Ideal ICOS HE 12 LF fault...

[PaulT]

Been called back to an Ideal Icos by a letting agent. Boiler was displaying LF fault code and had been making a loud banging noise prior to lock out about 6 weeks ago, I removed the trap and approx 1 litre of water came out of the the sump. Cleaned out the sump and trap and once replaced everything functioned correctly.
Until now... Same fault has occurred, customer stated that boiler worked fine on each occasion until she went away on holiday for a few days and left the CH on constant and stat turned down to 13 degrees. Each time she returned the boiler was locked out. The house is a relatively new build and the condense pipe is concealed behind plasterboard which has been tiled over and then terminates into the waste pipe under the sink so I cannot inspect the fall of the pipe. I was thinking that the problem must lie with the trap/condense pipe and was going to replace both but just wanted your thoughts and also why it would only fail when customer had left CH on constant with low temp setting but then apparently work fine during normal day to day use?

 

[zeebeedee]

Trap on trap!

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

have you striped it down and serviced it? insulation panes may have fallen onto the hex

 

[SilentMike]

might be condesing a lot more set like that? did you find lots of crap in the condense trap?

 

[zeebeedee]

It's trap on trap causing it to airlock

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

this happens if you did not[video=youtube;z6Gk-Mk6J_A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6Gk-Mk6J_A[/video]

 

[PaulT]

Thanks everyone for the swift replies.

I didn't strip it down as when I phoned the technical help line they guided me to the trap and once all the backed up condense came out I presumed that was it as the boiler started to function. I did a FGA and everything was fine. Thanks for the pointer though Gasman that will be my next task.

The condense pipe terminates into the waste pipe but is approx 12 inches below the trap just before the waste pipe enters the wall, is this likely to cause an air lock? The waste pipe also serves a dish washer and washing machine.

I'm the fourth person to be called out to this boiler each other person has recommended a new boiler.

 

[PaulT]

Sorry forgot to mention there was quite a lot of crap inside the trap the first time but not so much the second time.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Thanks everyone for the swift replies.

I didn't strip it down as when I phoned the technical help line they guided me to the trap and once all the backed up condense came out I presumed that was it as the boiler started to function. I did a FGA and everything was fine. Thanks for the pointer though Gasman that will be my next task.

The condense pipe terminates into the waste pipe but is approx 12 inches below the trap just before the waste pipe enters the wall, is this likely to cause an air lock? The waste pipe also serves a dish washer and washing machine.

I'm the fourth person to be called out to this boiler each other person has recommended a new boiler.

depending on the configuration the waste could be sucking the trap out of the boiler never heard of one air locking though,you will need a gasket set before you service it

 

[dancinplumba]

is the condensate waste connected to the soil stack ? the traps on icos/isar boilers are not big enuff 🙂

 

[PaulT]

I asked the letting agent about servicing and was informed that it had only been serviced in October by someone else so they only wanted me to fault find. I'll mention this to them though and see what they say. Thanks for the tip about the gasket set.
I was thinking about disconnecting the current condense pipe and running it straight outside and insulating it to negate any problem with the current waste set up.

 

[PaulT]

No dancinplumba it's connected to the bottom of the waste set up under the kitchen sink.

 

[arran197]

Flame detection probe bent, ignition probe bent, earth pins bent. Insulation pads fallen in. Flame detection lead burnt out. Condense trap blocked. Earth not secured correctly. Check all that.

 

[JamesyGoosey1]

Paul t had same problem with a ideal that condensate was terminated under the sink the same, the washing machine was also terminated into a washing machine trap were they had tee'd into the 1" 1/2 it was blocked solid there with all fluf n crap from the washing machine. It was all in solvent weld too ball ache to clean out