Combi Boiler Fault Finding Books

[MKeynes]

Can anyone recommend any good books for fault finding on combi boilers, as I don't have access to t'internet when at work.

Have seen this one in the back of "plumbing and heating weekly", or whatever it is called that they give away in Plumb Center.

javascript:emoticon('')?Central Heating Combination Boilers ? Fault Finding & Repair? is the latest publication from author John Reginald, a CORGI registered heating engineer. Following the successful format of his previous book: ?Central Heating ? Fault Finding & Repair?, it is designed for easy reading and quick reference. Over 170 pages and over 100 pictures take the reader through the background and operation of each component within combi boilers past and present.

Has anyone actually used it?

Only found one 16 page pocket guide on Amazon, didn't think it would be of much use.

I live in Milton Keynes so only really deal with up-to-date combis, mostly Vaillant, so really need something that has the newest info in it.

 

[breezer]

sounds like you need to go on a course to be a plumber, as a diy person you can not work on gas, so you have little chance

 

[MKeynes]

I am a qualified Corgi registered engineer thanks, just don't want the expense of going on a course for every single boiler manufacturer when a £20 book may bu able to solve all my troubles. I have been qualified for 6 years and still come across new problems all the time. We all know that certain boilers have certain issues (Suprima/Prima/Profile - PCB, Ultimate - Ignition Lead, Apollo - T'couple, o/heat, Pump o'run stat), just trying to find a book that may highlight issues with combi boilers

 

[the plumber]

its strange when someone who is qualified gets critisised by someone who doesnt have anything helpful to say.
like mkeynes i am jobbing plumber and every week new things come up and it would be handy to have some form of referance.

 

[fronnie]

viper do a fault finding book, but only for fan flued boilers. its not 2 bad at all,

 

[ChrisR]

I've learned so much from sites like this that when I find boiler for the first time I feel like I know something about how it works already.
Once a bit familiar with a particular model I've found the tech help lines incredibly useful if you ask the right questions and get them to talk. Depends who you get though; I've got to recognise the voices at Vaillant and eg know that if it's the chap who sounds like an old faarmerrr, he's a goldmine of information. Take notes!

Last time I got him I found all he could tell me about their recent diverters, flow restrictors, pcb's, what the bits are which are worth carrying as spares, temperature differentials across heat exchangers, and whether you can put standard grundfos pump bodies on their pumps! It probably cost me 20 minutes on the phone. Damn good value!

 

[breezer]

its strange when someone who is qualified gets critisised by someone who doesnt have anything helpful to say.
like mkeynes i am jobbing plumber and every week new things come up and it would be handy to have some form of referance.

the answer to that one is simple.

this is a diy forum, people come on here giving no information wanting all sorts of information, if some one is a qualified person in their field of work they should say so in their first post. "id names" mean nothing we have hd people calling themselves for example "mr gas man" only to find they know nothing of gas

 

[Gas2Air]

ChrisR absolute spot on, use every available resource, although i think honestly we learn best by our mistakes ;c)

 

[ArtfulBodger]

I have the same problem being relatively newly qualified (2 years). I want to move more into the boiler repair side esp combis. I bought the Viper book which isn't bad for about 12 quid, it's mostly common sense.

Another of my problems is that I don't know much about electronics and just about everything seems to be about open/closed circuit, continuity testing and measuring resistence. So, I bought a cheap electronic hobby kit that you use to make up test circuits using supplied resistors, diodes, transistors etc - not bad but very, very boring.

I'm going on the Mr Combi course next month. I'm not expecting too much from 1 days training but I hope to get the basics. Then I'm going to go on all the major manufacturers courses to consolidate it all.

Like the others say, I have learnt a HUGE amount reading the posts on this forum.

 

[oilman]

..........

the answer to that one is simple.

this is a diy forum, people come on here giving no information wanting all sorts of information,

However

.......I live in Milton Keynes so only really deal with up-to-date combis, mostly Vaillant,..........

Was a bit of a giveaway in that he is not a diyer

if some one is a qualified person in their field of work they should say so in their first post.

This is one of breezer's hidden rules, you get told off when you break one

......"id names" mean nothing we have hd people calling themselves for example "mr gas man" only to find they know nothing of gas...

or people called "oilman" who know nothing, doh!! (Bugger! I've been found out )

 

[breezer]

if some one is a qualified person in their field of work they should say so in their first post.

This is one of breezer's hidden rules, you get told off when you break one

the forum rules can be found here

 

[DP]

You do not need a book in boiler repairs but need hands on knowledge on testing procedures.

Then you need to be electrically, electronically and mechanically able on top of gas competancy (not self proclaimed) to be on the bottom rung of the boiler faulting ladder. Finally a little bit of magic thrown in

It is a MUSt that you know how the boiler works, not to jump in their head first but sit back and look, listen and see what is happening or not taking place. Do not start changing parts without good reason as this will teach you nothing- you will become a 'bottle' changer (Valve changers when TVs had valves)

Now here is a self test for those that need to do a bit of mental exercise or they think they know their Vaillant.

Boiler is a Vaillant T3 Sine 18. Temperature gauge goes to 60, burner shuts down, boiler cools to 55 and burner refires. It keeps doing this in either mode. Operating voltage is present at the mod coil at all times.

Have found the fault

 

[corgiman]

there is a company in NORTHOLT London that does a three day basic electric and boiler fault finding course, cover convential, condensing and combi boilers for 380 plus VAT and I highly recommend it to anyone going into domestic breakdown work

www.gaslogic.co.uk

 

[oilman]

if some one is a qualified person in their field of work they should say so in their first post.

This is one of breezer's hidden rules, you get told off when you break one

the forum rules can be found here

Like I said, it's one of breezers hidden rules (it certainly isn't here )

 

[ArtfulBodger]

there is a company in NORTHOLT London that does a three day basic electric and boiler fault finding course, cover convential, condensing and combi boilers for 380 plus VAT and I highly recommend it to anyone going into domestic breakdown work

corgiman, how much of the course is dedicated to fault finding on boilers?