Anyone here a heating engineer?

[benobiker]

Hi, Was wondering if anyone here is a heating engineer, specifically with experience of Gas boilers? I am hoping to pick someone's brain about what might be wrong with a boiler before going to the expense of getting someone out to look. I am not intending to try DIY, just trying to get a feeling for the issue with it. IF anyone might be prepared to answer a couple of questions that would be great.

[Squashed_Fly]

What's up with it? I'm not an engineer, but I just had to call one out as the boiler wouldn't light (kept saying locked out), and it was an easy fix - just needed to open the taps on the boiler to put some pressure back into the system. My old house had a boiler that needed that all the time as well.

[benobiker]

alright mate, long time no see hope all is well. This boiler wont light no spark at the ignitor though hear it clicking. if you move the electrode slightly out of its seat there is spark arcing from its body only faint though, if you seat it properly then nothing, just wondering if there is any indiciation where the problem might lie?

[Squashed_Fly]

If there's a gauge on it, check what the pressure reads. It should be between 1 & 2 bars apparently. If not, you should see a tap on it, that you can open to let water flow in to re-pressurise it. That's what we had to do with ours, the plumber showed us how as it's a simple fix. If the pressure is fine already, then best to ask someone qualified

[Mitch9128]

Thermocouple

[benobiker]

cheers. whats that then? Are they generally expensive?

[Mitch9128]

Dunno about price, and i could be wrong, but that is what creates spark, and on old boilers, the commonest fail.

Have you got an installation guide? If so there should be a troubleshooting guide in there, tried googling the model, and known problems?

[benobiker]

AH cheers, yeah have the installation guide though for this fault it says refer to supplier.. Have googled it but this fault does not appear. It is not that old but has been well used. Prob will be call an engineer out job but thought it was worth getting a feel for what it might be. Will look up thermocouple and this price and see what we get. Cheers.

[Mitch9128]

Maintenance plans are around £18 a month, well worth it for peace of mind.

[benobiker]

Yeah I think that would have been a good idea before the fault developed but assume they will not cover it now, also not sure this one will qualify will have a look into it though.

[speedy]

thermocouple is a flame failure divice once the pilot is lit it keeps the gas valve open

[jj]

check the electrodes for cracks and damage if not could be the ignition unit

[benobiker]

cheers jj yeah it has a an electronic brain controlling all that for monitoring the wind down the flu and the water temp etc. So wondered if that had failed but the spark arcking down the body made me think it was trying to spark. Think possibly as electrode is cheap to replace and the one thing I can do, its probably a starting point cos after that it gets v expensive.