Potterton Suprima

[ollyparkhouse]

Hi, we have just had our potterton suprima looked at by both British Gas and Southern Electric, and they both recommended a new boiler.
The boiler is roughly 6-7 years old and is a 60L, but we have been in the house since 2008.
I have read reports about the PCB issues on these models, and was wondering if there is a sure way of telling if the PCB has been replaced or not.
The only sign i can tell from other forums is that the new PCB has a reset button that sticks out whereas the old one had a cover.

Is there a sure way to tell if i have an old or new PCB?
Touch wood, we havent had any issues with the boiler to date!

Thanks
Oll

 

[nickso]

don't replace it, there is no need, suprimas go on for ever.

from the front the newer pcb has one little window with three coloured lights in it. the older pcb's had two seperate lights, red and green.

 

[ianniann]

Did you have them out to look at it for a fault? I can't see any need to replace it if it works well. Replacing a boiler every 6-7 years could turn into a very expensive hobby

 

[ollyparkhouse]

they came out to do an annual service. 1st we had southern in, as we have their central heating cover. My wife was there not me, so i figured they were trying to fleece a bit more $$ from her. They said unless we changed the PCB they would not cover us. So we called British Gas, and got their cover until they could confirm cover.
Again i wasnt there, but the guy came in and said the boiler is leaking (as there was a bit of dry rust in the boiler, and the PCB was the wrong one. So they wont cover us either and the guy said we would need a brand new boiler!!!!

Looking at the boiler we have 2 small holes for the lights. I am colour blind, but at the moment the top one is lit, looks red to me, but what would i know.

Should i buy a PCB for that just in case scenario? It looks fairly straight forward to replace, right?
thanks

 

[powell30]

Wrong......requires a new wiring harness too as the old one isn't compatible. Not a big job but one which requires the combustion chamber to be breached therefore i can't help you as that is gas work.

That said if the rust has caused the combustion chamber to be breached that would be ID and boiler off so i guess that is not the case.

Call in a local rgi and tell him the story and see what the cost is for him to replace board and take the boiler on as an ongoing customer

 

[nickso]

heat exchangers don't leak and stop again on these IMO. i would guess the draincock is leaking or its water through the flue.

if the boiler is working there is nothing in the T+C's that says an early suprima PCB is a fail for contract so thats bullshit for a start. it sounds like you have an early one BTW.

 

[ollyparkhouse]

I guess the big question is, if I get to the lockout issue, will potterton pay for a replacement 3 years after they acknowledged the issue?

 

[nickso]

I guess the big question is, if I get to the lockout issue, will potterton pay for a replacement 3 years after they acknowledged the issue?

unlikely. its not cheap to replace one but hardly megabucks. TBH after the pcb is replaced the suprima is one of those boilers that a repair contract rarely makes financial sense. depends on what your system is like for reliability but suprimas don't need any major servicing so if you keep a reserve of money for a decent independant or a fixed price repair when you need it you will probably save money.

 

[RichThompson]

If the boiler has two lights on it (red/green) that is the old (dodgy) PCB. The replacement one has a single 'light hole' which can shine red, orange or green. The boiler in my house was faulty when I moved in and required new PCB to enable boiler to work. British Gas would not provide Homecare cover even though they had replaced the PCB for me. Their issue was the Gledhill thermal store in the airing cupboard.

 

[twgas]

we had southern in, as we have their central heating cover

What do southern cover on the contract you have with them - it appears they don't cover the boiler, wrong PCB, and as you seem to be doing the "system" they don't cover that either.

I asked this in your other thread, but I assume you've not looked at it, although it won't solve your issues I'm interested in the cover.

 

[nickso]

If the boiler has two lights on it (red/green) that is the old (dodgy) PCB. The replacement one has a single 'light hole' which can shine red, orange or green. The boiler in my house was faulty when I moved in and required new PCB to enable boiler to work. British Gas would not provide Homecare cover even though they had replaced the PCB for me. Their issue was the Gledhill thermal store in the airing cupboard.

still shooting themselves in the foot round your way i see.

i've never understood why certain managers/engineers refuse to take gledhill stores on. anything that is sludge related isn't covered anyway, the rest of it is largely easy stuff. technically having its on GC number means the gledhill isn't covered at all but thats rarely invoked.

we have to advise the customer of the sludge possibilities and make them aware of the replacement policy.