Potterton Peforma 24 flame failure - help needed!

[Flex111]

Hi everybody

Our boiler seems to have completely stopped working, every time you switch on the heat or turn on the hot tap, after a few seconds the flame failure light comes on.

If the boiler has been off for a long period of time it will usually come on once but then go off after a while (having heated the water in the system) and then won't come on again.

I followed the fault finding instructions and everything works except that the electrode does not spark! Looking at other posts i understand that it may be a mis set minimum gas rate, but could this be the vase when the boiler was working well a few weeks ago and gradually got worse?

Does anybody have any ideas?

 

[bengasman]

I doubt it is the gasrate, though not totally impossible. Does the hotwater work ok when the boiler is fully cold?

 

[Flex111]

Hi thanks for the reply.

Yes, when cold (the boiler must have been off for about a day) then both hot water or central heating will work the first time.

 

[bengasman]

First guess would be the overheatstat kicking in too early.

 

[Agile]

Unfortunately the nature of your fault is apparently gas or safety related and this means that it would be inappropriate for us to give you DIY advice on matters which impinge on aspects of the boiler's operation which should only be dealt with by a gas registered engineer.

If its not sparking then that either means the tests the boiler does before initiating ignition have not been achieved or the spark generator is failed or the ignition voltage is not reaching the ignition electrodes.

At the end of the day it might be the PCB as that controls all the boiler's operation but that is an expensive part and it would not be sensible to replace that unless all the other possibilities had been discounted first.

Unless you can give us some more clues I am minded to suggest thet you should engage a competent engineer.

Tony

 

[davebgas]

Have to agree with Tony, its outside DIY scope i'm afraid

 

[Flex111]

Hi thanks for the replies.

Got a CORGI guy in, looked at a few things but and thinks that it is the PCB. He didn't check the gas rate he just dismissed it as a possibility.

Do you think I should get a second opinion before changing the PCB?

 

[Agile]

It could well be the PCB but thats an expensive part.

The gas settings are easy to check and anyone who does not do that on a diagnostic visit is suspect!

But then it sounds as if you have not paid him for his visit.

Those who come out on that basis always say the PCB because that makes it a £200 job and thats the most it could ever cost,

If they really told you what was actually wrong without being paid then they would be really stupid!

Now you want another CORGI (?) to come free to tell you what he thinks is wrong, again unpaid.

After their two unpaid visits you will buy a PCB and do the repair yourself just for the cost of the part !!!

Of course it might not be the real fault so then we would laugh at how taking advantage of CORGIs has backfired on you.

We always charge £84 for any visit to diagnose a fault but then its up to the owner how he wants to proceed but usually they ask us to complete the repair. Of course sometimes it does not need any parts and thats fixed at no extra charge. But then we are not as silly as those you seem to be able to call on to visit free.

 

[prad123rita]

I had this problem today and I tested each component the over heat thermostat, the flue thermostat, the temperature sensor and the condensate sensor. All were healthy. Cleaned the secondary heat exchanger. None of cured the problem. Moved the wire of the ignitor and the wire which goes from condensate sensor to PCB, and what a pleasent surprise the boiler fired with no problems. So I suspect a loose wire either ignitor white shielded or condensate white shielded wire was the cause of the flame failure.If you need help you may email me on [email protected]

 

[Agile]

Prad, as someone not gas registered and who does not carry public liability insurance, do you really think that its appropriate for you to do boiler repairs or to encourage anyone do do DIY boiler repairs involving combustion and safety devices?

Tony

 

[prad123rita]

I wish to inform the general public that beware of Coorgi Engineers. My message is intended for skilled people which there are many.These people can save a fortune and not get ripped off when Coorgi engineers say PCB is Gone. PCB is the last thing to fail in Boilers as they are well protected. There are other components to fail as my message earlier suggests.

 

[bengasman]

I wish to inform the general public that beware of Coorgi Engineers. ...

Sounds like the polish plumbers strike back.

Eez nod proplem, I cen feeks poiler, you not neet coorgi.