Does my boiler really have 2 PCBs?

[eapie]

Hello all,

I would be grateful for any help as I’m going round in circles at the moment!
I have a Vokera Compact 28 boiler and it keeps turning itself off and on and changing between a green and red light.

A boiler engineer has suggested that the most likely culprit is the printed circuit board.
I have now been told that my boiler has 2 PCBs and the engineer is suggesting fitting both. Vokera over the phone have said only one PCB but a parts shop also says 2!

Obviously this has an impact on cost and I can’t even be sure it will fix the problem.
So I would like to know if any body knows if this boiler does indeed have 2 PCBs and if so is there a way to tell which one should be replaced?

Thanks very much in advance.

eapie

 

[ollski]

If there is two it will probably be a main board and an ignition board but they won't be ganging up together to give you a single fault. Your guy is guessing.

 

[eapie]

If there is two it will probably be a main board and an ignition board but they won't be ganging up together to give you a single fault. Your guy is guessing.

Thanks for the reply.
Is there any way to know which board should be replaced? Sometimes the bolier comes straight on and eventually turns itself off while other times it doesn't come on and goes straight to red.
Am I right in thinking that if it works sometimes then it probably isn't the ignition board?

 

[ChrisR]

It may be neither board. Get a better boiler bod..

 

[Nixt]

Beware those who diagnose the PCB as a first option and companies that claim to be specialists on many or all brands of combi. The fact the boiler works at all usually makes PCB failure unlikely. Take Chris R's advice and preferably a Vokera fimiliar one who will carry spares, information and be trained.

 

[eapie]

Just wanted to say thanks for your replies. The boiler is now working after the thermistor was replaced rather than the expensive PCB! Beware of people pretending to know what they are doing...
Eapie

 

[Paul Barker]

Yes I went to a Falcon last week, first engineer charged £100 I couldn't see any evidence of anything he'd done boiler still didn't work, they called another firm, he changed the aps and charged £100, which equally didn't fix the fault, he was about to fit a new pcb; they called me.

The flue sensing pipe had fallen out of the fan hood. I said lets see if it's still working in a week and I'll send you my bill then when we know it's fixed..

One of these £100 full fee no fix guys stole their service instructions to boot. That's also very common, never let anyone take your service instructions away they belong with the boiler, if they need to take them away you have got the wrong man on the case.

Another example, similar fault a guy changed the fan on a 1 year old boiler, customer rang me, when I got there, the last man said that if the fan didn't fix it he would change the pcb next.

I took the flue hood apart cleaned the moth out of the sense tube.

If there is a doubt over which part, I absorb the cost of the wrong part, never charge the customer.

 

[Agile]

Its a common falacy particularly with DIYers that a part must have failed and if only they can decide which part they can simply change it themselves.

The reality of the situation is that boiler parts are very reliable and many faults now are caused by dirt, spiders and moths. These are only found from a proper diagnosis by someone who understands how boilers work. Merely changing parts does not fix it.

Tony

 

[geoff@cetltd]

So you don't want a fitter, you want an entymologist then ..

 

[Agile]

No Geoff, he needs an entomologist and for that matter an arachnologist as well.

 

[geoff@cetltd]

just making sure you were awake there ...

 

[ChrisR]

My corgi card hasn't got a box to tick for that
Is that where you put your blowlamp all round the fan ?