Potterton 80 combi boiler

[Thetraveller]

My boiler red light is flashing and it won't fire up. My engineer says it needs a new PCB having replaced the gas valve last week but his parts contact says the PCB obsolete. I really can't afford a new boiler (wife at end of maternity leave and I'm doing a 1 year unpaid full time course) so wanted to get hold of a PCB for my boiler instead of forking out in a whole new boiler. My engineer is on holiday for a week so I can't contact him about what make and model my boiler is. He's told me it's 'Potterton 80' but there seem to be a few different types and if I'm going to source the right part I need to know the type. How can I tell by looking at my fossil of a boiler which one it is? And what are your thoughts on sourcing an obsolete PCB? There's ebay but any more regulated sources of spare parts? I can't afford to get the wrong one! Many thanks.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/210xsrf2ecmerov/2013-11-12 14.14.35.jpg

 

[Tibbot]

You need someone who can pinpoint the problem, then supply and fit parts from his van and give a guarantee. That's called a service/repair engineer.

The arrangement you seem to have in place, only leads to you chasing up your own *rse and will cost you more.

 

[ianmcd]

That is a Baxi combi 80E and a reputable engineer will be able to sort you out no need to replace it

 

[Thetraveller]

Thanks for the replies. My repair man says the part can't be sourced and recommends replacing the whole boiler. Am I being scammed? Are the PCBs for this boiler easily available? Is it even likely to be the PCB?

I really can't afford to get scammed either and I know as much about boilers as I do about astro physics! All advice very much appreciated.

 

[Agile]

If they were obsolete then the rarity value means my stock of about 24 must be worth something.

Somehow I doubt it as all the merchants have them.

I suspect your engineer just wants to fit a nice new boiler for you.

Why don't you get another engineer to do the repair and then you can phone and tell him that you have had the boiler repaired and the PCB was readily available.

Of course we don't know if the PCB is at fault anyway. Cowboys always blame the PCB because its is expensive.

Tony

 

[DP]

This is an easy boiler to repair. If your guy is repairing boiler by trial and error by replacing parts and you are forking out the dough for needless parts, then both of you need to take holiday and review the situation afterwords.

If the red light is on, find out why it is on and what causes it. Does not mean it needs a gas valve, fit it and then say PCB, fit that and then go to next component when boiler still faulty. Does your guy know how the boiler operates, which is essential knowledge to carry out effective repair

 

[Thetraveller]

Does he know what he's doing? Sounds like not. I'm going to phone another recommended engineer and get a second opinion. Thanks for making me take a second look at his advice. I phoned Pottertons to see if they'd repair it but they say it's too old so will go with a recommended local engineer. If you have 24 of them then clearly they are available even if they're not officially stocked.

 

[Agile]

All the major parts of that boiler are still available.

As far as I am aware there is a pilot light assembly which is now obsolete but its only used on a small number of the models.

Tony

 

[Thetraveller]

Thanks Agile. Hope the new guy can fix tomorrow after a week with no hearing or hot water!

 

[Thetraveller]

Just an update. New guy replaced the harness but it still didn't work. He spoke to Baxi who believed the refitted gas valve must be faulty (unusual but possible). First guy came with replacement gas valve. Now all working fine. So was a gas valve but a faulty one was fitted. Still not convinced about first guy thinking the PCB is obsolete as second guy asked Baxi who confirmed all parts are still available. But the main thing is it's fixed! Won't be using first guy again if he can't get hold of my parts though.

 

[Agile]

What awful parts changers you get!

I hope you did not have to pay for the harness which did not effect a cure!

These are totally repairable boilers and almost all parts are still available!

Tony

 

[easyflow]

I repair baxi 80/105 all the time and never failed to get a part for them yet.