Expert Wanted - Can You HELP??

[simonj007]

Hello,

Expert Wanted!

I am having what seems to be a common problem with my boiler - Ferroli Optima 701 Combi. Hot water is completely fine but the Central Heating seems to come on and off when it feels like it.

I had a new room stat fitted but I'm sure that doesn't work...certainly when I turn it up past the "click" the burners do not fire up.

At the moment I only get CH when I switch the power off to the boiler for 5 secs, switch it on again and then turn to "Constant CH and Water" setting....even then it only comes on for approx 20 mins before cutting off....so annoying.

I had an engineer out at a cost of £95 who basically hasn't helped....tested a faulty stat which he came back with the wrong one to fit so ended up fitting one I had bought - which doesn't seem to make any difference.

Apparently if the HW works the PCD does NOT need replacing.

Could it be the Thermisters? Or an internal thermostat?

Why won't the CH stay on when on the "constant" setting?

HELP?? Any one fancy coming and taking a look if you're in the SE3 area of London??

Simon

 

[simonj007]

Can anyone help please?

 

[Agile]

There dont seem to be many "experts" on this forum.

I dont know where exactly where SE3 is but it sounds as if its south of the river and down Lewisham way. Not a well known area for boiler experts!

If I had paid £93 then I would have expected the boiler to have been fixed!

It could well be the NTC temperature sensor as they often fail on your model. But it CAN also be the PCB !

I think you should ask for a refund or a repair from whoever came before. If he is a member of the Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering then they have a complaints procedure!

Tony Glazier

North of the River and the Midlands but NEVER South as thats another country!

 

[Softus]

North of the River and the Midlands but NEVER South as thats another country!

At the risk of dredging up an old argument Tony, can you point me towards the rule(s) that includes the idea of blatent advertising of services as being part of the forum constitution and/or ethos?

 

[Agile]

I have given the Poster a suggestion for getting the boiler fixed by the person he has paid £93.

I have given him two possibilities of the cause of the fault with his boiler.

I have done that totally free of charge!

I have also implied that I never go to his area!

I dont understand how you can immagine that can in any way constitute "blatent advertising".

Perhaps you can explain why you are so agressive towards others involved in a similar industry to yourself? Although commonplace, I find that totally unacceptable. Perhaps you are jealous of people who are CORGI registered?

Tony

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

May I suggest that you ask a local boiler parts supplier if they can recommend anyone. They know who buys what and should be able to recommend someone who has a clue.
If you are brave enough get the Manufacturers instruction book out replace the CH thermistor yourself. They are cheap enough and easy enough to do to warrant the effort. If you do DIY then make sure the boiler is turned off and cold when you do it.

 

[Softus]

I have given the Poster a suggestion for getting the boiler fixed by the person he has paid £93.

It was £95. And I wouldn't call your suggestion a gift, since even joe-90 could have come up with that. And, I'm curious to know, exactly how many times have you heard of a customer succeeding in getting back one of those boiler 'engineers' who failed to fix the first time? Is it lots? Do you hear about lots of them? Hm?

I have given him two possibilities of the cause of the fault with his boiler.

Tony, the quality of your advice, AFAIK, is usually fine, but on this occasion you've just named two components that you've seen fail, without giving the guy one iota of fault-finding advice. Don't get me wrong, if I could, then I would, and I generally do, but (a) I'm not familiar with this appliance (b) I'm running to the toilet every 5 minutes.

I have done that totally free of charge!

Well whoop-de-doo. All of us on the forum offer our advice free of charge, but almost all of us manage to do it without mentioning the geographical area that our service covers.

I have also implied that I never go to his area!

If "NEVER" means you implied it, then what words do you use when you state something unequivocally? And you've also said that you operate "North of the River and the Midlands", or was this just 'implied'?

I dont understand how you can immagine that can in any way constitute "blatent advertising".

Really? You don't understand? How about that fact that even when the poster asks for advice, you've merely named two parts, obliquely referred to the principle of the Trade Descriptions Act, and offered to travel "North of the River and the Midlands"? That's a significant lack of the ability to understand...

Perhaps you can explain why you are so agressive towards others involved in a similar industry to yourself?

What you perceive as aggression is not necessarily what I'm feeling. Perhaps you view as aggression any challenge to your expert "advice"?

...Although commonplace, I find that totally unacceptable.

I'm at a loss to know in what way your finding something "unacceptable" is making any difference, anywhere, at any time, to anybody. Do you involve a higher authority, for example? Perhaps a moderator? Your MP? The Police? Maybe even some burly fellows with monkey wrenches who will ambush me between my front door and my car in the morning? I suspect none of those actions, but that you're just finding the truth unacceptable. After all, this isn't the only forum where you advertise your services.

Perhaps you are jealous of people who are CORGI registered?

An interesting idea, but galactically wide of the mark. If I were CORGI registered, then I wouldn't be able to do any more work than I already do, so for me there is no point. The fact is that I have respect for any engineer who can put his/her knowledge to use in a rational way, be they CORGI registered or not. The only time I might contradict a CORGI engineer is when one misinterprets the law and thereby misleads other readers of the forum.

I suggest that you look at your own behaviour before trying to analyse my psyche. You won't be able to name a single other forum member who (a) advertises in the way that you do (i.e. blatently), and (b) receives any criticism from me for doing it.

 

[simonj007]

Guys!

I don't think it's the PCB as the Hot Water works perfectly.


I've contacted the original engineer who is CORGI registered to come back and check the CH Thermistor - like I mentioned I paid him £95 to basically come and re-light the pilot light, put a new room stat on the wall that I supplied(he's brought one that needed earthed!) - and he told me I needed a new pcb!

Do you think he should have properly fault finded for £95??

I just had the front off to look at the LED's on the PCD and the CH ran for approx 3 minutes with the LED's as they should be - then all of a sudden the burners stopped fireing and the 5th "red" LED came on which according to the fault finder means that it's cut back into a "waiting mode" (max 3 minutes) - this is with the switches on "constant" and the room stat set to full....

 

[Softus]

I don't think it's the PCB as the Hot Water works perfectly.

Hm. I'm not convinced by that reasoning. When the faulty component is finally identified, then you'll know what it was and what it wasn't

I've contacted the original engineer who is CORGI registered to come back and check the CH Thermistor - like I mentioned I paid him £95 to basically come and re-light the pilot light, put a new room stat on the wall that I supplied(he's brought one that needed earthed!) - and he told me I needed a new pcb!

You've contacted him, but is he coming back?

Do you think he should have properly fault finded for £95??

Surely that depends on the remit you gave him. Did you tell him the symptoms and let him determine what the fault was, or did you ask him to replace certain bits and pieces?

And why do think that he didn't properly fault find? And what did he tell you that he would be doing for the £95?

I just had the front off to look at the LED's on the PCD and the CH ran for approx 3 minutes with the LED's as they should be - then all of a sudden the burners stopped fireing and the 5th "red" LED came on which according to the fault finder means that it's cut back into a "waiting mode" (max 3 minutes) - this is with the switches on "constant" and the room stat set to full....

Hopefully someone else here will have come across that - maybe Agile has, since he's very experienced in many good ways. But if you or your engineer can't work out what to do next, then I recommend that you call the manufacturer and ask them to interpret the boiler behaviour.

 

[simonj007]

I've just spoken to Ferroli and they say it is most probably the CH sensor and/or boiler thermostat - parts approx £10 each....

I'm now looking for a reliable person to come and replace these parts - any takers...London, SE3 area??

Here's hoping....I will ofcourse pay you and throw in a cuppa!

I am quite desperate as I have an elderly grandparent coming to visit and obviously no heating is a problem!

Thanks.