Baxi Bermuda 51//5 Back Boiler Unit Not firing up on Timer,

[warmthneeded]

I have a Baxi Bermuda 51//5 Back Boiler Unit It is about 15 years old.
Recently I had a problem with the boiler when it wouldn't fire up using the timer, but we were able to fire it up manually using the boiler thermostat control. Then boiler wouldn't fire up manually either.

An engineer from a company I had used previously said it would cost £400+ vat to fit a new PCB, he told me that the PCB was £200.00. I checked it out and found that I could get one for £78.00!

I got a heating engineer via Rated People. He came out and checked the boiler over. He checked the PCB, using a meter, he said the PCB had a loose connection. He also found the gas pressure was low. He sorted out these problems and fired the boiler up.

The boiler didn't fire up on the timer again the next day and we couldn't fire up the boiler manually either. The engineer returned and fitted a new PCB and this time did another test with the wall thermostat set at maximum and minimum. The boiler worked for a few days and then wouldn't fire up again on the timer or manually.

The engineer charged me for fitting a new PCB and sorting out the gas pressure, he didn't charge me for the second visit. Cost was £194.00
I have now been informed that I need a new Gas Valve and a Thermostat Control.

Can anyone please advise me on what is happening with my boiler, and if the engineer should have been able to diagnose all the faults listed on his first or second visit. He wants to charge £225.00 plus vat this time.

I checked up on the internet and ebay and the gas valve is about £77.00 and a thermostat sensor is about £22.00. Should I pay for fitting these? He has offered to repay me the £100 labour charge if I do not use him.

I managed to fire up the boiler manually on the 31st jan 2013, it ran off the timer until it didn’t fire on Morning of 3rd Feb 2013. Does that suggest anything to anyone here?

If one of you helpful people would be good enough to list the sort of things I should keep an eye out for, something like a fault finding list would be useful.

Would I be better off going for a repair contract with Baxi or British Gas? these cover the initial repair and all parts and labour plus any call outs after that for a monthly fee of around £20.00. This is a 15 year old unit, so it is likely to go wrong again I assume. I have never had a problem with it for 15 years. I just had my kitchen re-done so a new combi boiler is out of the running.

 

[bolshy]

Are these ebay parts you are telling us about genuine NEW replacement parts? That's a cheap gas valve if it's genuine. IME most parts for Baxi back boilers are pretty expensive. Is your timer and roomstat working properly? The boiler control thermostat fires up and shuts down the burner to maintain it's set heating circuit temperature. If there's no demand from the timer AND
the roomstat, the boiler won't fire, no matter what the boiler thermostat is set to. Sounds like the heating engineer is trying to do right by you.
I certainly wouldn't buy or fit gas spares which may be second hand or from an unknown source. I can't really advise on joining a particular repair scheme.

 

[warmthneeded]

Timer and roomstat were checked out and ok.

Parts are Interpart, they have the same address as Baxi, in Preston, they are guaranteed and have a warranty.

I am suffering from pnuemonia, and lving in one room, so I have to get this sorted.

I am concerned that fitting these new parts may not solve the problem, I read on a forum, someone had all these parts fitted and his boiler still wouldn't work!

Appreciate your response, thanks.

 

[bolshy]

Interpart are genuine Baxi parts.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Has anyone actually checked the microswitches on the zone valve, if the system is wired with one?

 

[bolshy]

If the pcb repair didn't sort out the problem, perhaps you could ask him why he wants to replace the gas valve and thermostat. Electronic and sometimes electrical parts, once the packaging is opened, cannot be returned in most cases. If he is replacing parts to fix the boiler by a process of elimination, he isn't diagnosing the fault properly. You should ask him why he is replacing these additional parts and what he intends to do about the cost incurred if they don't fix the fault. This should at least put your mind at rest and allow you to make a more informed decision about the repair and whether he should proceed.

 

[Gasescape]

Has the new pcb locked out ?????

 

[warmthneeded]

Has anyone actually checked the microswitches on the zone valve, if the system is wired with one?

I am not sure, but will ask about these.

Thanks.

 

[Gasescape]

Have you tried to reset the pcb ???

 

[warmthneeded]

Has the new pcb locked out ?????

I reset it. But will get engineer to recheck.

 

[Gasescape]

Had it locked out ???

 

[warmthneeded]

If the pcb repair didn't sort out the problem, perhaps you could ask him why he wants to replace the gas valve and thermostat. Electronic and sometimes electrical parts, once the packaging is opened, cannot be returned in most cases. If he is replacing parts to fix the boiler by a process of elimination, he isn't diagnosing the fault properly. You should ask him why he is replacing these additional parts and what he intends to do about the cost incurred if they don't fix the fault. This should at least put your mind at rest and allow you to make a more informed decision about the repair and whether he should proceed.

Engineer did a test with roomstat set on maximum and minimum.

Thanks for the response, I was puzzled that he didn't/couldn't diagnose the problem on either of his two visits.

It seems like he might just be going through a list of bits that can be readily replaced, charging for parts and labour each time.

The parts supplier I have only supplies genuine Baxi parts, and at reasonable prices it seems.

I am starting to regret not having a call out plan, and not considering having a new HE Condensing BBU as a replacement.
Thanks very much for the advice.

 

[warmthneeded]

Had it locked out ???

If by locked out you mean it didn't go to orange then green and stayed on red, yes it did. I made sure heating and water was set to 'ON'.

This is the sequence I went through on 1st Feb, when I got the boiler fired up manually, it worked until morning of 3rd on the timer twice a day

I pressed PCB reset button, waited 10 seconds

I then switched Boiler Thermostat from Low to High. The red light stayed on.

I did this a few times, then it went from amber to red a minute later it went to amber/green, then it went to green after 30secs it went to red again. Then the same sequence was repeatedfor 8 mins. Then it turned on and after 3 mins it went to red. A minute later it went green again, 30secs later it went red again and 30secs it went green again 7mins later it went red again. 20 mins later I checked it and it was green again. Had to leave kitchen owing to the cold, despite being wrapped up, got pnuemonia and cold air was causing real problem. Stayed on and fired up twice a day until this morning

 

[warmthneeded]

I found the paperwork for the boiler. It is only 9 years old...

The guy who fitted the PCB came back and got a bit stroppy with the questions I asked him, I listed the ones you guys kindly gave to me.

He wouldn't go through the trouble shooting sequence listed in the Baxi manual, but the stupid thing fired up first time!!!

He looked around a bit them suddenly decided that he couldn't sort out the problem without fitting news bits. I asked how he came to that conclusion, without having run the diagnostic checks. I mentioned to him that he was just fitting bits adhoc and that this was just an expensive process of elimination,without actually knowing what the problem was!!

He decided to refund me the labour charge on the spot, then left. he did something to the boiler though as it is now just sparking all the time and not firing at all!

I have got an appointment with BG to see what the cost of Fitting the Newer HE BBU, which is almost a straight swop, but I have a tiled floor so how will I run the condensing pipe out through the wall?

BG are offering a £400 trade in and a system 200 boiler cover for a year. So if the new unit comes in at £500.00 after trade in I'll go for that.

I also spoke to Heateam, Baxi's service division, they informed me that it costs £24.99 monthly for the cover, which includes all call outs, parts, labour VAT, and there is no excess fee to pay. They'll also come out and fix the boiler and then they'll start the boiler cover.

Please let me know what you think as you have been great!!

THANK YOU EVERYONE YOU HAVE ALL BEEN A GREAT HELP!

Very much appreciate your input!!

 

[bolshy]

Be aware that Baxi's new backboiler units require a plastic flue liner. The one you have fitted will have to replaced in all likelihood. You won't get a boiler fitted by BG for £900. The Heateam option sounds promising....and they have all the parts