Vokera Linea 28 problems !

[scaldybaldy]

Hi,
First time post so please be gentle !

I have one one of the above boilers. 2 days ago I noticed it was electrically dead. I checked the electric supply etc. all fine. I checked the PCB fuses and 1 was blown (F2) I replaced it and the unit powered up ok but was and is showing a code 3 error (Fan or flue prob.) Today I replaced the PCB and a small pop occured beside the F2 fuse but the fuse did not blow. It is still showing a code 3 error and will not ignite.
The fan motor moves when spun so the motor is not burnt out.

Any ideas for a skint London train Driver

 

[Gasguru]

Appears you may have killed the new board. never change a board without checking everything else. It is still comparatively rare to change circuit boards (excluding Pumas/Suprimas)

Just because the fan impeller spins doesn't mean the winding isn't shorting out. Check the winding with a multimeter. Also check the pump, and gas valve windings as something is drawing a heavy current.

skint London train Driver

You gotta be joking. £35,000 min plus free travel. You just just press the go button - can't even get lost on rails.

 

[scaldybaldy]

Thank you guru.

I realised I may have killed the board with the fateful "pop" I heard. The only reason I changed it was that when I went through the several flowcharts which came with the boiler everything pointed to "change the PCB". But obviously with hindsight you are right and I should have checked the other things first. Does anyone have specific knowledge of this kind of thing occuring with the Linea 28 ?

PS guru, I have to press TWO buttons actually

 

[Gasguru]

Experienced boiler engineers never trust manufacturers flowcharts - they are often wrong and lead the inexperienced to swap endless boiler parts.

Unfortuantely Linears are not popular around my way so I have very little knowledge of the common parts that fail on them - try the forum search.

 

[scaldybaldy]

Thanks for that guru. I've tried the search but no joy. I guess they are a fairly unpopular boiler.

I would be very grateful if anyone else who had a similar prob could let me know. Many thanks.

 

[Gasguru]

If fuse F2 is failing the most likely problem is the pump then fan or gas valve, without testing these items you will not get any further - blindly swapping items is not the answer.

 

[Agile]

On the contrary, the Linea is a very popular boiler and is very reliable!

The most common problem is broken control knobs!

In your case I would expect the pump is faulty although that is very uncommon on Vokeras but it does have to happen to someone!

Last job I did for a tube driver was a boiler repair in his rented out second property.

Tony

 

[scaldybaldy]

Many thanks for all the input. I'll be checking the pump, fan and gas valve today then probably venturing out for a recon. one of the above and probably another PCB. (Live and learn etc )

(Good mate of mine has two flats and a house let out.....He's a Postie !, I suppose if one hasn't got two lovely toddlers running around then these things are possible )

(PS... So glad this site was recommended to me it's a Godsend)

 

[ChrisR]

yer, people send us cash for all this wunnerful help and the posties nick it...

 

[scaldybaldy]

Checked the fan and it didn't work when in the boiler casing. Took it out and juiced it up with 240. It worked for 3 seconds and popped ! Now I'm totally flummoxed !!!!!

The fan is totally fu***d now anyway so I suppose it's a new fan and a new PCB and then call out the CORGI (Which is something I should have done in the first place, I KNOW !!!)

 

[Agile]

I have this mental vision of you pluging your tube train into a 13A socket if it wont go!

The Linea is so reliable that I have spent little time getting to know the finer details.

if the fan is failed then that needs to be replaced. I would have checked the impedance before powering ( and blowing it ) but if it was damaged then you are not any worse off.

For the others, power testing boiler parts from the mains is best done with a 60w bulb in series. If there is a significant fault it will normally light the lamp but not damage anything further!

Tony

 

[scaldybaldy]

Thanks again for replies.

I got a new fan and re-assembled the unit. I can get an ignition by closing the diff. switch but the (NEW) fan is still not powering up. When the wires are detached they are showing 240V but once attached to the fan motor they are showing 80V. So I know that the boiler is working I just cannot get the fan to power up....... Any ideas, I've pulled all my remaining hair out trying to come up with a solution to this one and I know it's got to be something so simple I'll kick myself when I find out what it is

 

[Paul Barker]

Fan relay on the pcb?

 

[scaldybaldy]

Thanks Paul,

After all the people I pressganged into giving a view around here today that is exactly the concensus and after a few more diagnostic checks from the BG handbook it would seem to be the prob. I'll be off to get another PCB tomorrow ! I shall report back with the results so that it may help others in the future.

 

[scaldybaldy]

Got the new PCB today and all works well.
It seems the original problem was a faulty fan which blew the F2 fuse on the PCB. When I replaced the fuse and re-started it blew the relay on the PCB but not the fuse (although I did use an identical fuse !) I didn't realise that the PCB had blown again and replaced the fan but of course it wouldn't work because I had blown the PCB. Anyway the supplier agreed to replace the PCB free of charge and the system works now (Thank God)

Many thanks to those of you who helped out, I hope this helps others.

scaldybaldy