Ideal Icos M3080 Fault

[misanthrope]

I've got a problem with my six-year-old Icos boiler showing the F L error code (flame detection). I have observed the operation & it seemed most vulnerable when it had switched off on the thermostat & then attempted to restart later. To check this I reset the boiler, moved the set point up to 30°C & it ran continuously for about 15mins until it tripped before reaching set-point. Looking at the manual & some previous threads the suspect parts seem to be either:

• Flame detection sensor
• Gas valve
• Blocked trap (I cleared some debris out but I still have the error)

Last year I had the expensive PCB replacement. Does anyone know if the PCB kit comes with new flame & ignition electrodes as standard as I seem to remember the (honest) engineer telling me he had no choice but to buy a kit rather than the PCB alone? I’m just trying to gauge how old the electrodes are, as an electrician/engineer I feel competent enough to replace the FD electrode but not as confident with the gas valve.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Gasman28]

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=154977

Could also be ignition electrode.
Does the condense pipe run into a gulley or a soakaway? This could be blocked. If your parents have a contract with Warmsure, give them another call stating another problem, like explosive noise when starting for instance. Hopefully then they will come out to look at it.
As for a PCB kit , I must admit I've never heard of it. As far as I know, they are sold seperately, but I'm sure someone on here will know.

 

[diverdee]

most usual culprits are water in the sump if condo not running well or ionisation probe problems

 

[Paul Barker]

It might need the upgrade "coathanger" ionisation probes anyway.

But to change such parts you have to remove fan and burner from burner box. You are deep into competent person to do gas work teritory.

however whoever you get to it ensure they are aware of the requirement for new ionisation probes. You get a pair which you need one front one back Ideal part no. 171845.

The competent person would also check the condition of combustion chamber insulation board. There ahve been a few isolated cases where the flame has got behind the boards and burnt through the combustion chamber. The boiler just carries on working until the house burns down as there is no safety device to check for heat or flue gases outside the combustion chamber. If it were an automobile it would be recalled.

 

[misanthrope]

reading these forums, this boiler has a very poor reputation. it's six years old & i don't want to continue to throw money at it year after year. twelve months ago it was £250 for the PCB.

if i was to get it changed, what brand would you recommend? i would pay a premium for quality & efficiency. do bosch make a condensing boiler? as a guide how much would it cost to change?

 

[Paul Barker]

The problem is that the cost of a new boiler installation is a lot more than the cost of bringing back to spec and carrying on with your boiler.

There is a Ideal repair man who talks with us here. He speaks of new pcb's being less brittle to water damage.

The main issues with your particular model are :-

some cases have an interim part made of aluminium which makes the flue turret fit the flue manifold, this gets rotted away by the acidic condensate, causing water damage particularly to the main board. You may have had this fixed when the pcb was replaced.

the auto air vent which leaks eventually on all boilers can also precipitate pcb damage.

the expansion vessel is diabolically located, but best to get an external one fitted even good to do now as a preventative measure, so as to avoid over presure issues which is good to avoid particulalry on your boiler because of the location of the pressure relief valve, not quite as bad as expansion vessel location but also pathetic excuse offered by ideal that hiding it prevents installers using it.

Huge amounts of aluminium oxide pile up like guano in the tray underneath the main heat exchanger which lazy service guys don't clean, blockage leads to steam in combustion chamber which I am reliably informed is one reason for the damage further up in the burner box spoken of before.

the other issues are common to most combis, plate heat exchanger woes, diverter valve seals damaged by sludge.

So money well spent would be get someone to check

1/ for water tight flue exhaust connections inside boiler.
2/ fit an external expansion vessel as a preventative step
3/ get the tray underneath cleaned out and whole route of condensate checked for function
4/ make sure "coathangers" have been fitted
5/ fix your fault
6/ clean system water at the very least with sentinel x800 (ferroquest) or equivalent, but better still powerflush and add a magnaclean (or equivalent) once having cleaned system.

This will all be a lot cheaper than a new boiler.

now your boiler should be quite manageable and would qualify for a reasonable priced service contract with either Ideal themselves or someone else.

 

[shambolic]

Get a fixed price repair from ideal 210 (approx includes everything to repair boiler parts and labour) UNFORTUNATELY THE M Series Pcb is still the old version and unable to upgrade to new version. The ign comes off the board

 

[diverdee]

the new pcb can be fitted with the ignition coil as well have done so.just need to buy the coil and wiring kit for it

 

[misanthrope]

thanks for your help, i've booked an ideal engineer for monday.

 

[Garfeild]

the new pcb can be fitted with the ignition coil as well have done so.just need to buy the coil and wiring kit for it

The burner box,ignition and detection probes and locations are all different from the old model to the new one,How do you get over that?

 

[shambolic]

the new pcb can be fitted with the ignition coil as well have done so.just need to buy the coil and wiring kit for it

The burner box,ignition and detection probes and locations are all different from the old model to the new one,How do you get over that?

That's what I thought being in the know!?!?
That's why I didn't comment as it was mince as it can't be done converting an M to an HE

 

[screech]

the fan's have been known to blow pcbs. can still get all the stuff for the older versions that aren't the HE ones.

 

[diverdee]

sorry but it can be done with a bit of patience .all the physical bits remain its just rewiring

 

[shambolic]

sorry but it can be done with a bit of patience .all the physical bits remain its just rewiring

Sorry mate but you are talking pish there is no screw fixing in the flue manifold to hold on seperate generator. The spark and detection probes are different and wouldn't fit. I could go on but the main thing is you are changing a boiler from the one tested. This is not allowed as they get their approval and any changes would need to be fully tested.
As you are using half M and half HE you would get yet erse kicked and possibly riddored

 

[Paul Barker]

True, even if he does make a better boiler than the M series

I had to fit a new trv today his HE series was fitted by us 3 years ago.

Went to repressurise and found filling loop double check valve back to front, customer has never topped it up. How come the installer filled it up and then transposed the dc valve baffles me.

Anyway I playing the be polite about the boiler he paid bg a fortune for.


He brings up it's had vertually every part, turned out to be the wiring loomb in the end.