ideal icos 'lf' fault - tried everything. Help!!!

[gas4you]

The cooker is not going to try to pull such a great amount of gas as it starts up, so won't show a sticking govenor so readily.

Unfortunately, with such a plethora of 'engineers' attending and the op only going on what they had said, there is a good chance that one of the basics haven't been checked, whilst we all assume they have.

 

[twgas]

Unfortunately, with such a plethora of 'engineers' attending and the op only going on what they had said, there is a good chance that one of the basics haven't been checked, whilst we all assume they have.

I agree with this statement as the second, and subsequent engineers, nearly always assume the previous one checked the basics, so don't bother.

 

[onlyfitidealboilers]

spark genarator. change 2 or 3 a week always going faulty

 

[Agile]

If the boiler is mostly failing then running a gas cooker will eliminate the regulator as the cause.

The cooker is not going to try to pull such a great amount of gas as it starts up, so won't show a sticking govenor so readily.

My suggestion was meant to be understood as running the cooker and then starting the boiler.

Cookers dont usually show up a sticking regulator.

But regulaters dont usually stick when there is already a significant gas flow in use such as a cooker.

The sticking is most pronounced when a big gas load is applied suddenly from none.

Tony

 

[idealnumber1]

4.2 ohms on gas valve outer pins,if ok change detection electrode,you can do a test using milliamps an this electrode but i wont bore you

 

[onlyfitidealboilers]

4.2 k ohms!!

 

[Agile]

4.2 ohms on gas valve outer pins,if ok change detection electrode,you can do a test using milliamps an this electrode but i wont bore you

Most ionisation currents are only microamps !

 

[Temprise]

, but it needs to be done by the right person,as it needs to be calibrated.

Thats incorrect.

The gas valves for these boilers are 'FACTORY SET' and dont need and should never be adjusted.

There should be a DC supply to the gas valve of somewhere between 150 & 339 VDC. The res should be 4.2 KOHMS between the outer two pins.

Regards

 

[desperation]

ok - you've all lost me now with ohms and volts, but engineer number 5 (visit 6) came out today. Checked gas valve and pressure and apparently ok. condensate trap clean. waste pipe possibly blocked as it is at a funny angle but he blew it through and thinks it is clear now (if it was blocked at all). As said before - electrodes, ionisation thing and PCB all changed. Happily working when engineer left. But sure as eggs is eggs, when I returned from work a few hours later, L&F had returned to make my house cold and miserable again. ho hum. I know that if I press reset it will work for a while, but as I don't come in until 8 most nights and go to bed not much after 10, the house barely gets lukewarm and it's pointless putting the bl**dy thing on. Engineer number 6 visit 7 is now being arranged by the insurance. They have promised me number 6 will be a 'senior engineer'. This could go on for years. How much is it roughly for a new equivalent (but hopefully more reliable) boiler and installation? I'm ready to throw in the towel and just cough up. But if any of you have any more ideas to pass on to senior engineer 6, it would be much appreciated. Have any of you every been totally defeated by a problem like this as my various engineers apparently are?

 

[onlyfitidealboilers]

before you do that. go down to hrpc (parts center) buy an ignition kit for this boiler an i promise this will fix your problem

combustion insulation, ignition electrode rectification probe ironisation pins
spk gen all come in the kit

when this boiler drops to minimum it rectifies on the ironisation pins an not the rectification probe

 

[Garfeild]

check you have a D.C. supply to the gas valve, if so, replace the gas valve, but it needs to be done by the right person,as it needs to be calibrated.

 

[gas4you]

I had a strange one similar to this a good while ago.

Even had Ideal out a couple of times to no avail.

In the end Ideal asked me to change the overflow sized condensate pipe, which I had run under the floor boards to outside, to 32mm, as they thought that it may have been sagging and forming an air lock. I'd had no access to under the boards so had fed in under from outside, direct to under the boiler (3m)

Me being me, totally dis-believed this, but to keep them happy, changed it.

No problems since, but I also noted that the senior engineer who attended the 3rd time also managed to get another bit of HE out of the condensate trap. Ideal had been servicing it annually under their contract, although I was the installer.

Personally I still think this was the cause, but at the end of the day the Ideal engineer was brilliant and very helpful, especially with getting the 32mm under the boards.

Failing the above, I would suggest that they change the condensate trap, as I have also had one block where you cant see it being blocked.

At the end of the day though, I think you need Ideal in to fix it.

 

[desperation]

UPDATE Thanks to all who have posted. Still no solution, but i've got the senior eng's direct number now and he has promised to work through all the possibilities until we find a solution. If we do I shall let you all know!

 

[onlyfitidealboilers]

told you hat to get.

 

[desperation]

Those who said ignition kit and gas valve appear to have been correct. That's what the engineers eventually fitted and it seems to have sorted the problem out. They fit both on the same day, so can't say if it was one or the other, but regardless it's sorted. I did wave all your suggestions in front of their noses, but i think they needed to go through their own process of elimination. Thanks to all of you.

Just moved house. Thought I'd get away from the problem, but no prizes for guessing what kind of boiler i've got! oh well, at least i'll know what to do when this one goes wrong! lol Thank you all.