Boiler locking out - advice wanted

Angilion

Angilion

Angilion

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I have a fairly old (~12 years) Vokera Maxin 24e boiler. For the last week or two, it has been locking out after being on for a few hours. Pressing the reset button gets it working again, but it will lock out again after a while (about an hour or so).

Pressure is fine. Temp gauge has been broken for years, but I'm fairly sure this isn't caused by overheating because the reset button works immediately after lockout (I happened to be in the kitchen tonight when it locked out).

I know just slightly more than nothing about boilers, so I haven't a clue what the problem is. I'm hoping that someone here has some easy ideas for solutions that might save me paying £140 to have an engineer out.

I have plenty of mustard :)
 
Not really much you can do seeing as you're not allowed to work on it, sounds like it might be a thermostat though, best to get a gas safe registered engineer out. :)
 
Every time I've had an engineer out to it over the years, one of two things has happened. Either the engineer makes it worse and I need to hire another engineer or the problem is trivial and I grind my teeth over paying so much for it. The last time, for example, was a faulty switch. Simple spade connectors, takes 30s to replace and costs pennies (nothing, actually, as I could get one from work). Cost me £140. Gah! The time before, I told the engineer what the problem was - it was the same problem as the time before that.

This boiler is burning money almost as much as it's burning gas. I'd replace it if I could afford to do so.
 
This forum comes down hard on medical advice which is a good thing, we don't want some random know it all claiming some home remedy to be the solution when what they have posted could be fatal or be advice which could lead to death or injury.

It is to cover OcUK isn't it?!

This subject of boilers should also be treated in the same way.

If no medical problems can be raised on this forum then it is bloody more than wise that giving advice on matters that can potentially be as deadly as giving medical advice to also be forbidden and instead be left to professional electricians or gas engineers... just like that the term 'go see the GP' is enforced all the time here this should also be enforced.

Carbon monoxide can kill in hours.

Electric shock can kill in a fraction of a second.

Yet users of this forum are allowed to post questions about their boilers or about wiring a live mains supply down to their garden shed time after time again with no problems or locked threads, something is seriously wrong with this. Some of the questions I have seen are absolutely crazy and dangerous as it sounds like the OP of the threads I've seen have never even wired a plug before and yet they are relying on advice on this forum, which is just as dangerous as giving medical advice.

Admin's of OcUK you might want to seriously think about this.

OP you should get a professional in to look at this.
 
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Could be anything, from a faulty fan to dodgy pcb, its impossible for someone to diagnosis over the internet. If you don't know about anybody in the trade your only option is a plumber but as you said you will be expect to pay the prices. Messing about with boilers is not recommended, I am on a plumbing course and just trying to fix on thing can lead to another being out of sync, plumbers earn good money for a reason its not an easy trade.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;15440246 said:
Depends on your plumber / heating engineer; mine is an actual engineer as well.
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I have a mate who is a "heating engineer". He did about 9 months of training on the job and now calls himself an engineer. In most other industry you need a degree and further training to become an "engineer".
 
jamief said:
I have a mate who is a "heating engineer". He did about 9 months of training on the job and now calls himself an engineer. In most other industry you need a degree and further training to become an "engineer".
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No, I meant that mine has a degree and is a qualified engineer of engineering.

On the continent, because of training courses and such you can become a Doctor of Plumbing, provided you pass the required vocational courses. I see no problem with that, provided the level of knowledge is equal to that of academic learning.
 
jamief said:
A "doctor of plumbing"? What a load of nonsense!

Seems everyone is an engineer these days eh?
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Hey, if you've got the knowledge to plan and install ground source heat pump systems correctly (for long term viability since most aren't) and then have enough materials science to be able to map a building's thermal inertia in order to correctly plan the heating system, for example, then I think you've got more knowledge than a pipe fitter and consequently get to call yourself something more than a plumber.

Just because you experience of plumbing is the guy who comes to service your boiler it doesn't mean that's all there is to it.
 
I dunno why the dons keep letting these threads go on yet someone asking about a hint of medical problem gets locked down with a don's last words of "go see the GP".

How about go see the electrician, gas fitter, or *insert professionally qualified person here* that deals with things that when left to someone that doesn't know what they are doing can be fatal.

Messing with a boiler can be dangerous and I for one wouldn't trust what someone says on a forum, anyone can claim to know what ever they like.

I explain a bit more here in yet another crazy thread http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=15439739&postcount=4
 
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jamief said:
"Gas engineers" lol.

Gas fitter more like.
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Agreed.

Takes four years of study to get my engineering degree, the same for electrical, chemical, mechanical civil...

9 months hardly is enough to get the title engineer when I have to work for four years to get the same title.

But anyway, @2StepSteve, I think comparing medicine to wiring is abit silly when I quite happily managed it when I was 12!

As for the OPs problem, I have no idea. Get a plumber out or go down your local heating shop and tell them the problem and make/google it and see what it comes up with. Google fixed the problem with our boiler a few years ago!
 
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Concorde Rules said:
Agreed.

Takes four years of study to get my engineering degree, the same for electrical, chemical, mechanical civil...

9 months hardly is enough to get the title engineer when I have to work for four years to get the same title.

But anyway, @2StepSteve, I think comparing medicine to wiring is abit silly when I quite happily managed it when I was 12!

As for the OPs problem, I have no idea. Get a plumber out or go down your local heating shop and tell them the problem and make/google it and see what it comes up with. Google fixed the problem with our boiler a few years ago!
Click to expand...

I think the term engineer gets thrown around a lot these days, one I can think of is a sound and light engineer, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

It isn't rocket science, I also am confident dealing with wiring.. I wouldn't have a clue about boilers though apart from the regular maintenance and things to check.

My problem is seeing questions that get raised about fuse boxes, light fittings, running live mains down to the garden, a few weeks ago I saw a thread that was titled "how to wire a light down to my shed" or words to that effect - Blimey.... I wouldn't be surprised if a few of the users that suddenly stopped posting have died.

Be it medical problems or how to fix a boiler problem both require a degree of professional help to get the job done and some here haven't got a clue! Not picking on you OP at all if I was in your situation I would also like to save a few quid, as getting someone in is hardly cheap, but with boilers I would get it checked out by a professional.

Same goes for anything I don't know too much about and I would definitely not go by what is said on the internets.
 
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I had a bolier which locked out, i replaced the overpressure valve if thats what its called which didnt help. Would run for around 5minutes then lockout again, i called a plumber and he had it running and fixed in around 45minutes.

I was told all horror stories of it needing to be striped and rebuilt but it wasn't the case, get a plumber round who is recommended. I was lucky and had a friend do mine :)
 
2StepSteve said:
My problem is seeing questions that get raised about fuse boxes, light fittings, running live mains down to the garden, a few weeks ago I saw a thread that was titled "how to wire a light down to my shed" or words to that effect - Blimey.... I wouldn't be surprised if a few of the users that suddenly stopped posting have died.

Be it medical problems or how to fix a boiler problem both require a degree of professional help to get the job done and some here haven't got a clue! Not picking on you OP at all if I was in your situation I would also like to save a few quid, as getting someone in is hardly cheap, but with boilers I would get it checked out by a professional.

Same goes for anything I don't know too much about and I would definitely not go by what is said on the internets.
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Do you work for Labour or something? It's people like you creating our nanny state. And for the record, it's not illegal for him to work on his boiler as others have implied.

I posted this in the other current boiler thread.
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=15581370&postcount=20

Walking on an icey path can be dangerous but it doesn't mean it should be banned. No one says people should be careless but for Gods sake relax and mind your own business if you can't offer help.


OP you might want to give more information on the "lock out". Does the pump continue? Where is this reset button, on the boiler or timer controls?
 
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The "more information" is a bit odd.

I bled a radiator a bit. Not much, just a couple of seconds of air. The boiler hasn't locked out since. It's either that, somehow, or that the boiler locks out after hours of central heating on a low setting. I've turned it up a bit recently, due to the cold. Those are the only changes.

For the record: I'm competent to work with the control systems and I wouldn't open the boiler itself or touch the gas supply in a month of Sundays. Saving £150 isn't worth the wondering if I'd cocked something up and was going to die.
 
Concorde Rules said:
Agreed.

Takes four years of study to get my engineering degree, the same for electrical, chemical, mechanical civil...
Click to expand...

well what do you think you would end up being called by the majority if you where doing mechanical engineering and went into the gas industry after graduating ?

most likely a gas engineer...
 
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