ideal icos boiler - l-f fault. tried everything. please help!!!

[desperation]

Hello. I'm a newbie and complete non-diyer. however, I have learned about various parts of my boiler over the past few weeks from bitter experience and the fact it has an intermittent fault that no one seems able to fix! I have an ideal icos boiler displaying an intermittent 'LF' fault code. It will restart on pressing reset, sometimes it will run for a few days, other times will go off mid cycle, other times run to the end of the cycle and then not reset. A parade of engineers has been out it has been cleaned, had new electrodes, new ionisation thingy, new pcb. All the engineers leave with the boiler working nicely, then it goes off again. Thankfully I have home cover, so costs have been limited. However significant amounts of holiday and flexi have been used with a whole host of engineers trying to fix the problem. I was sure the PCB would sort it, but apparently not. Can anyone please please help???!!!

 

[BLOD]

Check the condensate is draining away freely

 

[desperation]

trap is clean. waste pipe may have been slightly blocked today but latest engineer blew it through to unblock. Gas valve and pressure ok. working happily when engineer left. but L&F were back to stay by the time I got home a few hours later. I can press reset, but that's no good for heating the house while i'm out in time for coming home. any more ideas anyone?

 

[stevetheplumber]

their called ideal as there ideal for the scrap content

 

[BLOD]

Has the flame detection electrode been replaced ?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

tbh if you can afford to cut your losses and get a more reliable boiler

 

[GasMan1983]

LF is flame failure.

the fault finding guide points to as you said electrodes HOWEVER, from past experience it was the wiring harness causing a similar issue as you've described.

Check continuity through the wiring harness.

let me know how you get on.

 

[buckley plumb]

hi these boilers had a problem with the unsulation coming loose and falling onto the burner ,i had one that the insulation caused flame lock out have you took the burner off and checked .there is a mod kit for this

ant

 

[gasmarc]

i have had one of these where I cured the problem by clearing the condensation trap only to get a call from the customer that afternoon on a sunday saying it had stopped working again ,well i went back checked the fault finding and put it down to a sensor or the like. I spoke to ideal the next day and they suggested changing a few components which i did,hey presto still the same problem so I changed pcb and yipee boiler working again but still having fault coming up intermittently. this job was when it was snowing and I have left the customer with a fan heater that I have let her hold onto as she wants me to change the boiler as it breaks down every year

 

[buckley plumb]

hi the secondary heat exchanger can block as well i had on on a icos and there is no easy way of cleaning it as the flow and rtn pipes had to come off to clean it out .it was that full of grey scale that it had rotted the flue.the analyser reading showed all was ok but on ignition it banged on occasions.if any one has any easy ways of cleaning these let me know

ant

 

[tjpicnic]

Hello. I'm a newbie and complete non-diyer. however, I have learned about various parts of my boiler over the past few weeks from bitter experience and the fact it has an intermittent fault that no one seems able to fix! I have an ideal icos boiler displaying an intermittent 'LF' fault code. It will restart on pressing reset, sometimes it will run for a few days, other times will go off mid cycle, other times run to the end of the cycle and then not reset. A parade of engineers has been out it has been cleaned, had new electrodes, new ionisation thingy, new pcb. All the engineers leave with the boiler working nicely, then it goes off again. Thankfully I have home cover, so costs have been limited. However significant amounts of holiday and flexi have been used with a whole host of engineers trying to fix the problem. I was sure the PCB would sort it, but apparently not. Can anyone please please help???!!!

I have a Mexico HE 36 that has had exactly the same intermittent problem for 3 years. Except last night it would not stay fired up for more than a minute before the LF code came up over and over. Great I thought, at last it's developed into a definite persistent fault. Today it is fine again! I know the engineer is going to check it out as many times before, replace a part or two (as before), check drain etc and it will be fine until next time. There are lots of people who have posted this problem on the internet -SURELY IDEAL MUST HAVE AN EXPLANATION/FIX BY NOW??!!!

 

[gasmarc]

Yes MAKE SURE YOU KEEP YOUR HOMESERVE COVER UP
These boilers are complete rubbish I had a similar issue with an icos replaced a load of bits then the pcb and still had intermittent faults come up, Saying that I am very reluctant to talk about it in case I get a call from the customer lol.
IDEAL DONT GIVE A DAM ABOUT THE RUBBISH THEY HAVE MADE

 

[Hardy1]

check the ignition electrode spark gap is 3mm +- 1mm had this the other day with a boiler firing then turning off.

 

[tjpicnic]

Thanks Hardy1 - I'll suggest it to the engineer when he comes tomo. But- I don't understand why the spark gap should make any difference once boiler is fired up?

 

[tjpicnic]

Thanks Gasmarc! I'll be interested to see if the Homeserve guy has similar opinion when he turns up tomo. (it won't be you will it?)

 

[tjpicnic]

Anjim from Homeserve appears to know what is going on: he found signs of condensation behind the combustion cover (probably due to a faulty flue seal) plus perished insulation on the flame detector lead. Result: droplets of condensation could be causing a short but only occasionally resulting in LF error code. Intermittent LF explained!!!

 

[Hardy1]

Thanks Hardy1 - I'll suggest it to the engineer when he comes tomo. But- I don't understand why the spark gap should make any difference once boiler is fired up?

if the flame isnt there the burner will light but shut off because the flame rectification ions are not sensing in the flame are they-had this with the boiler your on about last week.

 

[Mbear]

I've had this fault re-occur and re-occur on an isar which is for all intents and purposes the same boiler gas/heat engine wise. The fault turned out to the a drip from a slightly leak h/e. the gas valve compensation tube was filling with water the ruining the gas valve. The gas valve needed replace and also the cause (h/e) to stop further l/f faults for the same reason.

 

[malc27]

ideal icos boiler - No hot water But heating is working fine

Hi

I have gota ildeal icos Boiler but recently got a problem with the hot water the heatingis working fine radiators are hot and I have also noticed that when I put the Boileron it starts up I can ear it kick in but not long after the blue light startsflashing and also thermostat green light will not turn off no more when youturn it right down.

 

[Dotty]

Moved off open forum.

 

[IDCHAPPY]

This boiler is the gift that keeps on giving....

 

[mountainman]

And taking...

 

[Anton]

They don't call them the Ideal Icost and Eyesore for nothing.