Potterton Profile 50 Boilder Gone Out!

[tedsmith]

Hi

We moved in to this house about 4 weeks ago. The boiler has been fine - quite 'fierce' sounding, but it has been working a treat. Last night though, depsite being set to 'on' it has stopped. No sign of a pilot light or anything. No heat in the radiators.

I've searched for the ignition for the pilot light to try to turn it back on, which, if I'm correct, is the little plastic buttin underneath the boiler, in the middle. However, when I press it, nothing happens. It doesn't even feel like it actually switches properly if you know what I mean? There is no 'clunk' or 'click' when it's pressed.

Any ideas what the problem could be? I'm worried that I'll get ripped off by a plumber because I don't know what I'm doing, and we've asked people for recommendations but no-one locally.

Help!

Ted

 

[swelec]

Any ideas what the problem could be? I'm worried that I'll get ripped off by a plumber because I don't know what I'm doing

Help!

Ted

I am only a Relative newbie to this forum and am amazed how many people come here expecting help from the experts , and them put down the very same people with comments like this

How do the "old timers" manage to keep on helping people when this continuous slagging off occurs ?

 

[ollski]

The media has generally set up all trades but particularly plumbers as 70k a year conmen and most people have fallen for it...hasn't been helped by every tom, dick and harry deciding that they want a bit of this 70k a year, doing a weekend course and setting up as plumbing and heating engineers....just take it in your stride and grin and bear it.

regard the boiler...is the fuse spur / power switch on?...is your water hot?

 

[kevplumb]

i'm saying nix

 

[tedsmith]

Firslty, yes, it probably is the media that has caused the problem by the BBC and the like uncovering a fair few dodgy tradesmen. But I'm also speaking from experience having being charged £300+ for a job I was later told could have been fixed for £50. So sorry if my comment offends you but it is said with good reason.

I came here to get some help from what I thought were helpful people as opposed to getting ripped off by a 'dodgy trader'. What you are indiectly implying is that the people (plumbers etc) who help here are dodgy because I referred to a dodgy trader. Clearly this is not what I meant at all. What I meant is that out of perhaps 1000 plumbers, maybe a few are dodgy. In the same way that 1000 computer technicians (for which I am one) may have a few dodgy one's amongst them. That's not to say they are all like that. I wouldn't be so dumb as to come to a DIY site to ask for the help of experienced and knowledgable tradesmen to then slag them off in the next breath.

If you think I was calling you lot dodgy traders then clearly there's a problem somewhere and I apologise for the mis-understanding.

Anyway, for those other people who may have a genuine interest in the resolve to my problem because they most likely are suffering from it themselves...here it is...

It turned out the fan inside the Potterton 50 at the top - it was bust and not spinning round. I tried to repair it without success. Went and bought a new one from a gas parts trading shop (at a cost of £88 plus vat!!), fitted it, put the cover back on (a vital point because without the air pressure I don't think it will work) and when I turned it all back on, after about 60 seconds the auto ignition kicked in and away we went. It doesn't make any noise anymore either so the 'fierce' sound was obviously the fan on it's way out.

So now all is fine, and I'm nice and warm. Hooray!

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Yes I know what you mean, I took out a mortgage 25 years ago and seems like I have paid enough back to buy 100 houses and for some reason every time the dickheads in the city get it wrong my mortgage goes up and yet when they get it right they get a new Porche, now they want to wipe out debt in Africa and yet they dont want to cancel my debt or give me any money back, yes we have to be careful of not getting ripped off dont we

 

[croydoncorgi]

So now all is fine, and I'm nice and warm. Hooray

Well, yes.

Apart from admitting very publicly that you've broken the law by working on a gas appliance whilst 'incompetent'*.

* Competence includes getting CORGI registered at considerable cost, which, with other expenses, makes quite a dent in the 75K or whatever the Grockles believe heating engineers make......

 

[swelec]

Went and bought a new one from a gas parts trading shop (at a cost of £88 plus vat!!)

You were ripped off