Yet another Potterton Suprima question!

[bernardgreen]

jeez they wouldn't even acknowledge/admit that the boards were shyte.

They did, but not using that particularly forceful word.

They accepted that the soldering of pins into the PCB for the connectors was liable to fail prematurely due to the pins not being a mechanically tight fit in the hole in the PCB. The mechanical strength of the pins fixture to the PCB relied totally on the solder. They were at the time changing to a new design in which the loom was soldered directly to the PCB and strain relief added to prevent vibration affecting the solder joints of wire into PCB.

 

[AGAS]

FFS'S

 

[Steelmasons]

They did, but not using that particularly forceful word.

They accepted that the soldering of pins into the PCB for the connectors was liable to fail prematurely due to the pins not being a mechanically tight fit in the hole in the PCB. The mechanical strength of the pins fixture to the PCB relied totally on the solder. They were at the time changing to a new design in which the loom was soldered directly to the PCB and strain relief added to prevent vibration affecting the solder joints of wire into PCB.

...and you were installing and repairing these boilers were you?
Have you it in writing that Potterton admitted these boards were liable to failure?..
Why would you be interested in what Potterton have to say considering you neither install or repair these boilers?
I must have been lucky as I've never had to replace a gas valve on the Potterton suprima although I've replaced a shed load of control boards , the suprima I fitted in my own house back in 1998 went through 4 control boards and a fan , it still had the original gas valve fitted when I moved out in 2011.

 

[bernardgreen]

Have you it in writing that Potterton admitted these boards were liable to failure?..

From memory I recall they accepted in writing that the method of fixing connectors to the PCB had been found to be in need of improvement

Following my e-mail about the design of the PCB they provided a replacement PCB ( the type with loom soldered directly to the PCB ) to be fitted in my daughter's boiler by a competent person. As my daughter has since moved from that house I doubt she has retained the covering letter that was sent with the replacement board.

 

[Steelmasons]

They were at the time changing to a new design in which the loom was soldered directly to the PCB and strain relief added to prevent vibration affecting the solder joints of wire into PCB.

The looms/harnesses for fan/GV/APS/thermistors etc utilise multi plugs which plug into the "new design" board.
Have you ever fitted one?

 

[Dan Robinson]

The looms/harnesses for fan/GV/APS/thermistors etc utilise multi plugs which plug into the "new design" board.
Have you ever fitted one?

Pahhaahahahaahahahahahahahah

 

[bernardgreen]

although I've replaced a shed load of control boards , the suprima I fitted in my own house back in 1998 went through 4 control boards and a fan , it still had the original gas valve fitted when I moved out in 2011

Did you or anyone else diagnose the fault on these boards ?

Four control boards in 13 years does suggest there is a weakness in the control board's design and / or quality of manufacture. Or there is on going parametric damage to the control board by an external component that is operating outside of it's functional specification and hence stressing components on the control board.

The looms/harnesses for fan/GV/APS/thermistors etc utilise multi plugs which plug into the "new design" board.
Have you ever fitted one?

The modern multi-plugs are a major improvement over the "chunky" connectors with the 2mm square pins and with the complexity and multi-functionality / options in modern boilers a hard wired loom would not be possible.

no I have not fitted one.

 

[AGAS]

Following my e-mail about the design of the PCB they provided a replacement PCB ( the type with loom soldered directly to the PCB ) to be fitted in my daughter's boiler by a competent person.

ffs , so you the customer emailed a complaint about their shyte PCB, so effectively they ( the manu ) agreed that it was shyte so sent you another one when your not even competent to work on boilers . when on earth would a boiler manufacturer admit they produce shyte PCB'S

 

[bernardgreen]

so you the customer emailed a complaint about their shyte PCB,

I wrote to explain why the solder joints were failing. The letter was not written as a complaint but as an advisory to their quality assurance department.

 

[Agile]

By chance I met the previous boss of the firm that made the Potterton PCBs.

I mentioned the problem with oversized connection pins on the Puma PCB and he genuinely seemed not to be aware of the problem!

 

[bernardgreen]

the previous boss of the firm ~~~~~~ he genuinely seemed not to be aware of the problem!

The boss may not have been told about it. Over the years I have seen or been involved in investigating several similar incidents where "internal communications" have failed to convey bad news or allowed junior staff to conceal their errors / ommisions from their superiors..

 

[picasso]

You would think someone would have noticed the big hike in profits from suprima pcb,s , even after (I think 10) modifications the pcb,s were still unreliable, a cynical person would think they done it on purpose.

 

[Agile]

You could almost imagine a monthly board room meeting where they quoted how much worth of their Suprima and Puma spares they sold.

Nodded and complimented the design person who had included early failures in the product!

It was only when they got onto BBC You and Yours that they offered a free replacement for a few weeks!