Potterton Puma 80 - pilot & burners going out

[Gna]

I'd appreciate any suggestions / comments regarding a real problem I'm having with my Puma 80 boiler.

I orginally thought this was an issue with the pilot light, waking up on a cold snow covered morning to no heating - annoying!. With further investigation I noticed the pilot light and burners going out whilst burning for heating - not the pilot light getting blown out and not starting. The burners and pilot going out was alway accompanied by a click on the front left. On occasions it would re-light without a problem and the others times the pilot light would light but when I let go of the control valve the pilot would not stay light, after a cool down period it would be OK.

Does this sound like the gas valve issue?

Can the gas valve be repaired?. A new ones seems to be around £80-100 plus the gas safe engineer costs.

I had thought about signing up to a BG heating contract, I can keep the boiler going for a few weeks and get them to fix all the other problems ;-)

cheers

[YAPH]

I can't remember offhand whether this model has a standing pilot light (that you have to light manually with a spark igniter). If so, what you describe sounds like the thermocouple on the way out, going intermittent before it goes open circuit altogether.

If it is a standing pilot jobbie it should qualify for replacement under the scrappage scheme (though you'll probably want to replace the thermocouple in the shorter term).

[Toby]

When the pilot light is lit, can you see it licking round the thermocouple (Like this

the thermocouple has disintegrated, or the flame is smaller than it should be, then the boiler won't know the pilot light is lit, and will shut of the gas supply.

[Gna]

YAPH wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Thanks for the reply John.

Yes the 80 has the manual pilot light. I looked at the scrappage scheme when it was announced, the boiler is around 13 years old but it's sedbuk raiting is higher than G ;-(

My thought was that I'd never read about a gas valve being faulty, it is doing what it things is correct - can't detect pilot light so no gas!. Off the top of my head the thermocouple is in a different price bracket than the gas valve so I will happily get it replaced.

[Gna]

Hi Toby, thanks for the reply

Even with the front cover off (not the gas area) the visibility is poor, I can see the pilot over the Spark Electrode but can't really make the thermocouple out. I can follow it from the gas valve into the gas chamber, the viewing window isn't the best bits of metal stop be getting a good view. I think I can see it but it appears in front of me so can't get a perspective. My pilot has more of an orange tip than your example.

I suppose this explains what it is not so consistant, depends which way the wind blows ;-)

It's typical just as we've a new baby in the house!

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I very much doubt you'd get them to take it on. My brother had one - dunno if exactly the same but it was a Puma, and they told him they couldn't (wouldn't?) fix it any more. It broke at least 3 times a year from new. His previous boiler had lasted 25 years, so he wasn't pleased about having to buy a new one in a third of that time. He also cancelled his BG contract. And has saved quite a bit since as the new boiler hasn't given any problems - apart from the condensate output freezing.

[geoff]

There are both p pilot and electronic versions (extra FSC pcb)

The OP hasn't said which, but I presume he means the pp version

[John Stumbles]

Hmmn, D or E depending on exact model, according to SEDBUK. Dunno how they reckon that.

[YAPH]

According to SEDBUK:

Puma 100 LGE 1993 2001 E 74.8 Puma 100 Security LSK 1999 2001 E 74.8 Puma 100e LGF 1993 2001 D 78.8 Puma 100e Security LSJ 1999 2001 D 78.8 Puma 100ec LRS 1999 2001 D 78.8 Puma 80 LGC 1993 2001 E 75.2 Puma 80 Security LSH 1999 2001 E 75.2 Puma 80e LGD 1993 2001 D 79.2 Puma 80e Security LSG 1999 2001 D 79.2 Puma Flowsure plus LKX + LLN 1996 2000 D 79.6

[Gna]

Gna wrote in news:Xns9D0CB6B918E0gna03633atyahoocouk@216.196.109.145:

I've got the Puma 80 so with perm pilot light, I think it's the 80E with something different.

Can I ask would a faulty thermocouple cause such inconsistent behaviour?, sometimes it's fine other times a pain. I've had a quote for around £80 to replace the thermocouple (West London).

I'm in two minds about a) replacing thermocouple b) trying to get on a bg contract; either way with a new baby I'll get it replaced this summer.

cheers again mr