Logic Combi 24 - PCB keeps blowing

[Tom_JM]

Hi all, long-time lurker, first-time poster.

I have a Logic Combi 24 that keeps breaking down. I'm covered by insurance (initially Ideal, then Homeserve, now Scottish Power - seemingly of decreasing quality, but you get what you pay for, I guess!).

The issue I have is that within ~3 years, I'm now on my 5th PCB, which each engineer has informed me should outlast the boiler itself.

It has gone again and whilst covered, I'm yet to get any advice or conclusion as to what keeps causing the problem. Both from mine and the insurer's point of view, I'd be keen to tackle this at source so any advice from here would be hugely appreciated.

I have fitted a surge protector to the power source, but this hasn't had any impact. Fuses seem OK.

Many thanks in advance,

Tom.

 

[hertsboilers]

@bernardgreen is the right person to ask for. lol

Unless it is an instant blow off, we don't investigate further apart from a visual check, just replace with another board.

 

[picasso]

Had the pump head changed to a ups2 by any chance ?

 

[bernardgreen]

Unless it is an instant blow off, we don't investigate further apart from a visual check, just replace with another board.

As you bought me into it I will ask a question. Do the boards you take out go back to the manufacturer or are they scrapped ?

If five boards fail in three years then the failures should be investigated.

Without investigation you cannot know if the failure has been the same each time and has been caused by a defect in the boiler.

If the PCB is being damaged by a fault elsewhere in the boiler then the customer is at rsik of having another premature failure of the board.

At some point the insurance company may decide to investigate why there is an abnormal number of failures in this boiler.

 

[hertsboilers]

Old boards will be scrapped.

Apart from basic checking on the resistances of pump, fan and gas valve, and visual inspection on diverter valves etc, at boiler cold standby status, we normally don't have ability to go further on board diagnosis, ie, element level repairs.

So it is better to have a new board again.

 

[AGAS]

At some point the insurance company may decide to investigate why there is an abnormal number of failures in this boiler.

then Homeserve, now Scottish Power

ye right !!!!! you'll be lucky

but you get what you pay for, I guess!)

got it in one

 

[bernardgreen]

we normally don't have ability to go further on board diagnosis, ie, element level repairs.

Maybe you do not have the equipment to diagnose the fault on the board but the PCB manufacturer will. ( in almost all cases the PCB design and manufacture is contracted out to an electronics company ). And maybe the boier manufacturer has no system for recovering defective boards for investigation. Lack of such a system is understandable for general board failures as it would not be cost effective even though it wpould indicate any trends in failures. But in a case like that of the OP there is good reason to try and identify the faults and if they are the same on the five boards then investigate why.

So it is better to have a new board again.

To get the boiler running yes but is it right to ignore the possibility of a fault on the boiler destroying the new board in less than a year.

 

[AGAS]

Maybe you do not have the equipment to diagnose the fault on the board but the PCB manufacturer will. ( in almost all cases the PCB design and manufacture is contracted out to an electronics company ). And maybe the boier manufacturer has no system for recovering defective boards for investigation. Lack of such a system is understandable for general board failures as it would not be cost effective even though it wpould indicate any trends in failures. But in a case like that of the OP there is good reason to try and identify the faults and if they are the same on the five boards then investigate why.

To get the boiler running yes but is it right to ignore the possibility of a fault on the boiler destroying the new board in less than a year.

you've got to live in the real world mate ( as a gas engineer ) , obviously the customer don't want engineers there longer than whats needed to get boiler going again . how many visits do you think it will take before the customer starts thinking is it actually worth it now now i have HW and CH .

then Homeserve, now Scottish Power

bernardgreen ,those companies probably have to do all jobs given in that given day so finding the route of the problem is the last thing on their mind , if its working with a new PCB job done, on to the next job .

 

[bernardgreen]

I di not expect the gas enginer to diagnose the fault to PCB component level but I would expect the boiler manufacturers to have a system for evaluating some if not all defective boards as part of a quality control process.

 

[picasso]

Manufacturers build in a lifespan to their pcb,s and other consumables in the boilers, its how they make a healthy profit, have a look at the suprima pcb to see profiteering at its finest.

 

[AGAS]

I di not expect the gas enginer to diagnose the fault to PCB component level but I would expect the boiler manufacturers to have a system for evaluating some if not all defective boards as part of a quality control process.

its all about money

 

[ianmcd]

Its an Ideal and you wonder why it keeps breaking down ? They are shoite that is why

 

[Agile]

The PCB industry is amazingly uninterested in the reliability of their products.

The Potty Puma PCB regularly failed because the holes were too large to grip the connector pins so they were only held by the solder.

I met the ex-manager of the UK production plant who had just transferred the production to Poland and retired. But he was totally unaware of the problem !

 

[gigz]

If its been changed by three different companies they won't know/care as long as they get it fixed. If you get someone in with a bit more time they might try delving into it further, but sometimes every other component will test "normal", then throw a wobbly for no apparent reason.
P.S. I looked after a shedload of logics while working for an insurance scheme company and never changed a board yet.

 

[gas112]

Does it do it after a heavy rainfall or rain with strong wind by any chance ?