PowerMax 140 won't ignite

[cdg]

Deep joy, after only 3 months ago having a new HE fitted, the damn thing's in lockout. Rebooting it seems to try to ignite but nothing's burning and it then times out/locksout after 5 tries or so.

Reading a few other posts tonight I am wondering if it's a sticky gas valve. Certainly was firing this morning to produce at least enough hot water for a shower or 2.

The question is, if it is likely to be the gas valve, bearing in mind hardly anyone knows much about these York made beauties (cough), would a non-PM expert be able to sort out a gas valve on one.

I had the displeasure last time round of getting the "sorry mate, never worked on one" and had to resort to the HeatTeam guys (which I could do again but their availability is pretty hopeless usually).

 

[Agile]

I hope that you have not set the whole of the competent gas engineers world against you when you were apparently largely supporting the concept of free boiler repairs on that other topic!

Therre is no NHS for boilers!

If you bring your boiler to me ( in London ) then as a special favour I will repair it for you completely free of charge except for parts at standard retail prices.

PowerMax are now under the Potterton/Baxi umbrella.

Until British Gas managed to kill one of their customers with a PowerMax boiler their engineers were not allowed to touch the gas valve.

By total coincidence DoItAll is based just outside Bath!

Tony

PS Not a sticky gas valve. Try turning all burners on the hob on and then try boiler again!

 

[cdg]

Tony, thanks for that. DoItAll you say. hmmm...

While I see if he has any contact details I'll give your theory a whirl (although we have cooked since we had the problem).

If you can muster the will to check the "other" post out you'll see I was doing anything but advocating free repairs. I was just stating what I felt were some pretty common problems with finding good (not cheap) tradesmen (hence the IPHE query).

It then descended into semantics with Softus but I don't believe that's uncommon.

CDG

EDIT: DoItAll's email address does not appear to be valid...

 

[Agile]

I received an email timed at 0230 this morning advising me of a new reply to this topic.

In following the link, I find:-

Information

Topic post does not exist

If any posting is so bad that it has to be deleted then why doesn't the person who removed it leave an explanation?

 

[cdg]

I think it was a Bamber ramble - funny as it was, maybe the mod thought it wasn't relevant!

Boiler is truly stuffed and no nice fault diagnosis in the MI/UI. Cold shower was quite pleasant this morning but maybe not in October.

 

[Agile]

Have you done the cooker/boiler test yet?

Tony

 

[cdg]

I did indeed, all four burners burning bright but the boiler was not for turning when I tried firing it up again. Any other thoughts would as always be appreciated.

 

[Agile]

No, it was only a simple test to check that the meter gas regulator was not sticking.

You may need a boiler engineer unless you can find a tripped manually resettable o/h stat. But if its trying and failing then thats less likely.

Tony

 

[ollski]

thermostat which prevents hot water working until stored water temp is 60 degrees and I would run a check on the pump....would put money on a sticky hw pump.

 

[cdg]

Trying to find anyone prepared to even look at one of these is turning into a bit of a nightmare - the plumber I have is strictly NON PowerMax and the HeatTeam chaps (Baxi/Pot) aren't "in my area" for over a week.

Would I be fine to trust any name I drag out the IPHE hat if they are MIPHE or above? There's so many names in the local directory and the guy that everyone else uses (who has one of these beasts) is away on leave.

CDG

 

[Agile]

DIA seems strangely quiet. Perhaps he has drowned in your newly renovated Spa Rooms.

The IPHE people are not all boiler experts, in fact only a very few concentrate on boilers. You might have a better chance with the IDHEE.

The one thing you need to ensure is that whoever you get is competent with that model and not a chancer! A no-fix no-fee should weed out the men from the boys!

I am sorry that I am too far away to help you.

Tony

 

[ChrisR]

IPHE membership doesn't mean any knowledge of boilers necessarily, (or indeed any plumbing qualifcations necessarily)!

If you get someone who specialises in boilers rather than a guy who's an "expert" in everything from drains to roofing, it should be possible to work it out.
Boilers which are not working are the easy ones, it's the intermittent faults which drive us nuts!

 

[cdg]

Thanks both. Yes, shame I'm not in Neasden eh, but the commute would be a b1 tch and I couldn't afford CDG Towers in NWxx!

I found an IPHE chap who just does domestic heating installations and repairs so hopefully I'll be ok with him.

Chris - I do have an intermittent one too, but that's up in York and is the perennial overheat lockout on a 24Cdi... yet to be fixed.

 

[cdg]

The chap's been. The missus says he had it all open and reckons it's the "ignition board" (the missus' words, not mine) which he says will not be cheap.

This sound right or rightabouts?

I'm seeing pound signs and bearing in mind it's had 2.3 years use (but is 3.5 years old) and has had 2 new Heat Exchangers in its short life I'm not currently the biggest fan of this 'ere boiler.

 

[ollski]

stands a good chance if there is no spark at the board end. Not too ott on price though, about a ton for the board.