Combi Faults

[Bernie2]

I was reading a paper the other day, about the possible future of boilers.

It seems nearly all of them, will soon be like a motor car with electronic ignition, that you can't repair unless you know the fault codes and can link up your laptop to the boiler.

Problem is, it seems that each manufacturer may have their own fault codes and each set of codes may be different from model to model.

The danger is of course for the little companies, it may not be commercially viable to obtain every set of codes for every boiler, there are probably thousands. That is of course, if the manufacturers would let you have them in the first place.

That basically may mean, the big boys take over the market for gas boiler servicing and repair.

Any thoughts?

Perhaps we aught to have an agreed universal fault coding system, with a universal adaptor that can be read with a cheap netbook computer. I think I remember the government enforcing something similar on motor car makers, to allow independent garages to compete with the main dealers.

 

[stevetheplumber]

if there is an enforced code on the motor industry it passed saabs bye 65 quid to put in the reader and give you the fault codes 120 if you want them to decipher it were in the wrong game

 

[radswilldo]

It will not happen Bernie, its the small man that sells the boilers. Relying on bg etc, would be suicide for alot manufacturer's. It would kill competition amongst manufacturer's.

 

[Bernie2]

Hi radswilldo,

I was thinking more about the manufacturers. I notice some of them don't seem to give out much info to the public, just for them to call their own people for any problems.

It seems to me the manufacturers are perhaps heading toward maintaining their own products.

 

[radswilldo]

I think the same principle applies. Any manufacturer that makes a move to complete aftercare will find its sales dry up as installers will not specify it. Also there has been an ongoing attempt in the car industry with "in house", the local mechanic still survives.

 

[Puddle]

I have my own universal fault decipener, it’s called a multi meter, may take 5 mins longer but hey, ho

As far as software needed, would do the same as small garages do now,pung the dealer mechanics a few quid to get copy cd

What gets the motor trade is not the fault finding but the equipment for the correct setting up of the engines and also resetting the inboard computer after service, works ECT.

In our trade it would require too much hardware and man power for a few companies to carry out the above and security would be impossible.
Just as you can get a chipped cable box, you would soon have a chipped box allowing re setting and calibration and even fault codes would soon become readily avalible, even on forum like this we would just have a list of codes thread and add faults to codes as we went along
One point is it will make it easier for the sharks to rip out boilers, as they will have a pre designed program that when there computer is plugged into boiler due say a low pressure fault a alarm will be set of and a voice from the lap top saying "warning, unsafe appliance,warning,unsafe appliance" and a big skull and crossbones on the screen, press another button and a high pitched scream from lap top "casing seals distorted, isolate boiler, ventilate room, replace appliance, do not pass go"
And the customer will go along with it because a machine said it,’ so it must be true'

 

[REDSAW]

if there is an enforced code on the motor industry it passed saabs bye 65 quid to put in the reader and give you the fault codes 120 if you want them to decipher it were in the wrong game

father-in-law took his bmw 5 series to sytner for a new chip in the e.c.u.
they wanted £165 per hour to re-program it. the chip was put in by independant bmw specialist but they didnt have £25,000 for the software licence.

 

[Bernie2]

I,ve heard of some boilers connected to a phone line to notify the manufacturers team that a fault has developed. That means no worries for the user about break downs.

I think people may like that idea, if the price is right. In short an installer may get to install it but will they get to maintain it?

 

[radswilldo]

Vaillant do that now, but its the installers that monitor it. You can programme boiler to let customer know service is due etc. The manufacturer's will not bite the hand that feeds them

 

[migoplumber]

my call outs all come from a central computer, it controls and monitors hundreds of sites all with multiple boilers and pumps, on site is a controller, with its setpoints and heatcurves, outside temperature sensors, room optimizers - to name just a few.
when the system works well, its very effiecent. however, half of my call outs are down to faulty control systems, and on site its quite difficult to make things happen yourself.
a couple of weeks ago, went to one site, clients too hot - 1am, on arrival found a 3 way valve that i couldnt adjust, had to ring satchwell who dialled in with their computer and adjusted the valve. fixed the problem. i went home. didnt even get me tools out. just used my eyes and phone.
hope thats not the way forward, i like getting my hands dirty.

 

[traineedrip]

The thing is independent software companies will fill the gap as the are in the motor industry.
I own software that can diagnose, test all the componants in my car. The software covers audi,vw,skoda and seat. Its actually better than what the dealers use. It might take a while but it`ll come.