Potterton netaheat Mk IIF 10-16

[SK]

My 18 year old Potterton Netaheat boiler has been playing up for a few months now.

It switches on but refuses to light, or if it manages to light it switches itself off instantly.

Reading previous posts on google it would seem that other people have had similar problems and most responses have suggested replacing the relay. Does this sound right? Any other possibilities?

Am I correct that the relay is the item marked in red here?

difficult would this be to change myself or would I need to call in a repairman? It seems to be soldered onto the PCB board.

The cost is only around £25 inc P&P from either of these places.

387-768 Relay RELAY 3 POLE 11 PIN 6013 IMO £21.06

640797 Relay 11 Pin Relay 11 Pin (387-768) Price: £19.24 (Excluding: VAT at 17.5%)

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[derek]

No it's actually plugged into an 11 pin socket which itself is soldered to the PCB.

Go to

and see if any of the 11 pin 3 pole c/o relays on the RS range are equivalent (check for coil voltage and pin connections). part no 348-813 is a 240v AC beastie.

Or maplins:

are about 7 quid.

DG

[BillR]

640797 387-768 Relay RELAY 3 POLE 11 PIN 6013 IMO

Could the thermocouple be another possibilty? These are quite cheap. Ask

if thay have your relay.

[geoff]

In message , SK writes

quid

No, it plugs into the base (white or black ) and should just pull out you can't put it back incorrectly as it's keyed

However, if it's sometimes igniting and sometimes not, it could equally well be the ignition box to the left of the relay in your photo

[geoff]

No, I don't do thermocouples, anyway, it's an electronic ignition. That's the black module to the left of his relay - I do them.

[Ed Sirett]

Do you mean the pilot flame or the main flame?

Fan proving switch (a differential air pressure switch). Problems with gas valve.

Yes.

I think they plug ino the PCB. =

These prices seem alot more than I remember paying for one. =

[SK]

delivered.

Arrived this morning, and changed it over. Has been running for just a couple of hours, but so far everything seems to be working fine. :-)

Thanks to everyone for their help.

[SK]

As a follow-up, I ordered a new relay from maplins for £6.50 delivered.

Arrived this morning, and changed it over. Has been running for just a couple of hours, but so far everything seems to be working fine. :-)

Thanks to everyone for their help.

[IMM]

I had a Neataheat for 21 years. A ground breaking boiler it was. It is an old cast-iron clunker. I ripped mine out and it was still working when I did, and I am sure it would have gone on for another 5 years. Compared to what the best can offer today? Forget it.

[Ed Sirett]

Whoa there! The Naetaheat is exceptionally efficient for its vintage. It has no permanent pilot, and is fanned flued. =

In fact both a 21 year old Netaheat at my MIL's and 2003 Vaillant Turbomax I recently fitted were showing around 85% (GCV) as reported by Combustion Analyser! The Neataheat (and Profile for that matter) although oldish designs are Part L compliant. =

[IMM]

To be part L a min of 78% efficiency on SEDBUK is also one of the requirements. I'm sure the Neataheat is not ans is somewhere arpound 60%.

Reliable boiler though. A revelation in its day? Only with the first pilotless ignition that is all. Far more efficient boilers had been around for a while with copper tubed heat exchangers and fanned flues well before the Neataheat, which was an inefficient cast iron lump.

[Ed Sirett]

My patience has worn thin.

It is not the cast iron by itself that makes a boiler inefficient. It is mainly 1) a permanent pilot 2) the use of natural draught which makes for a lower efficiency. There is a marginal gain by having a lower thermal mass, including less water inside the boiler.

[IMM]

Why?

That is a big reason why.

No. Mainly cast-iron.

As I said "Far more efficient boilers had been around for a while with copper tubed heat exchangers and fanned flues well before the Neataheat, which was an inefficient cast iron lump."