Potterton Puma ~ needs replacing ideas??

TotallyBroke

Hi wonder if you can help me and give me some advice please as I have no idea...

I have a Potterton Puma (not sure of which one) it was in the house when I bought it so pre 1999.
In 2006 it broke down and I had no heating it was the pump that went.
Then in September 2009 it broke down again and it needed a new Motherboard.

Well it broke down again on Friday... I had hot water (and it came out of the taps a lot hotter than normal) but I had no heating although my hall radiator was luke warm.

I checked the pressure guage and the marker was just below the red indicator mark so I topped it up. I switched the central heating switch from timed to off to constant and nothing. I turned the whole thing off (including pilot light) waited 10mins and then lit it all back up. Boiler kicked and flames started roaring for about 2 seconds and then they stopped and it went back to pilot light.

I put the heating switch onto constant and put the timer switch onto constant and gave the boiler a kick (boiler is almost on the floor so it's easy to kick lol before any of you think I'm some sort of karate expert) and got on the phone to British Gas. About hour later boiler kicked in and I had heating. Set it all up for the timer as usual and the next morning heating came on and touching lots of wood it has come on as it should since. (British Gas didn't turn up so I have no idea what could be wrong with it)

But I think it may just be time for a new boiler.... I don't qualify (or rather boiler doesn't qualify) for the scrappage scheme so the full cost will be down to me. So I'm looking for suggestions please. There is only myself and child in the property and we are both out of the house all day. Heating on in the winter for approx 6 hours a day, a couple in the morning and a few early evening. Water used for bath and washing up so a huge boiler is not needed.
Just need something for our small family that will be cheap to run and will last.

Every house I have owned has had a Potterton so I know nothing else so please any suggestions greatfully received.

Thanks

Canucklehead

Hi

Vaillant, Viessmann, Remeha.
Remeha being the smallest as it sounds like you might be tight for space.

Just out of interest how far off the floor is the boiler? Puma requires min of 220mm.
Any new boiler will need a similar distance.


GSR.

TotallyBroke

It is housed in one of these tall larder cupboards so I would say it is more than 220mm from the floor. (There is the kickboard under the cupboard and then I can get a washing up bowl in the space between bottom of cupboard and bottom of the boiler so hope that is enough) Although when I get a new one I will be getting the gas people to move the meter. At the moment boiler is low because gas meter is 3/4 up the wall so there is no room above. So my intention would be to get the meter moved down and then boiler can go above.

I have heard of vaillant but not of the other two. Thanks