FFTS
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| posted on 21/2/10 at 12:42 PM |
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Combi boiler help needed
Have a tennent in a flat and it has a Potterton Puma 100e combi boiler.
Heating is fine and so is hot water if the heating is on. If the heating is OFF then the boiler fires up on demand from a hot water tap being switched
on, the water takes a while longer than it should to go warm and then goes tepid. If the tap is turned down to a very low flow it warms a little more
but barely enough to be warm enough to shower in.
I'm reluctant to open the "demand your own price" chequebook as I don't have a recommended heating engineer and been bitten
before for mythical problems and parts.
Any suggestions please from you knowledgeable and wise men?
Chris.
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adam1985
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| posted on 21/2/10 at 12:48 PM |
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with the heating off when you run the hot tap for a while is the heating flow pipe warming ?
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FFTS
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| posted on 21/2/10 at 12:52 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by adam1985
with the heating off when you run the hot tap for a while is the heating flow pipe warming ?
I probably sounded like I know something about heating systems but don't
Does the heating flow pipe mean the one that goes from the boiler to the radiators?
Chris.
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mookaloid
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| posted on 21/2/10 at 12:57 PM |
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does the boiler have an output temperature control to adjust?
At this time of year we hear this a lot and it's often because the water temp coming in is very cold.
if not you need to get the professionals in. if you as a landlord fiddle with the boiler and from your question I assume that you are not a qualified
gas engineer, you could go to jail if it all goes wrong and someone gets CO poisoning.
In your own house take the risk if you want but not with a tenant - if you can't fix it (or even if you can fix it) and they go and complain to
the council and say that their landlord won't get a proper engineer in to attend to the boiler but insists on having a go himself then you will
have some very awkward questions to answer.
Really not worth the risk IMHO
"That thing you're thinking - it wont be that."
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r1_pete
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| posted on 21/2/10 at 12:58 PM |
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Have you checked the system pressure? the boiler wont run if its too low, but can cause what you describe if its low.
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FFTS
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| posted on 21/2/10 at 01:07 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
does the boiler have an output temperature control to adjust?
At this time of year we hear this a lot and it's often because the water temp coming in is very cold.
if not you need to get the professionals in. if you as a landlord fiddle with the boiler and from your question I assume that you are not a qualified
gas engineer, you could go to jail if it all goes wrong and someone gets CO poisoning.
In your own house take the risk if you want but not with a tenant - if you can't fix it (or even if you can fix it) and they go and complain to
the council and say that their landlord won't get a proper engineer in to attend to the boiler but insists on having a go himself then you will
have some very awkward questions to answer.
Really not worth the risk IMHO
Very good advice. I could just do with telling a corgi guy what has already been diagnosed (little fib so they don't get tempted to go into make
up the fault land and only do what genuinely needs doing.
There are two dials for heating and water temp and both are full up. From my net research it sounds like the diverter valve could be favourite.
Chris.
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FFTS
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| posted on 21/2/10 at 01:08 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by r1_pete
Have you checked the system pressure? the boiler wont run if its too low, but can cause what you describe if its low.
Yes all checked. It was lowish but topped up to 2 bar. Also heating side works perfect!
Chris.
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BenB
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| posted on 21/2/10 at 01:22 PM |
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2 bar is fine.
Good test to see if the central heating pipe gets hot when the CH is switched off and the hot water is switched- could be the diverter valve which is
crudded up.
That would give the symptoms you describe....
Not a small job to change on some boilers. Fixed price British Gas repair is quite good for this kind of thing....
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adam1985
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| posted on 21/2/10 at 01:32 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by BenB
Fixed price British Gas repair is quite good for this kind of thing....
that is proberbly the first and last time i have and will ever hear that
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BenB
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| posted on 21/2/10 at 01:50 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by adam1985
quote:
Originally posted by BenB
Fixed price British Gas repair is quite good for this kind of thing....
that is proberbly the first and last time i have and will ever hear that
Well I was sceptical but when my old boiler broke it was cheap as chips for the fixed price repair they came out, replaced the offending part and it
worked ever since.
Can't complain too much!!
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t16turbotone
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| posted on 21/2/10 at 03:02 PM |
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The symptoms you describe would point me straight to the divertor valve, there is a rubber membrane inside which is probally split, obtain a repair
kit from parts center, and fit it!!
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Litemoth
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| posted on 21/2/10 at 03:11 PM |
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Sounds like the divertor valve to me too. Had the same problem with a Vaillant. Not cheap for yours though ....£100 ish
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