PCB replacement - procedure/recommendations & exploring the topic.

[SirLancelot]

Considering a refurbished pcb from a company named Adlink (wembley) - £40 12 month warranty.

What are fellow members views & experiences on using refurbished pcb's?

Looking to open the topic up & explore it in discussion - to learn something new.

I'm hoping to educate myself.

It will be a bg engineer doing the work itself (I only allow gas safe/corgi engineers to work on my boiler).

What is the correct procedure (beginning to end) to replace the pcb - and are there any codes to be entered?

Boiler: Vaillant ecoTEC plus 837 R1. (10 years old + magnaclean twintech).

f.61 error code.

 

[CBW]

I’m not sure I’d try it to be honest. If a Bg engineer is doing the work, why ask what’s the procedure, especially beginning to end?

 

[terryplumb]

BG engineers will not fit parts not supplied by BG. Unless he or she is working outside the parameters of their employment .

 

[Jackrae]

You might also find that at that price it's sold on a service exchange basis - you supply the old one, they then repair it and send it back

 

[Gasguru]

I wouldn't trust anything from Adlink (or the multitude of names they go by).
AFAIR BG engs. have been forbidden to hold their own GasSafe registration so it would be illegal working....is he a contractor?

 

[bernardgreen]

What are fellow members views & experiences on using refurbished pcb's?

A repaired / refurbished PCB needs to be fully tested to ensure all faulty / damaged components have been found and replaced. A repaired PCB may function correctly when given a functional test but a functional test will not reveal parametric failures

An out-of-tolerance current or voltage level at an input, output, or power-supply terminal of a component. Parametric failures are usually detected during input-leakage, output-voltage, power-supply-current, timing/switching, and capacitance tests.

A parametric failure may not prevent the PCB working well enough to pass a functional test at the time of repair but the damaged component may continue to degrade. Eventually the PCB will fail when the component goes out of tolerance.

 

[picasso]

Perhaps if the manufacturers did not price gouge on pcbs there would not be a market for refurbs.

 

[SirLancelot]

I estimate the boiler has (hopefully) another 5 years in it max.

If pcb refurbs are so risky - surely by now - the message would have gotten out.

Adlink have won awards - and have been going for 30 years.

I'm trying to gage if a brand new pcb board is really worth £135+ vat on its own?

 

[Jackrae]

You pay your money and you take your chance

 

[ScottishGasMan]

Being that a PCB is arguably the most critical safety component in the boiler then obviously I would not recommend replacing it with a faulty one someone's changed some parts on.

As far as how to fit it, DIY forum rules - no DIY gas advice - Which is what your asking for. Your engineer will know what to do.

 

[HERTS P&D]

What is the correct procedure (beginning to end) to replace the pcb - and are there any codes to be entered?

Put you hands up who believe that the OP will be doing this themselves.



Andy

 

[CBW]

Hand up (thought this myself tbh)

 

[CBW]

I'm trying to gage if a brand new pcb board is really worth £135+ vat on its own?

Try to gauge if your life, property and those around you are worth this?

 

[SirLancelot]

A repaired / refurbished PCB needs to be fully tested to ensure all faulty / damaged components have been found and replaced. A repaired PCB may function correctly when given a functional test but a functional test will not reveal parametric failures

An out-of-tolerance current or voltage level at an input, output, or power-supply terminal of a component. Parametric failures are usually detected during input-leakage, output-voltage, power-supply-current, timing/switching, and capacitance tests.

A parametric failure may not prevent the PCB working well enough to pass a functional test at the time of repair but the damaged component may continue to degrade. Eventually the PCB will fail when the component goes out of tolerance.

I would be grateful if you can share the source with me. It has definitely made an impact upon me - from a technical viewpoint. The board is 10yrs old - with cyclical use.

 

[bernardgreen]

I would be grateful if you can share the source with me

The "source" is my almost 50 years experience in designing PCBs. Most design projects included the specification of the testing procedures for the board

I also have significant experience in the analysis of failure modes in various types of electronic equipment.

If you want some serious reading about testing electronic equipment then look at boundary scan testing..
such as THIS