Keston Combi says it's overheating all the time

[KatherineM]

Hi
I have a Keston Combi C36 condensing boiler. It's about 3.5 years old and has worked fine till a few months ago. It keeps switching itself off due to overheating (lockout mode, error code: E03). Two plumbers have looked at it and can't find any problem. Even if it doesn't shut itself down, the temperature still cycles e.g. when there is demand for the CH, the display on the front of the boiler shows the temperature rising to about 60 degrees before the lamp begins flashing and the temperature drops again. The manual says that a flashing lamp indicates "the demand is still present but the burner is off because the unit exceeded the desired temperature and the forced anti-cycle (in CH mode) delay has not elapsed".

I've noted down data using the installer function - while the CH was on but no hot taps were on:
1. Flame current: 000 (despite being on)
2. Actual CH flow temperature: 49
3. Actual CH return temperature: 36
4. Actual DHW temperature: 45 (the washing machine & shower had recently been on)
5. System water pressure in bar: 1.0
6. Software version of boiler: 7
7. Actual flue temperature: 34
8. DHW flow rate: 0.
9. The manual does not explain what number 9 means. The reading was 82.

Any suggestions?
Thanks
K

 

[mickyg]

best advice I can give you honestly, is bin it. It will cost you the price of a new boiler to keep fixing it over the next few years. One of the worst boilers on the market IMO. I specialise in repairs but I point blank refuse to look at Kestons anymore as its not worth the hassle.

might just be a blocked plate HE, but it will be something else not long after that.

 

[muggles]

Hateful boilers, get someone to rip it out and put something else in

 

[Dan Robinson]

Yep - I didn't think Keston could get worse, but no - I installed two of these pieces of shoite, and was proved very wrong.


Worth checking that the filter has been removed from the plate heat exchanger.

Other than that rip the POS off the wall and send it back to Hull with my compliments.

 

[sherbert]

With all of the above comments

Keston are the biggest heap of Sh*te ever ........... both boilers and customer service is awful

Get rid and just bite the bullet and buy new boiler

You will spunk up the wall on repairs in the next few years at least 1.5k is a good estimate

As you can gather there not very popular ..... I will not work on them either

 

[dcawkwell]

Sounds to be a basic fault.

My complete guess would be a lack of circulation for some reason.
Either a pump or a blockage.

Possibly nothing to do with the boiler itself.

You don't mention if it is working ok in hot water mode.

If it is then only possible causes would be a diverter valve problem of some sort or a blockage.

 

[KatherineM]

Thanks for all the replies - if only we could harness those feelings of frustration and convert them into usable power - we wouldn't need to build any new power stations!

Anyway, in response to the query about whether I have problems with the hot water, the answer is yes. If I run a hot water tap for more than a few minutes, the boiler 'overheats' and shuts down (error code 03 again). Before it shuts down, the water from the tap becomes colder, in cycles. Does that extra info help?

On the wider topic of Kestons producing rubbish boilers, I'm surprised that professional plumbers don't protest to their regulatory body about the Keston antics. I can't believe that mankind can build space shuttles and nano-robots but not be able to build a machine to heat water reliably. Everyone I know has trouble with their boilers, so I presumed that all boiler makers built their boilers to deliberately break down, to provide an income source for plumbers. If I was a plumber, I'd be really peeved by people assuming that plumbers who make boilers either couldn't or wouldn't produce high quality (or even reasonable quality) boilers.

Further advice about my own boiler situation welcomed!
Thanks
K

 

[dcawkwell]

Looking at the design of the boiler is seems to have a rather complicated diverter valve/variable speed pump arrangement.
My guess could be the variable speed pump.

If you ring Keston they will be able to fix for a fee! But it will be fixed.
Rather than messing about with plumbers who haven't a clue.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I refer you to my comment of the filter in the primary connection to the plate heat exchanger.

Also someone mentioned the diverter valve.


Unfortunately our regulatory body is more concerned with taking our money than quality - but really safety is their remit.

 

[Agile]

Hi

I have a Keston Combi C36 condensing boiler. It's about 3.5 years old and has worked fine till a few months ago. It keeps switching itself off due to overheating (lockout mode, error code: E03). Two plumbers have looked at it and can't find any problem.

Thanks
K

When I read something like that, my first thought is that you need a boiler engineer and not a plumber!

My second thought is that if others cannot find a fault then perhaps I should charge more when I do identify faults!

Then I realise that customers expect to pay the same for nupties who cannot diagnose faults as for anyone who can!

If you lived close to me then I would come free to see the boiler as long as when I diagnose the fault then I can charge double!

Tony

 

[Dan Robinson]

Tony, why do you always assume that punters differentiate between plumbers and boiler repairers?

Why not offer some advise? It is obviously not directly related to gas safety .

 

[KatherineM]

Thanks for the tips about the filter on the primary heat exchanger and the diverter value, I'll have a look at those.

Tony I'm in E14, London - if that's close enough, let me know. I would be happy to pay you double up to a ceiling (say, £200?) - but I'd want to pay that extra amount only after the boiler had worked normally for a month. Does that seem fair?

I take your point about the difference between plumbers and boiler engineers. I've just Googled "boiler engineer" and there's loads. I think I've previously assumed that anyone with the gas safety certificate would know their way round a boiler, which is a lazy assumption on my part. I'll know better next time.

By the way, I don't think much of your regulatory body: I contacted them a couple of years ago to say that a plumber who'd visited (not about the boiler) had given me a registration number that didn't seem legitimate, and neither did his company's number. The regulatory body replied to me to say it didn't matter.

Anyway, thanks again for the advice
K

 

[Agile]

If a person visited for non gas appliance related problem then he does not need to be gas registered. But giving a false registration number is questionable!

If you wanted me to come to you then you have to contact me directly to discuss. I am in E11 at the moment!

You probably need a part so fixing is likely to be more than £200. British Gas and Keston ( Ideal ) may do a fixed price repair.

Tony

 

[hazetimesfive]

can you not hawk your crap in public

 

[holty]

recently passed over a faulty keston qs28 to ideal fixed price option. diagnosed a faulty pcb. they came out and replaced pcb. 2 week later they replaced a second pcb now 8 months later pcb again. mickyg is a very experienced breakdown engineer. and if he dont touch em. then god help those who do. then again your problem might be a system issue rather than boiler. id still replace this heap of ****. p.s ideal only cover 3 months labour. 12 months parts. so be aware.