Potterton Suprima 40L "Lockout" - Likely causes?

Hi everyone – I’ve been reading through this site for a while now getting a few DIY hints and tips, but I finally have a reason to post. Unfortunately, it’s not a particularly happy reason. I have a problem with my Potterton Suprima 40L boiler.

I’ve read through the user guide/manual and it seems that it is going into “LOCKOUT” status as the green LED is off and the red LED is flashing. I can normally fix this by pressing the reset button but it’s obviously rather annoying as it has happened everyday for nearly a week now, and it took about 45 minutes before we got any heat in the radiators or warm water from the tap yesterday evening after I reset it.

I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not, but I first noticed the problem after a bulb blew on the underside of the hob “hood” (extractor fan thing) which tripped the circuit breakers/isolators under the stairs and turned everything off in the kitchen (all of the mains sockets in the kitchen are on separate circuit and the Suprima 40L is included in that circuit).

I’ve got someone coming round to have a look at it tonight, but he said over the phone that it is probably the circuit board which needs replacing … at a cost of around £180+ labour. Before I go ahead and pay out for that, I just wondered if anyone had any other ideas as to what could be causing it? I’m not saying this guy is going to rip me off (he was recommended, so I’m sure he’s trustworthy) but I’m just being a bit cautious as he diagnosed it pretty quickly over the phone!!

Hope you can help

Cheers

EDIT - a bit more information which may be useful!

-The house is nearly 3 years old and the boiler has been in since day 1
-It happens once or twice a day, normally when central heating is timed to be off. So I don't necessarily notice the problem until i realise that the radiators haven't come on.
-It has only ONCE (that I'm aware of!) happened WHILST the central heating is on, causing it all to die down obviously!

This is a common fault on your model. You should have read about it here ad nauseum.

Its quite right for him to diagnose the likely problem from your description and his experience of this model.

Tony

I had the same prob on my old boiler (previous house) it was caused by dry joints on the back of the pcb (especially the relay). I fixed it myself by removing the pcb and reflowing the suspect joints.

Cheers guys. Do you know when a piece of work needs a Corgi-certified engineer and when it doesn't? For example, anything to do with PCB seems more electrical than gas related to me.

The reason I ask is that my dad is a sparky so he could do any electrical repairs for me, but as I'm thinking of selling in about 6-18months I want to be able to say that everything is legit.

An electrician is often just that.

Resoldering PCBs requires skill as an electronics engineer or hobbyist and a suitably tiny soldering iron. Irons are sold in Maplins but I would not recommend resoldering by anyone without previous experience.

It does not need a CORGi to resolder the PCB ( if thats all thats required ) and once done no one will know when you sell.

Tony

This is a fault which is affects the electrics of the potterton suprima....
the manufacturers now issue the replacement p.c.b with an adapted wiring loom, harness & control panel.
you should be expected to pay 165 for the part and 2 hours labour........
i would not recommend re-soldering joints on the exsisting p.c.b

Agile said:

An electrician is often just that.

Resoldering PCBs requires skill as an electronics engineer or hobbyist and a suitably tiny soldering iron. Irons are sold in Maplins but I would not recommend resoldering by anyone without previous experience.

It does not need a CORGi to resolder the PCB ( if thats all thats required ) and once done no one will know when you sell.

Tony

Click to expand...

He's quite handy with a soldering iron and we used to work on various PCB projects together when i was a kid (small range radios, light detectors and other bits and bobs) so he could well be up to the job. I'll see what the guy says tonight and take it from there.

Cheers for help!!

there is no danger from re-soldering the joints on a pcb....i do it all the time.....you have little to lose by trying.

1. New board of E-Bay
2. Turn electrics off to boiler.Fit in 1 hour
3. Job done
4. Priceless

Do you know when a piece of work needs a Corgi-certified engineer and when it doesn't?

Click to expand...

Not exactly, no. One of the worlds great mysteries!

gasman26 said:

This is a fault which is affects the electrics of the potterton suprima....
the manufacturers now issue the replacement p.c.b with an adapted wiring loom, harness & control panel.
you should be expected to pay 165 for the part and 2 hours labour........
i would not recommend re-soldering joints on the exsisting p.c.b

Click to expand...

Two hours ?

For a 15 minute job ?

... and if he's moving out in a few months, he hardly wants to go buying a new PCB

Last one I did took me nearly two hours, and I've done a few.
There can be reasons. Which you might find out if you ever did the job. First you'd have to achieve the dizzying qualification of Corgi registration

Err ... no thanks,

whatever makes you think I would want to do that

Cheers for the help guys. Turned out to be a gas valve, which has now been replaced. £115 for the new valve, £80 labour ... +VAT = £230.

£230 to stop having to use pots and pans of hot water to get washed, and quick blast of the wife's hair-dryer under the duvet to warm it up night? Not a bad price I guess!!