Ideal Boiler Help - Any Plumbers/Gas fitters?

I have an ideal c23 mini combi boiler (about 5-6 years old) and it has stopped working at some point today and keeps on lighting the red Lock-Out light on the front.

After a reset it lights the pilot light for 1 or 2 seconds again then goes out, tries to re-ignite the flame for 10 seconds then light the red lock out light again.

I know it's a bit of a long shot - but any help/advice or local recommendations for someone who won't stripe us up would be really appreciated.

Ideal were no help but happy to send an engineer along for £240 including part, one plumber we phoned wanted £55 just to come today or tomorrow.

Help!

tbh mate the £240 sounds good..

with these newish boilers its almost always the pcb, or fan. theres very little "replacables" as i understand it , and if its on the gas side ,you HAVE to be corgi registered (im not a plumber/gas fitter , but unfortunatly have had alot of experience)

when was it last serviced?, it sounds like it might be a problem with flame rectification, ie not registering that the boiler has lit so it shuts down and tries again , they usuall do this 3-4 times then go to lockout, it could be cos of gas valve knackerd £100-150 for part or it could simply be that the electrode needs cleaning, swings and roundabouts if it's simple then local chap would be cheaper but if gas valve manufacturer would be cheaper or as cheap.

calling someone out to service the boiler could fix the problem and get it serviced for the same price, £70-100.
your problem is you don't know what it is till someone looks at it, so don't know how simple/ expensive it will be to fix. hope you make the right choice.

[Rich]

Sounds like flame recognition or air pressure switch (make sure flue is clear). Hard to tell over the internet though, but it sounds like it's a safety device failing. If it's firing up and then locking out so quick after it's alight then at the worst it could be the PCB. I'd get a good local engineer in and check it over, £240 will be a rip off if it's a stupid little part. Anymore info on the matter send me a pm..

Rich

simple stuff first, flame probe...

Guys thanks for all the replies it is now sorted.

What was it?

Gas low pressure caused by the valve being knocked almost shut - nobody is owning up.

Why didn't I check it?

I shouted down when I was at the boiler "is the gas coming out of the hob" - "yes" was the reply - "normally?" - again the reply was yes.

But when Mrs H came to cook tea..."there isn't much of a flame?".

Oh low pressure then thought I, better call Transco. Called them and was told to turn of the valve etc, etc. Then went to do that and well it barely moved before it was at the off position, so I turned it back to the fully on position and hey presto we have the boiler back and a hob full of gas.

Called Transco back to cancel and they told us we can't cancel and the engineer will be here in the hour.

He turns up and spots the rectifier on the valve is a faulty one, apparently this particular model has issues, one of which means if you are using the hob and the heating is on, there is virtually no pressure. He says he has to change it out but it is down to them and no cost to us.

20 mins later and I can have a shower and the wife can cook dinner at the same time!

We thought it was a dodgy installation that we had done turns out it was just a dodgy part. Can now look forward to hot water in winter when the heating is on! WOW.

Great service though.

you know what...sometimes i love being wrong!!

glad to hear its sorted

Originally Posted by Rorshach

you know what...sometimes i love being wrong!!

glad to hear its sorted

Haha, obviousley you check you have gas first, we just assumed you would have made sure first, cos lot's of peeps are on the credit meters and are allways running out of gas, that's my excuse and i'm sticking to it. lol