Video - Whats up with this Ideal Classic - clicking?

[oldskoo1]

This Ideal Classic FF380 is rapidly clicking randomly. This only happens on pump speed 3.

The video starts and the boiler has already cut out and is warm/hot.

Typical symptoms are the boiler can be happily running and then suddenly start clicking rapidly, sometimes cutting out. Boiler will attempt to come back on, usually after some more clicking. Boiler can run happily after or it can continue clicking and completely fail to complete the heating demand.

Usually when it fails completely, you can bizarrely coax it into life by pressing the control panel front. This can be seen later on in the second half of the video.

If you run the pump on 2 the boiler will not present this behaviour, that i have noticed. It does however stop after between 10min and 20 mins (when the flow is hot) and continues to cycle every 3-5mins until heating demand is complete.

This is a sealed system. I'm struggling to convey the problem to my heating engineer as this problem is random.

http://youtu.be/l2ASEvynCa4

thanks

 

[joe-90]

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The noise you can hear is electrical arcing (think spark plug).

If your RGI doesn't know what you are talking about then find one that does.

 

[Dan Robinson]

The noise you can hear is electrical arcing (think spark plug)

Wrong again 90.

That is relay chatter.

 

[Dan Robinson]

OP - you need a new PCB.

As 90 said. If your RGI can't work it out, get another one.

 

[joe-90]

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Parts changers are poor workmen.

 

[hazetimesfive]

non-parts changers are worse.

 

[joe-90]

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[Dan Robinson]

Says the man who thinks a chattering relay is electrical arcing.

Go back to door bells.

 

[joe-90]

Says the man who thinks a chattering relay is electrical arcing.

Go back to door bells.

It could be either, but either way, the fault has the same fix. Go back to fitting garden taps.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Have staff for that. And it is NOT arcing

Give it up FFS.

 

[joe-90]

Have staff for that. And it is NOT arcing

Give it up FFS.

Either way the fix is the same -***************

 

[oldskoo1]

Thanks guys

I can show him this video and see how I get on.

I'm curious why it only does it when pump is on 3. 2 is much more stable, but cycles and takes a bit longer. Plus my AAV isn't working correctly and I get a lot of air on pump speed 3.

I can hear what i think are air pockets in the system so I wondered if this tripping was air passing through the boiler or could be the gas valve solenoid. I never suspected anything to do with the pcb

 

[Agile]

We dont give advice on gas or combustion problems.

So the obvious advice is to get a competent gas reg engineer.

Tony

 

[oldskoo1]

That's a shame - i didnt think i was asking for advice on combustion etc i was just curious to know if people thought the boiler shut down was due to circulation, trapped air or faulty gas valve solenoid which is very common on these boilers.

I asked because i'm puzzled why i dont get the relay chatter on pump speed 2 but i do on pump speed 3, perhaps there is a reason for this.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Is the pump wired to the boiler directly? If so, then the draw from the pump might be enough to cause the issue with the PCB, which you have to take the combustion cover off to access, hence we can not give advice in much more detail.