potterton prima 40 at my witts end

[osteriaantica]

Thanks themrx
Yep just put the phone down to pottertons and i'm now on the 299 special .
Really irritated that i've already spent 350+ . Potterton tell me they dont cover the flue in that price , what do i do if its the flue , get a builder in to replace the house wall and fit a new flue .
What a load of b@llox .
Engineer coming tomorrow , so another day off work thats 6 days in total .
I'll let you know the answer if they can get it going . I hold out no hope at all. 3 corgi engineers and between them they changed nearly the entire boiler and no f@cking joy .
Livid
Otis

 

[osteriaantica]

Hi again
Well the potterton engineer on the 299 pound insurance scheme came out today , and guess what still no boiler he also does'nt know .
He is ordering some more parts and will return next wednesday.
I'm begining to think the heating engineer industry is in serious trouble if after 4 gorgi registered jokers noone has a solution.
Shall keep you informed
Only good thing these jokers have warmed me up through laughing so much .
Otis

 

[osteriaantica]

Hello Otis here , thought you would be interested in the latest .
I yesterday opened my own indoor ice rink and business was booming until I discovered my neighbour frozen solid in the guest bathroom , I thought he left on tuesday , obviously I have health and safety issues .
The potterton engineer is returning on tues with more parts ,the senior surgeon no less , i'll let you know . If anyones interested .
In the meantime ,seasons greetings to you all , especially you corgi guys .
may your christmas box overflow .
Hypothermic
Otis

 

[mickyg]

did you have the fan replaced?

 

[osteriaantica]

Hello
yep tried a new fan didn't change anything so put the old one back . Thanks tho micky
Otis

 

[osteriaantica]

Otis Here
Well today arrived and guess what potterton called me and told me they did not have the parts in stock to give to the engineer . I asked when they would be in and they told me they don't know.
The insurance company informed me they have to allow up to 10 working days to get the parts in , that takes us up to 24 dec . I asked what happens if they are not in by then and they said it moves to the escalation dept whatever that is .
The fact is i'm in for a bleak christmas with no heat .
Otis

 

[matt1e]

hello
has the flue been checked for restrictions?
have the pressure tubes been checked for kinks and correct connections to the pressure switch?
matt

 

[ChrisR]

yesterday opened my own indoor ice rink and business was booming until I discovered my neighbour frozen solid in the guest bathroom , I thought he left on tuesday , obviously I have health and safety issues .

This one's really silly. A Prima's a simple boiler so what the **** parts do they not have off the shelf?? new flue is all I can imagine, ere but looking at the picture of the bits it wouldn't stop it lighting.
The pressure at the air pressure switch is generated by airflow past a couple of tubes. It's not much pressure at all (blowing into the aps is liable to damage it) but most corgis will have a digital pressure gauge capable of reading 0.01mbar. The switch will have its operating pressure writ on it, probably around 0.5 to 1.0 mbar. SO someone should have measured the pressures at the aps and done the subtraction. If its not enough you check the fan (done) its seals, all the metal and rubber tubes, blockages in the airflow, crud round the ends of the metal air tubes inside the flue, and all that.
If it IS enough you change the aps because they can be flaky.
Then the boiler's mended and you go home.

WOuldn't normally go into this, because on some boilers like the slightly earlier Pottys someone not understanding could leave it dangerous, so I'll probably delete this after a bit. If one of the mods doesn't beat me to it!

 

[osteriaantica]

Hi Guys
Many thanks for the replies.
Yes Matt1e the flue and all the pipes have been checked and been passed as ok.
Chris thanks for this . The part they do not have in stock is the flue elbow as i mentioned i fitted a new fan but because it made no difference ie did not solve the problem i put the old 1 back and my mate managed to get the money back .
Interesting this bit about the pressure , I did not see the engineer with any pressure gauge only a voltmeter .
I am so fed up by this I dont know where to go after potterton because if they dont get the parts soon I will have no need for the heating as the winter will be over .
Completely and utterly pi'8ed off
Otis

 

[namsag]

Something really basic has been missed , these boilers are really simple to work on.
What where the original symptons before anyone touched it

 

[osteriaantica]

Hi Namsag
Original symptoms were simply the boiler would not light .
Now boiler will light but wheras before it would stay alight with the white tue disconnected now it ejects the reset button after about 2 mins .
Otis

 

[namsag]

To be tripping out it has to be overheating as nothing else should cause that so sounds like completly seperate fault from before(coincidence) is pump spinning /getting power (not by any chance a wire came out at boiler with all messing around).

Original fault

Boiler not lighting was the fan spinning if so was it starting to spark but not lighting or was it not sparking at all.

Air pressure switch changed and tubes messed about with red to bottom connection on flue elbow white to top connection .Air pressure switch should have a red dot on it to make sure red pipe connects to correct connection( the tubes connect to alluminium tubes in boiler, i would also check they have not crossed ie red at bottom matches red at top by flue elbow)

 

[osteriaantica]

Hi namsag
I hd to admit defeat and went into hotel for 2 nights but did some shopping up town and got the annual bash out of the way .
I thought this too because whereas the boiler would run no problem with the white hose off from the pressure switch , if you run it now it starts banging and then the reset button pops out . so looks like a new problem .
Potterton have still not been in touch re when parts are available and i know it'll be post christmas .
Re the red and white tubes , they have been on ond off so many times fom all points the potterton man even had to ring up to check .
I really am finding all this unbeleivable because if I was elderly or vulnerable without heating i would be in trouble .
Thanks for any help its nice to know someones trying to find the soluton
Entering a miserable festive season
Otis

 

[twgas]

If boiler is now overheating I cant believe it needs a new flue elbow, I'd go along with the pump/circulation problem

 

[osteriaantica]

Hi all Otis here .
Well here's the conclusion to this misery . On the 8th jan the potterton engineer came for 2 hours and said that while the pump was working it was making a strange noise and changed it . No difference . He said there must be a blockage and he thinks it's in the cold water feed , and guess what I need a plumber as my 299 warranty does'nt cover me for the pipework .
So after 10 weeks i'm back at square 1 .
He and I obviously had words . And nearly fell out .
So I called another friend around and he dismantled the cold feed and the pipe inside the boiler , both were heavily blocked but the t peice was blocked solid . We cleared it all and reconnected it .
On the 15th jan potterton man came back and a new fan and flue elbow were fitted . Otis and family are now warm .
Thanks to everybody that suggested something
Otis