I'm using a Potterton Suprima 50.
When I switch on the boiler for heating or hotwater everything proceeds as it should to begin with & the gas lights. For about 20 seconds everything is great. Then gurgle sounds are heard as though the water level is low, there are some watery popping noises (which sound to me like fluid boiling vigorously in a nearly empty tank). These noises are fairly loud but not alarmingly so. After this is the scarey bit - a hiss is heard which rapidly gets louder. It sounds as though it may be heating a nearly empty tank (but that's just my impression). The gurgles and pops continue at the same time as the hissing. After about 30 seconds of this the hissing is loud enough to be alarming.
I don't let it get any further as it sounds as though it could be dangerous to let it continue so I switch off. After I switch off the boiler the hiss, gurgles & pops continue for about 20 seconds, the noise getting softer, until it stops.
While all this is happening the red and green lights are behaving as they should for normal boiler functioning.
If I try again within an hour I get the hiss without the gurgles & pops.
For several months before this problem started I was finding that the boiler would unexpectedly switch off so that it needed a reset. I often had to reset several times before the boiler would come back on. Sometimes I had to switch it off completely (ie: at the programming keypad or main power switch) for 10 minutes or more before I could get it to light again. This was gradually getting more frequent.
I know - I should have got it seen to ages ago. But no use crying over spilt milk and all that.
I'm wondering if the water pump has failed.
When I switch on the boiler for heating or hotwater everything proceeds as it should to begin with & the gas lights. For about 20 seconds everything is great. Then gurgle sounds are heard as though the water level is low, there are some watery popping noises (which sound to me like fluid boiling vigorously in a nearly empty tank). These noises are fairly loud but not alarmingly so. After this is the scarey bit - a hiss is heard which rapidly gets louder. It sounds as though it may be heating a nearly empty tank (but that's just my impression). The gurgles and pops continue at the same time as the hissing. After about 30 seconds of this the hissing is loud enough to be alarming.
I don't let it get any further as it sounds as though it could be dangerous to let it continue so I switch off. After I switch off the boiler the hiss, gurgles & pops continue for about 20 seconds, the noise getting softer, until it stops.
While all this is happening the red and green lights are behaving as they should for normal boiler functioning.
If I try again within an hour I get the hiss without the gurgles & pops.
For several months before this problem started I was finding that the boiler would unexpectedly switch off so that it needed a reset. I often had to reset several times before the boiler would come back on. Sometimes I had to switch it off completely (ie: at the programming keypad or main power switch) for 10 minutes or more before I could get it to light again. This was gradually getting more frequent.
I know - I should have got it seen to ages ago. But no use crying over spilt milk and all that.
I'm wondering if the water pump has failed.