Potterton Profile 50e - not firing up!

[sai_2]

Hi,
before I call in the cavalry, I'd appreciate any pointers on my problem.

I have:
Profile 50e
Fully pumped system
7 rads, all but the first one have theromostatic controls
All rads are on
Central thermostat is working ok
Pump is working ok

So the boiler does this when it is advanced or the timer hits go-time:
Cycles round a few times making the usual breathing type noises
Then clicks and sparks into life
But only the pilot light is lighting up or something because its not the full on set of flames that you normally see.

I've checked the brown reset button underneath and powered the unit off/on, but its the same. Just sparks up and no strong flames.

Occasionally in the last few weeks it has worked properly, but not the majority of the time. I couldn't get it working at all this morning (immersion saved the day )

Any suggestions? This has started in the last few weeks. It does it whether the thermostat is high/lo, control on boiler is hi/lo, hw only or hw/ch..

Thanks.

 

[ChrisR]

Check volts on gas valve - slightly odd configuration iirc. Manual online at partsarena.com/baxi.
In other words it could be gas valve, pcb or connections.

 

[Agile]

You say that only the pilot lights up.

Have you noticed if its still sparking?

If not then either the PCB or the second stage gas valve may have failed.

Is so then either PCB or the electrode or lead.

Tony

 

[ollski]

Check for 240v across the blue and white wire on the main gas valve solenoid after the pilot has lit...if its mains voltage then the solenoid is shot.

 

[sai_2]

Hi thanks for the replies.

Something I found while surfing:

Profiles have a two stage ignition.
First a small pilot jet is opened (after the fan is proved OK by the APS)
This is ignited with a series of sparks.
Upon satisfactory flame detection the main gas valve is opened.

So its sounds like everything is OK up to the last step (flame detection/gas valve opening).

I'll be calling an engineer then as this isn't something I'm comfortable doing. Thanks again for the replies.

 

[Soggy_weetabix]

Hi thanks for the replies.

Something I found while surfing:

Profiles have a two stage ignition.
First a small pilot jet is opened (after the fan is proved OK by the APS)
This is ignited with a series of sparks.
Upon satisfactory flame detection the main gas valve is opened.

So its sounds like everything is OK up to the last step (flame detection/gas valve opening).

The experts have already told you that!

David

 

[Agile]

It always amuses me when these users think they have discovered something that the experts did not know!

Actually its very disappointing, 90% of the population cannot immagine that a "plumber" actually has any expert knowledge or is any good at anything except ripping people off.

I think I should do gardening, at least people dont think that gardeners rip them off, and quite a few think they actually know something about gardening.

Tony

 

[geoff@cetltd]

Steady on now

Are you sure you're qualified to put a fork in the soil ?

You might cut yourself and get lockjaw

I'd say the odds are that its the pcb

 

[Agile]

I would go on a two week gardening course to become a fully qualified gardener.

Martha has a farming Certificate so she could advise me too !

"Jakarta", eastern end of Sheaveshill Ave!

Tony

 

[ChrisR]

The solenoids do "go" , sometimes at a young age, esp the White-Rodgers ones. Officially that means a new gas valve. Not rewinding solenoids yet are you Raden!?

 

[Gasguru]

I think I should do gardening, at least people dont think that gardeners rip them off, and quite a few think they actually know something about gardening

The shower that call themselves gardeners on my leasehold flat use chainsaws to prune the shrubs.

Last year I happened to be at home one morning and noticed the "head gardener" proceding to change the front wheel on their Daf tipper without the aid of a jack!

I think he'd been watching too much Formula 1 and assumed the weight balance and rigidity of a tipper is similar to an F1 chassis.

After removing the wheel nuts (the wheel was still on the hub at this point) he climbed into the cab and proceeded to drive forward approximately 3 foot before the wheel parted company and the disc buried itself in the driveway.

RAC man was clearly not impressed. Incidently they have since been banned from using the ride on mower (they tend to act as a plough cornering at full speed).

 

[geoff@cetltd]

The solenoids do "go" , sometimes at a young age, esp the White-Rodgers ones. Officially that means a new gas valve. Not rewinding solenoids yet are you Raden!?

No, rewinds have gone the way of thermionic valves

I can't even find one nowadays
As for gardening - that's Yullie's domain

I built it, she maintains it

 

[sai_2]

It always amuses me when these users think they have discovered something that the experts did not know!

Actually its very disappointing, 90% of the population cannot immagine that a "plumber" actually has any expert knowledge or is any good at anything except ripping people off.

I think I should do gardening, at least people dont think that gardeners rip them off, and quite a few think they actually know something about gardening.

Tony

You should see someone about that chip on your shoulder and/or stop smoking crack.

 

[Agile]

But Sai, dont you realise that we know exactly how your boiler works?

When you copied something you find "when surfing" as if its something that we would not know, it makes us think that you seriously underestimate our knowledge.

We repair boilers every day because its our jobs. We are not just DIYers trying to be helpful but without any specialised knowledge.

Tony

 

[Soggy_weetabix]

sai_2

You should see someone about that chip on your shoulder and/or stop smoking crack.

I personally dont know and crack smoking gas engineers, but obviously if anyone wants to challenge a comment you make, you consider them a 'crack-head'. Do you smoke crack yourself and know its side effects?

Your strike me as very odd!

You are obtaining FREE advise from experts who are trying to help you repair your boiler, or at least point you in the right direction if your not happy carrying out the repair yourself. Personally, I think you should be grateful.

So....whilst your surfing has provided the experts with everything we already know, perhaps you can explain the full lighting sequence in detail and subsequently find the fault yourself.

David