The dreaded Powermax 155x lockout!! :(

[andybag]

I've searched through the forum alot and although there are a lot of posts rasied about the lockouts on the Powermax 155x, very few of them seem to offer an answer or are followed up with an answer after the poroblem has been fixed. This is where I need your help please!!

1. The lockouts have been occuring since I have lived in the house (18 months)
2. The house / boiler is about 8 years old
3. We have had the fan replaced as the bearings had gone and it sounded like a jet engine!
4. The pressure reads very low - 0.5 bar max
5. Normally to clear the lockouts, I vent the valve on top - this was advised to me by a plumber last year and normally works but tonight won't!

This is quite worrying now more than ever as we have a 9 month old baby boy and it looks like we're in for some cold weather soon!!

Really hope someone can help / offer advice...

Andy

 

[Agile]

As you will have read these are very dangerous boilers if not managed safely.

It is boring to have to say yet again that they are NOT suitable for DIY repairs!

British Gas managed to kill someone with one! Doesn't that get through to you?

If not then what about your 9 month old baby ???

You can top up the pressure to 1.2 Bar and thats about it. Bleeding anything must have been sugested to you to give you something harmless to do as a placebo!

Is your flue able to have all the joints inspected? If not then it will become Immediately Dangerous in about one year!

Tony

 

[muggles]

The answer to any problem relating to a Powermax is generally to get rid of it and put something else in. It could be that the pressure needs topping up, but an 8-year-old Powermax is an old lady indeed and is soon going to die

 

[Agile]

And not a lady you would want to be sleeping next to!

 

[andybag]

The pressure is actually 0 now. Is this easy to increase and if so, how do I do it?

 

[45yearsagasman]

BG will still attend to a Powermax. Forget about the scaremongering of the previous post. Yes there was a fatality, but there is no point in going into all that ad nauseum. Lessons were learnt. Get it checked out and make an informed descision from there. Very few privateers will work on them.
Spares will be an issue, and it may well be that you have to consider renewal of the boiler. No diyer should work on these no matter what.

 

[andybag]

Thanks for the advice. I think we may have to look at replacing the entire thing soo by at the minute I just need to get it working again so we have some heat and hot water. We're not with BG and dont have boiler cover but are they still the best to call out? Should I call Potterton directly or will they cost me a small fortune for a call out? Thanks again.

 

[45yearsagasman]

I'm not aware of the pricing of either BG or Baxi Potterton.
I can recall mention on here of £199 fixed price repair from BG. Worth a phone call though. Good luck.

 

[Agile]

You need to repressurise to about 1.2 Bar.

I am surprised that you have lived ther for 18 months and still dont know how to do that.

If you had answered the question that I asked then I would have given you some advice about that.

Tony

 

[andybag]

Sorted!! There is a water supply pipe fixed in which I figured was to top up the pressure. Topped up to 1 bar and circulated system and now maintaining the 1 bar after a few top ups / rad vents. I can only assume the system is pretty good as I've never had to top up the pressure before. Thanks again for your help all.