Ariston Microgenus 27 mffi no ignition - fan not running

[Cherry4169]

Hi Guys,

I could really do with some advice. I'm a mum, with two children, and haven't had hot water/heating for 12 days now.
Hubby works long hours, so I've been dealing with engineers since this started, and still going round in circles
We had a homecare service plan with BG, but haven't had anything done apart from a washer changed in 18 months (small leak)
When the boiler broke down the BG engineer didn't even look at the boiler, just said "can't get parts for these Ariston boilers" and our plan was cancelled. Their customer service at BG said its down to what individual engineer says! So much for peace of mind
I then called a local guy , who went through the problem, turn tap or heating on,the pump runs, but no fan, after a while the yellow led sensor fume detector comes on. He checked the air pressure switch, said it seemed fine, thought it was the fan, so we bought a new one, he fitted it, but still the same. He was stumped, and didn't know what else to try.
Next local engineer came out 2 days ago, he thinks it's the pcb, but the previous engineer had told us that it all goes in sequence and it wasn't pcb. Anyway, a new pcb has been ordered, so we've now paid for a fan, air pressure switch and pcb, and my head is spinning!!!
We can't believe that still after 12 days, no accurate diagnosis or repair.
The boiler is 7 years old, so not ancient, and we can't afford a new one at the moment, which is all British gas suggested.
We all know there are plenty of Ariston parts online, so I feel BG were very unfair. Our homecare plan had increased this year, I've now obviously cancelled the DD.
Can anyone offer any advice please

 

[Phill Peck]

have you spoke to BG since finding out that parts are available?

 

[DeltaT2]

It sounds like you've just had bad luck with all three people that have looked at it Cherry. All the parts that they replaced can be easily checked on-site - without any guesswork!! Unfortunately you're just another victim of BG & their poorly trained staff, but hey the other two have been no better!!

Sorry, but I think you're only option is to call out another Gas Safe RGI and pray you get a good one this time.

 

[Gasguru]

AFAIK all parts are available for these boilers.

http://www.deansgas.co.uk/parts-33-c.asp

You've had a bunch of idiots look at the boiler...and none of them know what thay are doing.

Get your money back from all those that have ripped you off with their attempted repairs. Write to them and give then 2 weeks, then issue a small claims on them.

Go back to BG and get them to repair it...that's what you pay the premiums for. Don't get fobbed off. They only cancelled the contract because their only incompetent "engineer" lied.

 

[DeltaT2]

AFAIK all parts are available for these boilers.

http://www.deansgas.co.uk/parts-33-c.asp

You've had a bunch of idiots look at the boiler...and none of them know what thay are doing.

Get your money back from all those that have ripped you off with their attempted repairs. Write to them and give then 2 weeks, then issue a small claims on them.

Go back to BG and get them to repair it...that's what you pay the premiums for. Don't get fobbed off. They only cancelled the contract because their only incompetent "engineer" lied.

Can't disagree with Gasguru, but I'm not sure how you'd get on calling BG after cancelling your DD??!! However, they are clearly in the wrong after you paying them the money.

 

[Gasguru]

BG have taken the customers premiums in return for an insurance policy to repair the boiler. If the parts were genuinely unavailable then it's fraudualent to have taken those payments. However, their "engineer" lied about the parts availability and BG cancelled the policy. At the very least the payments should have been returned.

They only get away with it due to the customers being so spineless...

 

[DiyNutJob]

Double check BG's small prints to see if they have the right to run away just like that. It took them several goes at fixing my sister's boiler. In the end they sent out a senior guy along with the normal engineer. The senior guy eventually found a broken earth wire. Prior to that, the junior was replacing all the parts and got nowhere.

Your best bet remains to hold BG responsible for their cover.

 

[Cherry4169]

Thanks for all your replies. When the original BG engineer was here, I questioned his response that the parts weren't available, and when he'd gone I checked online, and there are lots of parts at various online suppliers.
I phoned BG customer service, but they (although polite) said it is down to the engineers report. He honestly didn't look, and I guess I was unlucky with this engineer, he only wanted to send the sales team round to sell me a new boiler, which we can't afford at the moment.

The trouble is after 2 engineers pulling the boiler around, it now has several leaks which weren't there before, and has been left hanging open with bits stripped out, including the pcb, so BG wouldn't do anything now
I only cancelled the DD after BG cancelled our homecare service plan, which they had put up to £260 this year. I can honestly say, in the previous year of the plan, I don't think any kind of service was done, and the washer being replaced was very expensive!

I contacted Ariston today to ask their advice, and they also didn't think it was a pcb problem. I am so disappointed with BG, as I feel if they had done their job, none of this would have happened.

 

[Rob]

If the orange LED is on without the fan running then the PCB sounds the most logical. If the APS has been tested at least.

Ive replaced nearly every part on this boiler at some stage in the last few years and never had any issues in getting the parts or for any other boiler of that era. I replaced a PCB only a few weeks ago bout £135 (i think )

BG homecare will almost always leave you out of pocket compared to one off repairs. Unfortunatly though not when you pay for parts that haven't solved the problem especially something as easy to test as a fan. Get your money back.

 

[Cherry4169]

Thanks for all your replies.
Rob, sounds like it may be the pcb, although Ariston said otherwise? Hubby has just got home from work, and tested the fan, and there is no power to it.
He's an electronics engineer, so knows about that, but not about boilers!
So sounds like a new pcb will hopefully sort out the problem - fingers all crossed!
Worried about all the leaks though...boiler has been rather roughly handled
Will update with any news.

 

[Cherry4169]

Happy to report boiler is now working fine after a new PCB fitted on Friday!

Lovely to have hot water again at last. So to sum up, BG were very wrong, the part was easily bought, there are plenty around, and if they had looked at the boiler and diagnosed the fault, we would still be customers, and we wouldn't have gone without hot water for 2 weeks.
As it is, the PCB only cost £120, which is nothing compared to the £3000 for a new boiler from BG. My hubby tested the PCB, and the transformer had blown, so there was no voltage going to the fan.

An honest, competent BG engineer would have been nice, but we got a lazy, greedy one, who couldn't care less that a family were left without hot water.

A big thank you to the local engineer who repaired the boiler, and was far from greedy. Anyone who has an Ariston boiler more than 5 years old, don't let BG fob you off or sell you a new boiler
Sadly, some people would trust and believe a BG engineer, and end up paying unnecessarily for a new boiler.

As I cancelled the DD with BG, we are also saving the £270 a year we were paying them for our BritishGas homecare 200 plan, so we're better off, and will in the future stick with a local Gas safe reg engineer.

 

[Agile]

Cherry, can you tell me one thing?

You know that the BG engineer only wanted his commission for getting you a quote and did not want to repair your boiler.

Youn paid hundreds of pounds to BG over the years!

Why dont you chase them for a refund as they messed up?

If it helps you I would help you prepare the case/represent you at the county court!

Tony

 

[DeltaT2]

Cherry, can you tell me one thing?

You know that the BG engineer only wanted his commission for getting you a quote and did not want to repair your boiler.

Youn paid hundreds of pounds to BG over the years!

Why dont you chase them for a refund as they messed up?

If it helps you I would help you prepare the case/represent you at the county court!

Tony

A very kind offer Tony and I agree it's a disgrace the way SOME BG CPSs operate. Preying on the old & infirm; of course an OAP is going to take the word of someone from the 'Gas Board'................It's shocking!!!

I'm glad you got sorted out Cherry.

 

[dcawkwell]

Firstly parts are available for the model so what BG are messing about
with I do not know. Since they seem to have washed their
hands of the system. I would ring them and say that you want
all you payments back for X years as this is unacceptable you pay
a fee for a service. No service no fee.

I had a similar customer. They had been paying BG or some other
firm for years for an oil boiler. Time came they wanted to claim.
"Oh we don't do oil boilers". Money back please. Thank you very much.

 

[Blooflame]

AFAIK all parts are available for these boilers.

http://www.deansgas.co.uk/parts-33-c.asp

You've had a bunch of idiots look at the boiler...and none of them know what thay are doing.

Get your money back from all those that have ripped you off with their attempted repairs. Write to them and give then 2 weeks, then issue a small claims on them.

Go back to BG and get them to repair it...that's what you pay the premiums for. Don't get fobbed off. They only cancelled the contract because their only incompetent "engineer" lied.

I've recently left BG (after defending them for ages on here!!). There is a new intake of qualified engineers who have passed a test!! ..and plenty of young 'uns. They all know the benefits of rewards that are part of the culture but do struggle actually doing the job they are supposed to do!! Ariston to be fair, don't really show a logical flow chart for an engineer to follow (just been looking). But there's no excuse for BG engineers to walk away leaving folk without!! Manufacturers should have been called in. Does anyone know where to find a sequence of operations for these boilers as they do differ


Can't disagree with Gasguru, but I'm not sure how you'd get on calling BG after cancelling your DD??!! However, they are clearly in the wrong after you paying them the money.