BAXI boiler has just stopped working

[akist]

Hello everyone,

I have a Baxi boiler, installed October 2014, Ecoblue 30. It has been working OK until today when it stopped with 3 flashing reds - indicating "no flame following ignition" "no flame detected".

I can have a look at it tomorrow morning. This evening I just opened it up, removed the PCB cover and exposed the PCB but went no further.

I have checked there is gas supply (the hob is working), when I reset the Baxi boiler it tries to start up, the pump is operating, the fan is operating, but that's as far as it goes. After a while it gives up and flashes the red light again.

At a guess I suspect it is something to do with the ignition electrode. But of course it could be anything at all.

If anyone here is familiar with the Baxi Ecoblue I would appreciate any suggestions.

Many thanks

 

[steve32]

Possibly condense pipe frozen

 

[dang32]

frozen condense. try to thaw it by pouring plenty of warm water on it

 

[akist]

Hello everyone. Many thanks for your suggestions. Yes there is a plastic container underneath the burner which I tapped on yesterday and it appeared completely empty so I dismissed it and did not think of the long (3 metres) drain pipe outside the house at a shallow slant and everything covered in snow! Today I pulled that little container out and the reason it appeared empty last night was because it was chock full of water, and not only, I got the equivalent of half a pint flushing out from inside the burner as I removed it! I have put it back now and the system works, but I cannot check the outside pipe it could be frozen anywhere along its length. Ideally there should be no pipe, it should be allowed to drip on the ground so anyone can actually inspect it.

 

[muggles]

If it's allowed to drip freely on the ground all the time, two things will happen...

1) In cold weather, it will form a skating rink on your path. It can produce as much as 2 litres per hour
2) The acidic water will eat away at your house's foundations

 

[akist]

If it is two litres per hour it is huge! I had thought it would be a little drop of water once every so often! That means it will block again soon because I am confident the outside pipe is still frozen solid...

 

[45yearsagasman]

It can be that much per hour when fully condensing. My concern is that you've taken the siphon trap out and refitted it. It is actually part of the flue and should not be removed/replaced by a Diyer. You should get it checked for safe operation, or you could just chance it.

 

[akist]

The boiler is outside the house in a non heated room. Unfortunately it is as you said because it got full within an hour and stopped working again. The little reservoir is held in place in with a rubber seal which I cleaned with tap water thoroughly before refitting. I have removed it completely for now, let it drain on the ground. A more permanent solution must be found, you cannot have the heating off every time it's cold outside. I do not know what the solution might be for these rare days of the year. There is no heating in that room, other than indirectly by the boiler itself, and anyway the drain pipe is outside the house, and at a slight angle reaching into a nearby drain, about 2-3 metres length. As this length is all outside the house I do not know how to solve this problem more permanently. Regarding that drain being part of the flue I get it, but as the boiler room is completely outside the house I do not care that much for the time being.

 

[bernardgreen]

A more permanent solution must be found

Lagging an external run of condensate pipe wil NOT prevent it freezing, it can only delay the freezing, hopefully that delay is long enough that ambient temperatures rise above freezing before the pipe becomes blocked by frozen condensate.

If there has to be a long external run then either trace heating or a means to defrost should be installed when the boiler is installed.

A small pipe for the condensate inside a larger dry pipe then the dry pipe wrapped in insulation. If the condensate does freeze then warm air can be blown along the outer dry pipe to warm and melt the condensate

There is doubt about the merits of using a larger diameter pipe. Larger diameter means more surface area to dissipate heat, but also more volume to store liquid when the pipe does freeze up. More volume on the pipe delays the point at which the sump begins to over flow and shuts down the boiler.

 

[John D v2.0]

I have removed it completely for now, let it drain on the ground.

At least your boiler is not indoors, but you have created a very dangerous condition now, because the trap is the only thing that stops the flue gases entering the room. The combustion chamber almost certainly is downstream of the fan so the fumes will be blowing out of the hole.
If someone were to do that indoors it could be fatal.
This is basically the worst case situation suggested by this part above

It is actually part of the flue and should not be removed/replaced by a Diyer. You should get it checked for safe operation

Better to cut the pipe outside the boiler and direct somewhere suitable, leaving the trap fitted correctly

 

[akist]

I believe the pipe is double with a 1.5-2 inch diameter outside and a much smaller pipe inside. Not proven just a hunch because from inside the pipe that goes out is like 1 cm diameter. I could insert a relief system just as it exits the outside wall and let it drip to the ground for such cases of frost?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

That may freeze too in these conditions, the whole setup need looking at, and steps taken to try and minimise the risk of freezing. Solution was thought to be to use bigger diameter pipework externally, but that is also freezing in the current climate.

 

[durhamplumber]

Ideally there should be no pipe, it should be allowed to drip on the ground so anyone can actually inspect it.

Unusual idea....Not sure it will be approved anytime soon