Heatline Vizo - not firing up correctly.

[bigbopper]

Hi, was after some guidance. I have just had a Heatline Vizo installed and I am having issues with it not firing up. Fan comes on, I can hear it trying to ignite but then nothing! It was working for about the 1st 2 hours after installation, the guy who fitted it came back an tested gas pressures etc (which were apparently fine) and came to the conclusion that it is a fault with the boiler and I should get the manufacturer to investigate.
It only seems to work if I loosen the seal (around the heat exchange I think?) to let oxygen in when it is trying to start - I can then tighten it up again and it runs fine so it seems to be drawing from the flue ok just not at startup.
I know a bit about cars but not much about boilers I'm afraid. If it was a car I would suspect the air/fuel mix was not correct - if this is the case, can it be ajusted??
Also, is it dangerous (i suspect the answer is YES!) to start it by loosening the seal??
Many thanks in advance.

 

[mehran]

mmm... do you have a standard flue(straight through wall horizontal) is it less then a meter? if so has the flue restrictor been fitted? you said the installer has checked the pressure...did he check what the ignition pressure is. when the boiler does fire is it with a bit of a boom? when it locks out, which light flashes on the front.

 

[mehran]

Also, is it dangerous (i suspect the answer is YES!) to start it by loosening the seal??

yes

 

[bigbopper]

Hi, thanks for the reply. The light on the far right is the one that flashes. I would say the Flue is around 80cm long and no, I don't think it has a restrictor fitted (is there anyway I could check?). There is a boom when it starts and I think he said the pressure was 25 or 22.

 

[mehran]

right, that is the inlet pressure(the pressure that is going in to the boiler) not the ignition pressure, so i take that as no it has not been checked. sounds to be the minimum / ignition gas pressure is off. would also check the flue and the condenser to make sure they are not blocked. would advice not too open the seals on the boiler case

 

[bigbopper]

Ok, thanks for your help - I think I may need to get someone to have a look at it.
Cheers.

 

[mehran]

yeh best bet is to phone heat-line, they will ask for a 22 digit number from the back of the control panel if you have not sent your guarantee form in yet.

 

[Agile]

The fault is almost certain to be a badly installed flue.

No CORGi is meant to do that so the implication is that he is not registered!

Thre manufacturers have the right to charge you if you call them under the warranty and its an installer error!

Tony

 

[bigbopper]

Well, a couple of months down the line and the boiler seems to be working fine, kind of... Heatline sent someone out and they changed the pcb which seemed to fix it until about a week ago. It has now got into the habit of occasionally starting with a bit of a bang/explosion. Also, most of the time the flame is a deep blue color but sometimes it has yellow in it/ Is this normal / dangerous?

Cheers

Bruce.

 

[bengasman]

In combination with the seal having been tempered with, it could be lethal. Are you sure your installer is CORGI registered? Did you actually see his card yourself?

 

[bigbopper]

I didn't se his card and to be honest am a bit worried now Whats the best course of action? I was thinking of signing up for the britishgas homecare, would they pick up any faults / poor installation errors on their initial inspection?
Thanks for the reply btw.

 

[bengasman]

Best course of action by far is to find a proper rgi, ask friends and neighbours for recommendations and have him check the whole system
Heatline boilers seem to have a reputation of being cowboy’s first choice

 

[Agile]

I would guess that your installer did not flush the system, complete the Benchmark Certificate or notify CORGi who would have sent you a Certificate.

You chose a cheap unregistered installer and you are now reaping the consequences.

Perhaps it will serve to warn others that cheapest is not always best?

Saving a few pennies now is not always the best longer term solution.

How did you come to choose the cheapest boiler on the UK market and an unregistered installer? Just the desire to spend the least possible?

Tony

 

[workingman]

Agile,

I have read some of your postings and you seem to be a real helpful guy.

'Saving a few pennies now is not always the best longer term solution. '

I have a Vizo combi boiler installed by an unregistered installer (I don't know if this is against the law or not) but his price was £500 less than the quotes I had from the registered installers. This was hugely more than saving a few pennies! It will take me more than a year to save up £500 as I am a low paid worker.

'How did you come to choose the cheapest boiler on the UK market and an unregistered installer? Just the desire to spend the least possible? '

Although I can't answer for this individual I suspect that like many citizens, he simply cannot afford to pay the high fees demanded by registered installers. CORGI needs to get to grips with the fact not all can afford the high costs of installation and commissioning boilers. The quotes I had from the registered installers suggested they charge around £600 to £1000 just to install and commission the boiler which is only a long days work.

I would recommed the Vizo combi-boiler, as I have had no problems with mine except I was not issued with a certificate. When people know the price of the Vizo combi and how much the installer wants to fit the thing it will create a financial dilemma. £350 for the boiler. Twice as much to have a registerd installer install it, or half for an unregistered installer to do it.

My questions to you is, why do I need a certificate? What is it for? If I need one, what do I do to get one and how much will it cost?

 

[Nixt]

I suspect that like many citizens, he simply cannot afford to pay the high fees demanded by registered installers. CORGI needs to get to grips with the fact not all can afford the high costs of installation and commissioning boilers.

What do you suggest they do, allow illegal installations or provide subsidies for example. Your comments seem almost to assume that you've a basic human right to central heating, unfortunately you haven't. This used to be the case for health care until a national service was introduced, however in basic human terms central heating appliances are a relative luxury. There are grants available to provide assistance even free installations in cases of genuine hardship eg. single parents, disabilities etc.