Ideal 120 Combi no hot water

[festive]

Okay i have a problem with my boiler:

IDEAL Combi120 (about 3 years old)

Power and Gas supply ok.
When i turn on the hot water the boiler goes into the warmup cycle the fan kicks in, then normally the boiler fires up (burner light comes on) and hey presto i have hot water few moments later.
The the boiler doesn't seem to be completing cycle of firing up:

Ive turned stat up set CH to on, and taken a look at the diagnostic LED's

Power to ignition = ON
Ignition Lockout = ON
CH = ON
Fan = ON

You can hear the fan power up and expect it to then spark up the burner but that doesn't happen, same for hot water. I can also feel the pump pumping the CH feed through the boiler.

Anyone out here know much about these and what it may be or how i fix it.
Otherwise it's time to go over a barrell with IDEAL i suppose.

The problem started last week, i haven't been using boiler so much as ive been away a bit, came back few weeks back and wasn't working, kept turning boiler on/off turning hot water on/off etc wondering if the pressure switch was stuck, eventually Burner light came on and hot water was ok.
Worked fine until i went away Saturday came back last night (Tuesday) and now it doesn't seem to work at all.

 

[kevplumb]

Ignition Lockout = ON

explains why its not firing it needs resetting

 

[festive]

So how do i reset it? Ive turned it off at the spur switch and waited 5 mins.

 

[ChrisR]

Have you got the manual for this? It isn't the best but helps.
What ignition lockout light? I don't remember one? There's mains on, and burner on, visible externally.

The low system pressure light is hidden (clever, eh?) behind the frontmost panel, lower right corner. If the pressure switch sticks/get grot in it this will be on. Pressure switch pins 1 and 3 connect when pressure OK, iirc.

If it's not that, call Ideal for a price to fix, sure, but most heating engineers should be able to deal with it.

Are you losing pressure frequently? If so, main heat exchanger may be leaking and you'll need a new boiler. Not sure what Ideal's compensation for this kock-up is, currently.

 

[festive]

Yeah you definately are describing my boiler, those LED's there's three behind the main panel:

At the top are two Diagnostic lights

Ignition Lockout
Power to Ignition

When i switch off boiler and back on, as soon as boiler initially 'spins up' both these LED's come on at the same time.

Im guessing Ignition Lockout perhaps isn't supposed to be coming on? Im guessing like it's the pilot light sensor or somin, prohibiting the main burner from firing perhaps?

I can't even see the pilot light window, guess these new fandango boilers don't have them or aren't visible until you take it to bits? Anyone?

 

[Gasman1015]

Overheat stat, reset switch bottom right side facing boiler, underneath facing down, press to reset.

 

[chrishutt]

Wouldn't a tripped overheat stat prevent anything operating on the boiler? He seems to have some activity, so I don't think it can be that.

 

[festive]

Im afraid you're right, i have already tried the over heat reset button (bottom right), thanks for the suggestion anyway.
Doesn't seem to have pinged out to reset anyway, thought you could normally feel it click back in if it's tripped. Anyway it's not that, pressed it a zillion times already, and it's made no difference.

The way the boiler is merrily spinning away it's like it think's it's kickin out hotwater when it clearly isn't, same for CH mode, neither is working, chimney flu is def cold.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Okay so i was getting fed up so i turned the power switch on/off frantically about 5 times, whilst hot water still on.
This time the boiler spins up and Burner LED comes on! Woohoo.

And i checked the diagnostic LED's and yes the Ignition Lockout LED is now off. So whatever is causing the ignition lockout to occur, i reckon it's a marginal reading of the pilot light sensor or something similar, on power up?

Im pretty sure it will work okay for time being until i leave it for a bit.
So in meantime gonna get it on a service plan before it goes kaput again, and post what it is the broke, when it breaks again!
Back to top

 

[ChrisR]

Ignition gap is critical on these, should be 4mm iirc. Corgi job of course.

 

[BDL]

Your gas valve is stuffed. Warm weather= sticking gas valve.
A new valve was introduced by S.I.T. teflon coated to cope with glycol.

You should 240vac to gas valve solenoids, but no gas.

Where in the Uk are you?

 

[festive]

Hi... not that i know much about these things so excuse me(!) but if the ignition gap was out i would get intermittent Burner firing? Like a car misfiring, not just not working for a while now consistent. As it's working ok now. Afterall it's a non moving part?

I mean i've come home know almost knowing it's gonna work fine still, which it has, seems to be if i leave it all weekend..

BDL im west of london near Uxbridge. Why's that? NOt sure i understand your post/. i should err short 240v to gas valve solenoid?!?!

Certainly could be a sticking solenoid i guess?!

 

[ChrisR]

if the ignition gap was out i would get intermittent Burner firing?

Quite possible -air comes in variable dampness, temp, pressure.

This time last year there were a lot of Response GV's sticking too!

 

[Agile]

As part of the startup sequence the lockout light comes on but it goes off either when it starts sparking or when the gas valve opens. If the boiler fires up it stays off otherwise it comes on if it fails to light.

Sometimes the spark generator can be weak or intermittent and thats a lot easier to change than the gas valve.

A sticking gas valve is easy for a CORGI engineer to test.

Tony Glazier

 

[BDL]

No not a sticking solenoid a sticking valve.

Just curious because I have changed 2 gv's this week that have stuck both in Essex (Grays to be exact).

 

[festive]

to all of you for your input/expertise. Definately sounds like the gas valve to me. Think now it's workin at the mo im gonna wack it on a monthly service agreement.