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[TheBoy]

Boilers are stupidly simple devices, with stupidly simple wiring.  I suspect plumbers try to keep that simple.


That said, my Potterton locked out again overnight, that's twice in the last 3 months.  Heres hoping there is enough PCB to solder to, as I vaguely recall the last time - probably about 10yrs ago - I was having to rebuild tracks across burnt, disintegrated board.  I suspect it will be a new PCB this time

Have you looked inside a new(ish) boiler 

My Vaillant has a huge pcb with another pcb piggy backed onto it, with looms of cable running everywhere ......

Its still simple, ultimately, no matter how they try to complicate it.

[TD]

Boilers are stupidly simple devices, with stupidly simple wiring.  I suspect plumbers try to keep that simple.


That said, my Potterton locked out again overnight, that's twice in the last 3 months.  Heres hoping there is enough PCB to solder to, as I vaguely recall the last time - probably about 10yrs ago - I was having to rebuild tracks across burnt, disintegrated board.  I suspect it will be a new PCB this time

Have you looked inside a new(ish) boiler 

My Vaillant has a huge pcb with another pcb piggy backed onto it, with looms of cable running everywhere ......

Its still simple, ultimately, no matter how they try to complicate it.

My old boiler was stupidly simple, thermostat, cast iron heat exchanger, ignitor and that was about it, no pcb.....but it used about four times the amount of gas 

[TheBoy]

My old boiler was stupidly simple, thermostat, cast iron heat exchanger, ignitor and that was about it, no pcb.....but it used about four times the amount of gas 

I'd hazard a guess that the efficiency of any boiler (that isn't so old it has a pilot light) has nothing to do with the electronics around it.

I'd also hazard a guess that the boiler's reliability is inversely proportional to the amount of electronics fitted, given the poorly specced components all boiler manufacturers use  . Potterton being a fine example. Guess what I have

[Rods2]

And most plumbers IME have no idea how to fix new boilers beyond trying to use the fault codes along with the basic manufacturer's fault finding charts, followed by component swapping at the customer's expense.

[STEMO]

My vaillant has been sitting in its cupboard for four years now. Never so much as coughed.

[Shackeng]

My vaillant has been sitting in its cupboard for four years now. Never so much as coughed.

Tried switching it on?

[STEMO]

My vaillant has been sitting in its cupboard for four years now. Never so much as coughed.

Tried switching it on?

You’re not funny and you’re not clever. Go and sit in the corner. 

[Kevin Wood]

And most plumbers IME have no idea how to fix new boilers beyond trying to use the fault codes along with the basic manufacturer's fault finding charts, followed by component swapping at the customer's expense.

Yep, just like cars, they have become too complex for a "registered engineer"<sic> to even begin to diagnose. Moreover, the rush for condensing boilers has resulted in the replacement of simple, reliable boilers with modern tat that lasts 10 years by which time it will be be "beyond economical repair" or "can't get the parts anymore". Anyone would think it was a deliberate ploy by the manufacturers.

Most of my neighbours have replaced perfectly sound original now 20 year old Potterton boilers with condensing boilers but mine isn't going anywhere until it's comprehensively dead.

[STEMO]

10 years seems reasonable to me. I mean, you wouldn’t keep a car for more than ten years.

[Marks DTM Calib]

And most plumbers IME have no idea how to fix new boilers beyond trying to use the fault codes along with the basic manufacturer's fault finding charts, followed by component swapping at the customer's expense.

Yep, just like cars, they have become too complex for a "registered engineer"<sic> to even begin to diagnose. Moreover, the rush for condensing boilers has resulted in the replacement of simple, reliable boilers with modern tat that lasts 10 years by which time it will be be "beyond economical repair" or "can't get the parts anymore". Anyone would think it was a deliberate ploy by the manufacturers.

Most of my neighbours have replaced perfectly sound original now 20 year old Potterton boilers with condensing boilers but mine isn't going anywhere until it's comprehensively dead.

Snap

My Profile just works (all be it needing three electrolytics replacing every 10 years or so), has a nice phosphor bronze bearing fan, stonking (and great condition) cast iron heat exchanger and just works reliably, quietly and pretty efficiently.

It will be staying for the foreseeable!