Potterton Suprima Boilers. Erratic function

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There has been loads about this series of boilers [not the newer HE range].
Fact is, if you are an experienced engineer, you will like the simple design, ease of access and general reliability of the major parts. If you are an ordinary householder, you will hate the lottery that is the pcb [printed circuit board] and the dreaded flashing red light of doom..............

We have had months if not years of intermittent problems with our system. At first, burnt out motorised valves were blamed and sure enough one of them was a dud. Had occasional 'lock-outs'. Always seemed to reset if turned the mains on and off. So then it seemed the pcb, and sure enough, there were loose soldered joints. Replaced the pcb with a reconditioned unit as was averse to shelling out £150 at best for the new upgraded pcb assembly. There are several on ebay. Will never know how much of the roulette that was our system was the pcb, but i feel much happier with a board that has no visible loose joints. At the same time, replaced the carbon fibre HT lead with a solid core. The reconditioned pcb and replacement HT lead were supplied by CET in Watford. www.cetltd.com. Do NOT try soldering your board yourself unless you are an expert. Just don't.

Still no joy. Then consulted an online plumber [£9]. He gave me the jog needed to realise it was the programmer. It LOOKED good, but was clearly intermittently and cruely failing. Ours is in the boiler and is known as the BP2000. Was quoted up to £243 for a new one, managed to find the last one online at £79. It was convenient to get the exact fit, but a suitable stand-alone programmer can be had for as little as £25 to £30.

New programmer arrived today. Instant cure.

So if you are confused by your problem, remember it is the programmer that sends the signal to the motorised valves, and the valves that start the pump / activate the boiler PROVIDED the thermostats have clicked in and are calling for heat. It is not always the boiler or the pcb. An intermittent fault on the programmer will fox the best brains in the business.

In summary, if your problem is unreliable HW and CH on/off but no flashing red light, find a way to r/o the programmer before blaming the boiler. If your pcb has loose joints, replace it before it fails on Xmas Eve. And lastly, whatever you do, replace the thick red HT lead NOW.
 
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Do NOT try soldering your board yourself unless you are an expert. Just don't.

I agree, it could explode at any moment killing thousands.
 
You should not try soldering your own board unless you are an expert because all the 'reconditioners' like CET need your old board to recycle, and they can't if you b**ger it up. The old 407750 pcb is no longer made. If you are an expert, there is no danger whatsoever. Best of luck to you.

If you get a reconditioned pcb, from a place like CET that recycles dozens a year, it should come with a 1 year guarantee and it will have been tested to check the components are OK. As I EXPECT to have to go back to CET every few years until my boiler dies from some other reason [and a properly maintained boiler might last 30 years], and I am a crap solderer, I do not want to sh*t on my own doorstep.............
 
You should not try soldering your own board unless you are an expert because all the 'reconditioners' like CET need your old board to recycle, and they can't if you b**ger it up. The old 407750 pcb is no longer made. If you are an expert, there is no danger whatsoever. Best of luck to you.

If you get a reconditioned pcb, from a place like CET that recycles dozens a year, it should come with a 1 year guarantee and it will have been tested to check the components are OK. As I EXPECT to have to go back to CET every few years until my boiler dies from some other reason [and a properly maintained boiler might last 30 years], and I am a crap solderer, I do not want to sh*t on my own doorstep.............

What a load of utter shi..........
 
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Nickso.

Relax mate, appreciate your feedback. Just trying to help others. Please say why you feel so strongly.
 
I was curious to see if you work for CET. A lot of scaremongering and pure nonsense in there.....I shouldn't solder my own board 'cos CET need it back :LOL:
 
You seem to have a strong desire to advertise on behalf of CET !

Do you realise that a registered gas engineer is not allowed to fit repaired parts to a boiler? We can only legally fit manufacturer's approved parts!

As for removing the original makers red EHT lead, dont you realise the resistance of the central conductor is for radio interference supression? Just the same as for car spark plug leads!

Tony
 
30 years from a Suprima??? Should keep CET turning over for a while then :LOL:

Remember have a very very long (and late) argument with the owner (IIRC) once about fitting reconditioned boards - can't remember the outcome though.

Think I bored him into submission :LOL:
 
Remember have a very very long (and late) argument with the owner (IIRC) once about fitting reconditioned boards - can't remember the outcome though.

:LOL:

I think that the bill came and your wife arrived with the car to collect you!

Nice curry meal though. Pity you have not been back since! The owner died and the wife closed the restaurant after a few months. It took nearly two years to be leased and now its an expensive Afghanistani place ( with no alcohol ! )

There are other good restaurants around though.

Tony
 
and to add my tuppence

It is not always the boiler or the pcb, An intermittent fault on the programmer will fox the best brains in the business.

Hardly, as any decent engineer will know if it's a problem with external controls or an internal boiler fault easily probably before his coffees finished
 
So if you are confused by your problem, remember it is the programmer that sends the signal to the motorised valves

Do the stats play no part in this?

An intermittent fault on the programmer will fox the best brains in the business.

:LOL: :LOL:...you're obviously not in the business.
 
Hmmm. Good croc pit this place!

Never mind. No - not in the business, just can't afford the professionals as lost my job and still looking for another one. :( Do not work for CET. Can quite understand how they must irritate the professionals.

The intermittent programmer fault DID fool the guy who came out to look at the system before lost the job, so I was too busy to bother. He recommended the pcb change, and yes he said he could only fit a new one - I fully understand that. At the end of the day, my system is working properly for the first time in as long as can remember and did it for £140 in total. Wife thinks I'm a hero.

Whilst there are more professionals here than I realised, postings were meant to help those who may want to DIY for one reason or other. Would never touch the gas bits myself, but I think the peripheral electronics are fair game. Yes you could conceivably do damage, and if you do, then you would have to put up with the derision of the professionals. Must give you all a bit of a thrill when some smart Alec calls you in after botched DIY.......

Anyway, what are you all doing posting here - get back to work! At least those who have some. Aren't heating engineers thin on the ground? If I retrained as one [no sarcasm or guffaws please] would I be pretty sure of steady income? Or are heating engineers suffering as much as the rest of us?

Take the point about the red EHT lead + radio interference. Prefer the odd squawk from the radio to failure of system.

Must say this is more fun than job hunting. Almost addictive.
 
By the way, when my Suprima does go totally tits up, which are the current professionals' boiler of choice?
 
Whilst there are more professionals here than I realised, postings were meant to help those who may want to DIY for one reason or other.

Would never touch the gas bits myself, but I think the peripheral electronics are fair game.

This is where your lack of knowledge lets you down!

Unknown to you, many PCBs have gas settings on them which have to be adjusted when they are installed in a boiler!

Tony Glazier
 
Whilst there are more professionals here than I realised, postings were meant to help those who may want to DIY for one reason or other.

Would never touch the gas bits myself, but I think the peripheral electronics are fair game.

This is where your lack of knowledge lets you down!

Unknown to you, many PCBs have gas settings on them which have to be adjusted when they are installed in a boiler!

Tony Glazier

To add of which even if its just a resoldering repair on the same PCB could effect settings that were adjusted correctly before repair
so therefore need to be checked and recalibrated if necessary afterwards
 

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