Worcester 28cdi Greenstar Compact

[chirpychippy]

Morning all,

Have got the above boiler, yesterday it absolutely lashed it down and water got into flue and subsequently came through the boiler. Boiler stopped and displayed Error Code FO 238. I spoke to Worcester Tech and they advised resetting boiler which I did, it fired up and we had heating and hot water, later that day it stopped and displayed EA 227 "I think" something to do with Gas supply and then reverted to FO238

We have a Gas Hob and the supply to that is fine.

Struggling to get a plumber, but will percevere, there is absolutely no chance that I'm going to touch it "Chippy not Heating Engineer" but just wondering if any heating engineer on here has had any experience of this fault on this type of boiler so I can better understand the thing??

Regards Chirpy.

 

[dilalio]

You can try a hairdryer on it but this may mean accessing areas of the boiler that you shouldn't be accessing.

Whatever you do, you will need someone out to you anyway to assess the flue and suggest how changes can be made to avoid a repeat of the water ingress.

Can Worcester get someone out to you on a fixed price repair?

 

[chirpychippy]

We've just had a plumber look at the boiler and he has worked out that the Gas Valve isn't receiving enough electrical charge to make it work, the lack of wiring diagrams of in the manual had left him stumped...

 

[martyndc88]

How old is the boiler? Could be under guarantee?

If it's gotten that wet it's possibly the wiring harness

 

[chirpychippy]

Guarantee

Yes it is still within warranty, but despite the flue angling upwards 52cm in a metre and it being fitted correctly, they don't cover for water ingress from rain. This wasn't any old rain this was sheet rain for 20 minutes. I wonder what they honestly expect with a flue angled upwards. Going to complain.

It was the gas valve in the end £120 for valve tried to give my mate £150 for his time but would only accept £80. So not to shabby outcome really.

 

[chirpychippy]

Incidentally, you can't buy the PCB separately you have to buy the whole control unit £380 + FFS....

 

[ianmcd]

but despite the flue angling upwards 52cm in a metre

is it just a standard horizontal flue without any extensions ? if so that is your problem if it is a standard flue with no extensions the flue is cored level as the internal flue has an inbuilt 3 degree, fall back to the boiler, it cant possibly be 52CM in a Metre can it

 

[chirpychippy]

Sorry 52mm in a meter

 

[chirpychippy]

Yeh so this is my Beef, if a pipe is inverted backwards then during an extremely heavy rain shower any water that gets in will run backwards into the boiler...

 

[ianmcd]

Yeh so this is my Beef, if a pipe is inverted backwards then during an extremely heavy rain shower any water that gets in will run backwards into the boiler...

You have answered your own question with those pics , look at the top of the page on them, that is for EXTENDED flue applications, your is not extended and should be level as the inner flue already has a built in 3 degree fall

 

[martyndc88]

Fit a flue basket over your flue terminal. It will prevent it happening again

 

[dilalio]

Fit a flue basket over your flue terminal. It will prevent it happening again

How?

 

[chirpychippy]

Thanks for the information Ianmcd and for pointing out I was reading the installation incorrectly. It transpires on checking the flue with a boat level that it is actually level if not a couple of mm downwards.

This does take me back to my original argument though, the inner flue gas a 3 degree fall for condense, therefore, in this instance the rain that has found its way in will go into the boiler. Just seems illogical to me and not really a premise to refuse a warranty claim.

 

[ianmcd]

Thanks for the information Ianmcd and for pointing out I was reading the installation incorrectly. It transpires on checking the flue with a boat level that it is actually level if not a couple of mm downwards.

This does take me back to my original argument though, the inner flue gas a 3 degree fall for condense, therefore, in this instance the rain that has found its way in will go into the boiler. Just seems illogical to me and not really a premise to refuse a warranty claim.

I agree and different manus have different conditions, must admit I have never heard of that from Worcester to be honest, they make a big deal of saying that theirs isnt a warantee, but a guarantee, so if the flue is indeed level I would pursue it, out of interest does your condensate pipe run outside into a rain water down pipe ?

 

[Gasguru]

Did water ingress really kill the gas valve or just coincidence?
Was the combustion chamber actually flooded?

Those Sit valves are pretty reliable and AFAIR operate at 24Vdc and it's raised above the base of the chamber so should be protected from flooding.

Not convinced by your "plumber"...the diagrams tell you all you need to know.