Halstead Finest Gold - PLEASE HELP, 2 ENGINEERS CANNOT!

[coxo]

Our 7 yr old Halstead Finest Gold keeps intermittently locking out:
- It ignites and fires perfectly every time.
- It then tends to lock out ~1-2 mins after ignition. No noise, just a gentle "click" as it locks out.
- After two or three maunual resets, when it has warmed up, the problem lessens greatly and it runs quite well.
- The problem is exacerbated when the boiler is cold i.e. first thing in the morning or early evening.
- The problem is significantly exacerbated in windy conditions. The flue is high on a south-west facing wall with no shelter.
- It locks out on both water and heating.
- Two CORGI engineers have looked and cannot identify the problem: - venturi fine, no obvious other issues.

Please can someone help it's driving us mad! Is it to do with the wind? Air pressure switch? Fan? Both?

 

[Rob]

Has the venturi been cleaned or just visually inspected?

 

[coxo]

cleaned and blown through!

 

[Trundles Tricks]

Has the venturi actually been taken out and inspected?

I've had one similar problem on a Halstead where the venturi actually melts and curls up allowing initial lighting and running for a minute before locking out.

 

[ChrisR]

PCB's are pretty unreliable on these, having intermittent faults. They're expensive though. In a couple of cases I've put them in and charged for them, on the basis that they can come out again if it doesn't cure the fault. As long as the fan and gas valve aren't faulty the board is unlikely to get damaged.

 

[Agile]

cleaned and blown through!

70% of boiler people think that all you need to do is to blow through the air tube.

The more I see boilers the more muppets I think most people making a living from them must be!

Tony

 

[coxo]

Thanks Tony. So what should be done with the tubes etc? Properly taken off & cleaned in water?

 

[scatmanjohn]

Thanks Tony. So what should be done with the tubes etc? Properly taken off & cleaned in water?

No...the fan MUST be removed to clean the venturi.

There is no other way to do it.

Anyone trying to do it without taking it out is a bit clueless.

I have a small set of needle files for the job.

I have been to a few where previous engineers had claimed to have cleaned the fan venturi.

Was the fan removed?

 

[gas_man_gaz]

has the min burner pressure been checked? id jus get another good engineer out, or bg that way ya can keep callin until its fixed

 

[coxo]

Now have BG man coming round - as you say at least if not fixed I won't be paying. Baffles me how supposed "engineers" (CORGI reg) are so unable to fix a problem but are keen to give you a quote for a new boiler. Difficult to think of many other industries where you still have to pay someone for being wholly incompetent - why don't people work on a "no fix no pay" basis?

 

[tonybhoy]

why don't people work on a "no fix no pay" basis?

You would have to take the boiler to them for that.

Do you seriously expect someone to come round in a van that they have paid for with fuel they have bought and spend their time on your old boiler for nothing?

 

[numpty1]

why don't people work on a "no fix no pay" basis?

some of us do a no fix no fee

 

[tonybhoy]

why don't people work on a "no fix no pay" basis?

some of us do a no fix no fee

So do I mate but only if I really can't fix something.

There is no way on God's earth that I am going to spend an hour of my life with my head in someone else's boiler for nothing.

I,personally, don't do speculating.

 

[scatmanjohn]

So do I mate but only if I really can't fix something

surely that is exactly what "no fix, no fee" is.

 

[ChrisR]

Trouble is, old combis (etc) can be like old plumbers, and their vans. Plenty wrong really, but only get attention when they keel over.
So you replace one or two knackered, leaking, stuck, noisy bits, and next week the phone rings again.

Sure I can fix your broom sir, it needs a new head and a new handle.......