Potteton Puma 80

[Cold_and_Flu]

Please can someone advise me.

I have a Potterton Puma 80 Combi. If I run the heating the pilot gets extinguished. I've had several plumbers/heat engineers out to look at it and it would seem all they did was 'pull my pants down' - not literally!!

The last guy cleaned some stats and said that it was probably due to sludge in the system so it may occur again. If it did he would come back and use a restorer to clean out the system.

Since he came the heating will only run for 30 mins or so (used to run for at least a couple of hours). I can't get the bloke to come back (he won't even answer his phone). I therefore put the restorer stuff in to get rid of the sludge. After flushing it out I made sure that there was no air in the system - even bleeding the pump, but still no joy.

I'd get another engineer out but I'm sick of them taking the P155, and I don't know anyone who can recommend someone!!

Please help because my girlfriend is going to leave me if we don't get this sorted soon.

Thanks

 

[ChrisR]

Check the Domestic Hot Water flow switch isn't stuck. If it is stuck on HW, the rads will get hot even with the heating off,. If you drop the front lower panel (having taken the front off) you should see a red led on the pcb ON only when the hot tap is on.

Does the boiler get really hot/ boiling noises - we need more symptoms. Des it do it with the hot tap on...

 

[Cold_and_Flu]

Thanks for replying so quickly.

The LED comes on and off accordingly when we use hot water. Throughout the boiler works without a problem when just running hot water. The radiators don't get hot when the heating is not on (wish they did )

The boiler does get hot (I assume it's the overheat protection that is knocking out the pilot ).

As far as noise is concerned the whole thing is fairly quiet from the start. We don't get any 'kettling' noises at any point. After it's been running for 20 minutes or so it does get a bit noisier. Firstly there is more audible noise of water flowing though pipes. This will last a for a second or two and then the main burner flames (not pilot light) will go out and almost immediately relight. This will continually happen.

I have turned down the 'range rate adjuster' and this has stopped this from happening straight away.

I have gone though the diagnostic flowchart and it mentions the 'lockout led', although I can't see this anywhere. Does the Puma 80 have one???

If I follow though the flowchart it says to replace the 'overheat stat'. Is that a simple thing to do?

Cheers.

 

[Cold_and_Flu]

I've got hold of the last plumber (sorry he's a heating engineer!!!!) and he said for the past two days 'I'll come this afternoon'. Still hasn't arrived.

So, based upon what I've read on this site I thought I could do a couple of things.

Replace the thermocouple and replace the temperature stat.

Can anyone give me advice on doing these things before I start. The Heating Engineer also said that it sounds like scaling in the system, so, I was also going to put a de-scaler into the system. Any recommendation or advice on doing this?

Thanks in advance.