I had to laugh

[Paul Barker]

My m8 had an ailing Fer Falcon which I knew needed a board and was happy to send it to Raden, but I read on here that a diyer had found some dry joints and successfully fixed his.

Meanwhile m8 (this is incidentally the roofer that makes much more than me and has vertually no overheads) who is selling house tried to get it on BG scheme.

The engineer spent 3 hours and said he would have to get his boss. This was a woman "computer woman" my m8 called her. She spent the entire time at the puter.

Anyhow after all these hours they said "it might be the pcb, but there again it might be the fan or the aps."

"So if I buy a new pcb will you take it on your scheme"

"No you will have to buy the fan afterwards in addition etc etc"

My m8 told them thanks but no thanks.

Now he was seeing sense and let me loose. One dry joint on the fan relay fixed it. Now it's on song. About 5 minutes.

 

[Softus]

Fair play Paul, but you're considerably over-qualified (and over-endowed with brains) for a heating engineer, even for one who's also an RGI.

For many people the idea of bringing a soldering iron/gun into contact with a boiler PCB is as palatable as using the same tool to perform a self-circumcision.

 

[ricicle]

I'm always amazed that the simple task of looking at a PCB under a light and magnifying glass is overlooked (light and glass not always needed)
Dry joints can be fairly simple to spot and it is a lot more satisfying to know you have nailed the problem rather than automatically assuming you have to shell out ££££'s for a new one

 

[Paul Barker]

Yes I've fixed a few pcb's just soldering dry joints. Before becoming a gas fitter I used to visit a friend who does TV repairs, basically the modern board in a TV and it seems in a boiler often simply fails through dry joints. He put it to me that this causes an intermitent fault because as the components heat up and in TV's at any rate due to the environmental heat (probably true also in boilers) the solder joints rewets itself, but as there is no flux it doesn't make a good joint.

It doesn't always work, but always worth a try.

I once gave a Vokera Linea pcb a real good wetting changing a thermister live. Not surprisingly the boiler didn't work afterwards, so I rushed home for hair dryer and soldering iron. Dried it all resouldered all dubious looking joints. Has worked fine since. I took the prercaution of ordering in a new board in case but it's remained at the lockup.

 

[ollski]

Ah the old hairdrier, essential tool for every heating engineer.

 

[geoff@cetltd]

No fitter would be seen dead enterig a customers premesis without a decent perm, would they?

Cryptic message to whom it might concern -

since nobody here would want to use my expertise

s/f 75 pcb arrived today

 

[Softus]

and FFS - learn to spell

No fitter would be seen dead enterig a customers premesis without a decent perm, would they?

 

[Agile]

as palatable as using the same tool to perform a self-circumcision.

As a qualified Nurse I would expect that Paul would be quite capable of performing a self circumsision if:-

1. He deemed it necessary.

2. It has not already been done.

3. He is changing religion to one which expects circumcision.

 

[simond]

Happy to say that we use your expertise, Raden.

 

[Softus]

3. He is changing religion to one which expects circumcision.

Nobody expects the spannerish incision.

 

[Paul Barker]

NO COMMENT!!!