skyhigh

They only replace for free if its within 12 months, and offer a 'discounted' service of £170 within two years.

We still have hot water and the central heating does work.

Although, I wonder, could it just be the boilers thermostat kicking in and stopping the boiler - since the radiators are how enough?

[It doesn't seem to be kicking out when heating water]

Although...surely it would cut out for longer than 5 minutes if it were the thermostat?

EliteHeat

This is nothing like the well documented Suprima PCB failure. Apart from anything else, how would it recover all by itself from a lockout?

spakkker

Skyhigh - you suggested overheating ,well feel the boiler output pipe as near to the boiler as poss. Can you hear the pump working,maybe with a large screwdriver to your ear and touching the pump with other end?

barrymoney

EliteHeat wrote: »

This is nothing like the well documented Suprima PCB failure. Apart from anything else, how would it recover all by itself from a lockout?

agreed, my brain didnt register. the lockouts stay (red flashing light on mine) until the reset is hit.

Skyhigh

Good to know its not a lockout, I only said its locking out as the red flashing light seemed to indicate a 'lockout' according to the instructions on the boiler....I'll be honest, I know little about boilers.
[Ask me about PC's, software or website development anytime! ]

I can hear the fan running but no specific motor sounds (then again, I know what a motor sounds like, but not over the noise of the fan).
The inlet pipe and output pipe vibrate, probably due to the water flow.

Theres no problem with water getting hot to the radiators getting hot, while the boilers running. Although I can understand that if the water isn't flowing properly, it might be overheating the boiler.

When the boiler kicks out, its extremely hot (burning hot) at the bottom-left corner (where the Suprima logo is) - ... although then again to me, it's a boiler with lots of combustion...and they get hot anyway.


So in general:
Boiler runs OK, water gets hot, radiators get hot.
Boiler kicks out after about 40 mins, sometimes with a thud, then after 5, kicks in again.

I did think about opening the case just to see if anything was dead/burnt/melted, but after looking online it seems that its 'room sealed' and its probably 'Not A Good Idea'.

Skyhigh

The circulating pump (upstairs near the hot water tank) is a Myson CP53.
http://www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk/circulating-pumps-myson-compact-cp53-domestic-pump-p-193.html

Sounds like its running OK, although it does sound like theres a small bit of grit running around in it (slight rattling noise).

It's also set to '2' of 3 possible speeds (1-3).


Had the hot water on for 30 mins before it cut out, left it to cool down for 20 mins, put central heating on and it cut out after 10 mins - got pretty hot, also radiators barely warm.

capita_guy

Here is a suggestion. Get someone who knows what they are doing to have a look and find out what really is going on. I take it you have checked there is water in header tank and system?

Skyhigh

Yes, yes and yes.....

I just wanted to ask on here, since after googling 'Potterton' it seemed that most problems were due to the PCB (and the boiler in general is junk!).

Cheers!