Ariston Eurocombi boiler keeps switching itself off

[littlemo]

Please can someone help us! We are having problems with our Ariston Eurocombi boiler. I have to keep switching it back on by the power button (and it takes about 15 presses of the button to get the green light to come on!!)

We had it serviced in February and ever since, it keeps switching itself off. The man who did the service has been back to look at it for me but said he doesn't touch the electrics.

I've tried increasing the pressure to 1.5 as suggested by one of our friends as he said something about the boiler not firing when the pressure is low but to no avail.

Please can someone help us. We have a baby due in 5 weeks and I can't afford to be without hot water!!!

 

[gas4you]

When is it truning its self off, on hot water, on heating , both? Wwe need some more accurate info before we can start to think about the problem!

Why are you employing someone to work on a boiler who cannot fix it? Electrics are an integral part of all modern boilers

or do you mean that there is an external control that is causing the problem?

 

[Gasguru]

If you have an MFFI sieries EuroCombi the right hand circuit board can become detached from its mounting supports. The on/off control knob then fails to actuate the switch on the circuit board. A single screw holds the board in place. If you feel competent open up the lower casing to check.

 

[Paul Barker]

and on same board fan relay resides. Not that I am guesing, I would stand there for some time proving the reliability of many items before deciding which part it is.

 

[ChrisR]

The front panel switches are poor too, on several Aristons including the sx20mffi.

 

[littlemo]

It's a A/23 MFFI series boiler.

It switches itself off both when it's on water only and water and heating.

There are two screws holding the cover on for the electric part so I'll undo these tomorrow and check the circuit board as 'gasguru' suggested (thanks).

The guy we paid to service the boiler was corgi registered. He didn't undo the electric panel as part of the service. Should this have been a normal part of an annual service?

 

[ChrisR]

No, a service is mostly about checking that things liable to change, are ok.

 

[Paul Barker]

Best way to get a boiler to break down is have it serviced. You've been MIF'd (M.aintenance I.nduced F.ailure) Happens all the time. The no. of times I've heard "we only just had it serviced".

 

[littlemo]

Well, baby arrived 2 weeks early (a healthy 8lb 8oz boy) and weather was wonderful so no need for heating. The boiler was of course behaving itself during this time. Now it's peeing with rain and chilly outside, the boiler is playing up again. I've just had to press the on/off button 35 times to get the power on.

I undid the front panel and had a look with a torch. The on/off switch component attached to the board is a reddish/brown colour and when I press the white on/off button from the front of the panel, it pushes the inner part of the reddish/brown switch in but it doesn't stay all the way in and as I release the white switch the inner part of the reddish/brown switch comes part of the way out again. Is it meant to do this or is the inner part of the reddish/brown component loose?!?

Sorry if this sounds like mumbo jumbo but I don't know the correct jargon and I can only describe it as I see it.

XX

 

[Agile]

Its a push toggle switch so thats normal ( as far as I can follow your description ).

The PCbs and cover are not very clever and I would never have advised you to open it. Nor would I advise many CORGIs to do that either.

The two PCbs are linked together so that its very difficult to decide which has failed in some cases.

Its much more likely to be an external component involved.

I am a little disappointed that you did not get a competent engineer to deal with it before the baby was born, that was hardly unexpected was it ! However babies are surprisingly hardy just as long as they are kept out of the sunlight for a few weeks.

I think I can guess what the problem is but I dont give advice on gas safety related matters except to CORGI registered people.

Tony

 

[gas4you]

However babies are surprisingly hardy just as long as they are kept out of the sunlight for a few weeks.
Tony

FCS shes had a baby Tony, NOT a vampire

 

[littlemo]

"I am a little disappointed that you did not get a competent engineer to deal with it before the baby was born, that was hardly unexpected was it !"

Dear Tony, re your comment above. I'm not quite sure how to take this. Are you suggesting that the switch problem with our boiler is a danger to my family?

If this is the case I will get on to an engineer first thing in the morning.

 

[Gasguru]

Have you tried pressing the switch on the board (with tha mains supply OFF) without using the front panel button? Does it appear to latch properly?