Suprima issues

[Rob]

So after 5 yrs I've got the dreaded Suprima lock out occuring.

I assumed it would be the PCB, but it looks remarkably clean and undamaged, no scorching etc, although on close (naked eye) examination some of the soldering does look a bit iffy.

Is it worth trying to resolder the board, or should I just be thankful that it's lasted 5 yrs & buy a new one? I noticed that after I gave the board a good looking at, it worked fine for a week, then the lockouts increase in frequency until I take the board out again. Is there a common point of failure on these boards - I wondered if the connector headers (or even the connectors themselves) might be the cause as removing and reinstalling the board seems to clear it for a while?

One last question - there seem to be 3 part numbers for the PCB - mine is

407750, but that seems to have been replaced by 5102160. Some places however say the latest board is 5111603. Are they all interchangeable?

Rob

[IMM]

Maxie will give you a reconned board for far less money. He tends to use superior replacement components than what is on the iffy boards.

[:::Jerry::::]

Well, the problem with my board was a dry joint on the pump supply pin (that eventually vaporised...), as I se it, you certainly have nothing to loose by re soldering any suspect joints etc. In my case we soldered a 'jumper wire' between the pin and the next joint back and thus bypassed the damaged many months later it's still functioning OK.

[raden]

In message , Rob writes

Sometimes it's the molex connectors, it could even be a broken wire in the loom at the connector (the insulation being crimped too, it's sometimes difficult to see)

The main difference between the 407750 and the 510216 is that the reset button design has changed from a square one which sits behind a sort of membrane switch on the front panel to a circular 6mm circular switch which sticks through the front panel, requiring a modification kit supplied with a new board. There are some other minor design changes, but nothing significant

I understand that there is a new board out which comes with various bits of loom, which I presume is the 5111603 of which you speak. I have not seen any yet and so am not in a position to comment on them

[raden]

In message , ":::Jerry::::" writes

Let me guess - you have a Puma

[:::Jerry::::]

Suprima 30, why do you ask, if you Google you'll find a thread I started...

[raden]

In message , ":::Jerry::::" writes

It's the favourite failure mode of the Puma pcb. It's not common for Suprimas to go that badly

[:::Jerry::::]

It had (evidently) been the cause of many problems over about 4 years, mostly put down to other components [1] by the people who installed the boiler, it was only once it failed completely (and visibly...) that the real cause of the many problems found. The board was replaced by a new PCB, which promptly feel over it's self (power supply regulation I suspect) and because the wholesaler wanted to send the board back to Potterton for checking before issuing a replacement I have to do something short of buying a second new board - hence the repair noted above, and as this repair has been working faultlessly for many months I'm now loathed to fit the replacement PCB even though I have one sitting in it sealed box. Once bittern twice shy as they say !

[1] I lost count of how many complete 3 port valves they fitted or parts of, at their expense each time it would keep locking out. The strange thing was, after causing problems for a few weeks it would then work perfectly for several months, I suppose the solder was melting and remaking the (dry) joint until such time that there wasn't enough solder left to carry the load imposed by the pump and that is when the joint finally vaporised.