Potterton boiler wouldn't fire up

[Gee]

Hello,

I let out a small flat and last week, the tenants called to say the potterton boiler did not fire up. I asked them if they topped up the prepay gas meter and it turns out they were on emergency credit. I told them they needed to top it up to get the boiler working again. They did, it worked for one hour then the red light came on again to say flame was not lit. They insisted they'd topped it up with sufficient credit. I was going to go take a look the next day as it was already 10 pm. In the meantime, the tenant then went back to the gas meter and pressed a button. They say they saw a message that said the pressure read 2 and that it was too high. They claim that's why the boiler stopped working. They said after they pressed the button the boiler started working again. But it seems they also went back upstairs to release some pressure from the radiators to bring it down to 1.5. Can anyone enlighten me? Did the boiler stop working as a result of the pressure being at 2 or was it because they topped it up and didn't press the button? Thanks in advance.

 

[Harvest Fields]

Hello,

I let out a small flat and last week, the tenants called to say the potterton boiler did not fire up. I asked them if they topped up the prepay gas meter and it turns out they were on emergency credit. I told them they needed to top it up to get the boiler working again. They did, it worked for one hour then the red light came on again to say flame was not lit. They insisted they'd topped it up with sufficient credit. I was going to go take a look the next day as it was already 10 pm. In the meantime, the tenant then went back to the gas meter and pressed a button. They say they saw a message that said the pressure read 2 and that it was too high. They claim that's why the boiler stopped working. They said after they pressed the button the boiler started working again. But it seems they also went back upstairs to release some pressure from the radiators to bring it down to 1.5. Can anyone enlighten me? Did the boiler stop working as a result of the pressure being at 2 or was it because they topped it up and didn't press the button? Thanks in advance.

No idea mate. Could have been one, both or non of the above.

 

[Gee]

No idea mate. Could have been one, both or non of the above.

Thank you for replying to my post.

 

[Chuck]

In the meantime, the tenant then WENT BACK TO THE GAS METER and pressed a button.

The story would be less of a mystery if at this point instead of the gas meter they had really gone to the boiler and pressed a button on that. It would mean that you need a Gas Safe Engineer but it'll be a relatively straightforward fix for someone suitably qualified.

 

[Gee]

The story would make a more sense if at this point they went to the boiler and pressed a button on that. It would mean that you need a Gas Safe Engineer but it'll be a relatively straightforward fix for someone suitably qualified.

Ya, see I know nothing about boilers. I'm parroting what they sent me in an email. I would have called out a gas engineer the next day as we are insured for emergency situations. But the tenants got it working again.

 

[Harvest Fields]

So then it is all good.

 

[Chuck]

But the tenants got it working again.

Okay, you may be lucky and it's all okay now. But, if my guess at the cause (a common boiler problem) is right they'll find that when the system is cold and won't start they have to add water to the system to raise the pressure and then, once it's hot they'll need to bleed some out to keep it going. If this is happening you need to call your GSR.

 

[Gee]

Okay, you may be lucky and it's all okay now. But, if my guess at the cause (a common boiler problem) is right they'll find that when the system is cold and won't start they have to add water to the system to raise the pressure and then, once it's hot they'll need to bleed some out to keep it going. If this is happening you need to call your GSR.

You're probably right. Thanks.

 

[Scott_D]

I expect most of the top up will have paid off the emergency credit debt.
Did you get landlord gas and electric checks done?
Meter readings?
Inventory’s?
Explaining controls, stop taps etc?

 

[Gee]

Everything's up-to-date. I thought the same about the emergency credit. But they insisted they had paid that and had £50 surplus.