Short version:
I am told that my electrics are to blame for repeatedly finding my boiler dead (despite it having been 'fixed'). I want to know if I can somehow find out one way or the other whether this is really true. Thanks.
Long version:
About a week ago I found our boiler (ideal isar he24) dead. I called out a company to fix it. Up to now they have visited three times.
To help describe what they've done and where I am up to I'll explain the set-up. Our boiler is in our bathroom in a cupboard; it is powered from a white box on the wall in that cupboard (this box has a switch and a fuse). Our 'thermostat' (actually we have a wireless thermostat, I'm actually referring to the box that it communicates with which is connected to the boiler) is powered from the same box - but I'm not sure entirely how. The power cable goes from the box to somewhere behind the boiler, and another cable comes from behind the boiler and goes to the 'thermostat'. A further detail is that we are a bit suspicious of our wireless thermostat - it shows only a flashing red light when we change the temperature; in the past (I can't say when this changed) it showed sometimes a green light and sometimes a red light on changing the temperature setting (it is a honeywell hcw80) - however it is communicating with the main box.
Anyway, on the first visit they changed the fuse in the white box. The boiler then started up but the display on the boiler wasn't working. The engineer said he would order a part. About four to five hours later the boiler cut out again. The engineer returned two days later and fitted a part (it was a pcb, not the display), as well as the fuse in the white box again. The boiler display then worked and the boiler was also working. You can guess what happened next...at some point in the night-time the boiler cut out. I'm not sure how long it would have been running for but it must be between five hours and twelve hours (but given how cold it was in the morning I'd guess nearer five). A different engineer then came around today. He changed the fuse on the white box and the boiler didn't start; he then changed a fuse on the pcb and it did start working again. He also went to our main fuse box (sorry, not sure if this is the correct term; I mean the place where our meter is, where you can turn off the electricity supply for the whole houe etc). He took some sort of block out of that, looked at the back of it, said it looked ok and then put it back.
He told me that he suspects given the fuse keeps blowing that our electricity supply is to blame rather than the boiler. I'm now in an awkward situation (I've paid a fixed fee for the repair, I don't know if I am right to push them to continue trying, as that could cost me in the end I guess if my electrics really are to blame). What I'm wondering is what the general opinion would be on here given the above information; does it seem the electrics are the most likely problem or is it more likely that the boiler is to blame? I can also point out that we've not observed any other electrical problems in our house.
What I'd really like to know is if there is anything I can do to prove one way or the other what is wrong? If not, would an electrician be able to do anything? Would he be able to come along, somehow check the connection between the main fuse box and the white box and say 'no problem here', or am I stuck?
(By the way I have the boiler off at the moment, I'm very worried that it could blow the pcb again if I leave it on and that is a £200 part.)
Thank you very much for any guidance
I am told that my electrics are to blame for repeatedly finding my boiler dead (despite it having been 'fixed'). I want to know if I can somehow find out one way or the other whether this is really true. Thanks.
Long version:
About a week ago I found our boiler (ideal isar he24) dead. I called out a company to fix it. Up to now they have visited three times.
To help describe what they've done and where I am up to I'll explain the set-up. Our boiler is in our bathroom in a cupboard; it is powered from a white box on the wall in that cupboard (this box has a switch and a fuse). Our 'thermostat' (actually we have a wireless thermostat, I'm actually referring to the box that it communicates with which is connected to the boiler) is powered from the same box - but I'm not sure entirely how. The power cable goes from the box to somewhere behind the boiler, and another cable comes from behind the boiler and goes to the 'thermostat'. A further detail is that we are a bit suspicious of our wireless thermostat - it shows only a flashing red light when we change the temperature; in the past (I can't say when this changed) it showed sometimes a green light and sometimes a red light on changing the temperature setting (it is a honeywell hcw80) - however it is communicating with the main box.
Anyway, on the first visit they changed the fuse in the white box. The boiler then started up but the display on the boiler wasn't working. The engineer said he would order a part. About four to five hours later the boiler cut out again. The engineer returned two days later and fitted a part (it was a pcb, not the display), as well as the fuse in the white box again. The boiler display then worked and the boiler was also working. You can guess what happened next...at some point in the night-time the boiler cut out. I'm not sure how long it would have been running for but it must be between five hours and twelve hours (but given how cold it was in the morning I'd guess nearer five). A different engineer then came around today. He changed the fuse on the white box and the boiler didn't start; he then changed a fuse on the pcb and it did start working again. He also went to our main fuse box (sorry, not sure if this is the correct term; I mean the place where our meter is, where you can turn off the electricity supply for the whole houe etc). He took some sort of block out of that, looked at the back of it, said it looked ok and then put it back.
He told me that he suspects given the fuse keeps blowing that our electricity supply is to blame rather than the boiler. I'm now in an awkward situation (I've paid a fixed fee for the repair, I don't know if I am right to push them to continue trying, as that could cost me in the end I guess if my electrics really are to blame). What I'm wondering is what the general opinion would be on here given the above information; does it seem the electrics are the most likely problem or is it more likely that the boiler is to blame? I can also point out that we've not observed any other electrical problems in our house.
What I'd really like to know is if there is anything I can do to prove one way or the other what is wrong? If not, would an electrician be able to do anything? Would he be able to come along, somehow check the connection between the main fuse box and the white box and say 'no problem here', or am I stuck?
(By the way I have the boiler off at the moment, I'm very worried that it could blow the pcb again if I leave it on and that is a £200 part.)
Thank you very much for any guidance
