ellen fedulow

Hi all
Bloody typical! because of our wonderfully warm summer i havn't had the central heating on for months. I went to solicitors yesterday to sign the contract for selling my house, when i got home later it was a bit chilly so i thought i'd put the heating on and i think my combi boiler has packed up coz the pilot light keeps going out! i am moving out in a couple of weeks (to a rented property) and i really don't want to be spending big bucks at this stage. Problem is coz its a combi boiler i don't have hot water either.
I would appreciate any tips from any one with any experience.

Cheers

ellen1

cresta57

Don't want to get your hopes up but chances are it's the thermocouple they're fairly inexpensive but you'll need another overdraft to pay the plumber to fit it There's loads on here I'm sure one of them will advise you better than I can.

ellen fedulow

cheers sean or debbie, my hubbies a bit handy if it was that thermabob thingy could he fit it?

ellen1

DavidT

The part has to be fitted by an expert really, just in case it's something more serious.
If your on B Gas contract just call them out, if not for that part including labour should not cost you more than £40 cash.
Ask a neighbour or friend, or find a BG van & ask him if he does private work as you need a thermo coupler changing.

yafm

Unfortunatly it may not be the thermocouple as some newer boilers do not have them.They have mecury vapour safety devises.If the boiler has a permanate pilot light it is most probably the themocouple if it has auto ignition it is probably not.If its one of the well known makes try thier help line i.e. potterton/valient etc. Their engineers wont rip you off,if any one handy could remove the caseing you could try vacuming it out sometimes works after boiler left for long time muck gets on the pilot light. Hope this helps Colin "the old plumber"

GetMeOutOfHere

Had the same problem last year Ellen, cost me £400:scared: was to do with the electronic circuit board & the thermo switch.
Combi boilers are crap, first and last one I'll ever have, can't take the battering of a family

Bobbi

I have a combi (Ferroli) which is just over 3 years old. In the last 12 months it has cost £800 ( we had no hot water or heating for 6 weeks on 2 separate occasions!), but a lot of that was due to us using "cowboy" heating engineers who seemed to just want to keep putting new parts in which didnt work so be very careful about who you choose to repair it.

We finally found out that a new circuit board was needed which I fitted myself in the end and all now seems to be working well.

Ijust hope yours isnt a Ferroli as every plumber/gas central heating engineer that I have spoken to since raises his eyes and makes a face when I tell him we have a Ferroli. Good luck and I hope you get it sorted before the cold weather hits us (my electric bill was huge after using a fan heater and going for daily showers to mum's house was a nusiance)

All the best

Bobbi