Can anyone help ?

My son/wife and baby returned home yesterday from their xmas visit to us (300 miles ) to find that their c/h and hot water boiler wouldn't fire up.
It is a Powermax 155, electrics are OK, he has increased pressure and there is a water drip from it, but it won't fire. He has tried every plumber in the yellow pages ( including all the 24 hr emergency ones, who don't work 24 hrs !!!) but can't get anyone to come at all !!!???
Any suggestions or help offers very gratefully received. He is desperate.
Thanks

JBL

I'm not a plumber and my knowledge of boilers is limited, but since you're desperate here's some things to check, the answers may help a plumber diagnose the problem......

Will the pilot light stay on?
Is the thermocouple in the pilot flame?
Are you 100% sure that the boiler has electricity when on demand?
Is there a fault with the gas supply?

I know that there's a solenoid in (Some?) boilers that actually kicks in the main flame, and if that's goosed, the pilot light will stay lit, but the boiler won't kick in.
And if the thermocouple is knackerd, or not in the pilot flame, I think that the pilot light goes out. Or at the very least the boiler won't kick into life.
And if the fuse has blown in the spur for the heating, or the cable that tells the boiler to kick in is damaged, again, the pilot light will stay lit, but the boiler won't kick in.

Sorry I can't be more of a help.

Apparently on this Powermax boiler there is no pilot flame, the electrity and gas are OK and the coloured neons show that, but the fan does not come on and that is the first step in the firing sequence apparently. So it might be a duff fan and goodness knows where he gets one of those at this time in December ????

Thanks

JBL

Could be the fan motor brushes. Sometimes a quick removal and refit can get a bit more life out of a motor.
Other than that, perhaps a quick blow fuse for the motor has blown?

Hi, the dreaded Powermax are feared by most Heating/Plumbers. No your right these boliers rely on the pcb for ignition so no pilot or thermocouple to look out for without being there its hard to help but i will br able to tell you that the fan isnt first in the sequence its the pump for the heat exchanger then the fan.

What lights are present and i know its hard to describe but what noise is it making when there is a demand ?

You will be lucky to get it fixed if any parts are needed before xmas (always happens this time of year doesnt it)

But what ever you do dont do it yourself get somebody in the Know because you have to be extra careful with the powermax with the CO levels and PPM every time you touch them would recommend your son gets a CO detector for extra peace of mind Especially with the little one.

Best of luck

Feel free to ask more Qs:thumb:

When you say there is a water drip from it do you mean there is actually water dripping from the boiler, if that is the case then that is prob the reason for the boiler not running, ie. it has dripped on some important component internally before dripping out of the casing.

He really does need a corgi engineer.............

Mog

Call a qulified engineer matey, don't DIY with gas!!! :(

OK, thanks for all the advice and information.

Problem will be resolved tomorrow at great expense.

My son spent yesterday teatime/ evening trying to get a plumber/ heating engineer/ corgi reg out and not a single person would turn up. This morning again it was a trawl through yellow pages and after " no chance, it's christmas " to " a what ? boiler " or " no don't do them mate " he found one person who came to look. He was told it needed a new fan unit but they were no longer available, but a new boiler could be fitted tomorrow if he wanted to pay for it.
What can he do.. 8 month old baby, no heat, no hot water, xmas in his first own home. So he is forking out for a new boiler with the promise that 4 people will turn up tomorrow to rob, oops sorry, fit it for him.

I and he appreciate the need for a qualified fitter but you try getting one in Plymouth just before Christmas !

I am just hoping that they actually turn up !

Cheers

JBL

Prob a bit late now but there are companies out there who refurb fans which are now obsolete.

Mog

Not privy with the style of fan on this boiler. But a good resourceful plumber can rebuild it using the motor off another fan and keeping the original scroll and fittings. It's not ideal, but if the motors are of similar rating, there should be little issues as long as the flue seals properly and CO is measured and made sure it is safe.

Presuming the fan has seized (as they often do), they can be kicked back into life. If it has a ballrace bearings (only good flue fans have these..so doubtful in your case) these can be unseized by soaking the bearings in 3-in-1 oil over night. If its brass bushes, your screwed (well you can enlarge the holes in the bushes and polish them, but it'll rattle like hell and not last long. Both are temporary fixes though. (mind, I do the same trick on our fridge condensor fan motor and it still keeps going :lol1: )

That is presuming it is the fan and not a weak/split air pressure switch.