If you find your Potterton boiler is not firing up, there could be any number of causes but fortunately, there are many checks you can do and fix yourself first, before needing an engineer. However, if you donât understand any of them itâs better to call a professional for safety reasons.
Potterton boiler not firing up
If your Potterton boiler is not firing up, it may be due to various reasons, such as a faulty ignition system, low water pressure, or a broken thermostat. To troubleshoot the issue, check the pilot light, reset the boiler, and ensure proper gas supply. If the problem persists, itâs advisable to contact a qualified technician for further inspection and repairs.
Other causes of a boiler not firing up are a wrong setting on the thermostat, not enough pressure, no gas, and no power going to the boiler. Some can be checked and the boiler reset without needing an engineer, but most will require a qualified professional to fix.
The following causes relate to a combi boiler not firing up but most will also relate to other types of boilers such as system and heat only.
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Causes for a Potterton boiler not firing up:
Faulty PCB
This is a common fault with these boilers so it has been mentioned first. If this goes faulty, which is usually shown by a flashing error light or code, the usual sequence of operation will abruptly stop and eventually, the boiler will go to lockout, not firing up at all. After resetting it a few times, you will most likely find you need an engineer to look into it.
No pilot light
The pilot light is a small constant gas flame that ignites your boiler. You can sometimes see it through the glass, mainly on older boilers. When your Potterton boiler wonât ignite and the pilot light has gone out, it is usually because the jet is blocked with debris. This requires a qualified engineer to clean. The boiler wonât ignite sometimes if the gas pressure is too low.
For old boilers that have pilot lights, check this is still on. You will need to get this on before the boiler ignites. Modern combi boilers have automatic ignition so you wonât need to do anything manually.
Pilot light on but boiler not firing up
If you can see that the pilot light is on through the small window, but your Potterton boiler wonât fire, the cause could possibly be due to the boiler being low on pressure or losing pressure; the thermostat is not operational; the pump could be leaking or broken, or valves are closed not allowing water into the system.
Potterton boilers are fitted with various fail-safes that operate in certain conditions to prevent dangerous situations occurring or causing damage to the boiler. This is called a boiler lockout.
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Wrong setting on room thermostatÂ
When coming out of the summer and the cold period starts, you may feel cold even at 21Ⱐroom temperature, but the thermostat may not have been touched for months. So turn up the thermostat higher, say to 25ⰠC just to check the boiler fires up.
If the thermostat isnât working, first check the batteries are in good working order and replace if necessary. Other than this, there might be a fault with the component inside or even faulty wiring.
Boiler has no power going to it
This is one of the first checks to make. Some things to check are:
Boiler fuse has blown
Following a power outage and the electricity coming back on, there is sometimes a surge of power. This can blow the fuse at the spur which means your boiler will have no power going to it and wonât fire up. Replace the fuse with a new one and the boiler should power up again.
Check the thermostat has power going to it
Are the batteries in the room thermostat still working? If the screen is dim, change the batteries.
The RCD has tripped
This causes a power issue to the boiler. The level or floor the boiler is located in could have lost power. Check the electrical consumer unit for tripped switches.
Have you got a pay as you go meter?Â
This is just a reminder that the gas meter will need to be topped up with credit before any gas can come through to the boiler. Itâs an easy thing to overlook at the end of summer when youâve not needed the heating on.
Low boiler pressure
The most common cause of a Potterton combi boiler not firing up is low boiler pressure. A low reading on the gauge indicates system pressure loss which could be due a leak. If the gauge is below 1 bar and especially close to zero, you will need to repressurise it to between 1.2 and 1.5 bar (check the user manual for the recommended level for your appliance).
Low gas pressure
The amount of gas being supplied to the boiler is too low. If the gas pipe to the combi boiler is not large enough, or other gas appliances such as a gas hob, cooker or gas fire are on at the same time and attached to that piece of pipework, the boiler does not get adequate gas to work properly. You will need to get a larger diameter gas pipe installed.
Radiators need bleeding
Trapped air in the radiators can also cause the boiler to not fire up. Go round each radiator, starting with the top floor, and let any air out of them. The pressure can go down after doing this so check you have the right level on the gauge.
Gas valve is blocked
If the gas valve on the boiler is blocked, you will be able to hear and even see the spark, but the burner will fail to ignite because there is no gas coming through. This is fairly common on Potterton boilers.
Blocked condensate pipe
The condensate pipe for a combi boiler can become blocked outside, especially in winter because of freezing conditions. As the condensate is discharged to an external drain, it can block the pipe in very cold weather which will cause the boiler to not fire.Â
You can clear any blockage on the external pipe by pouring warm water over the pipe, or attaching a hot water bottle until the blockage is removed.
Check out our full guide to unblocking a frozen condensate pipe on the link below:
Common Potterton not firing fault codes
- E15: Gas valve fault. An issue with the gas valve is restricting gas to the burner.
- E118: System water pressure is too low.
- E128: Flame failure. Could not detect or ignite the flame.
- E133: Interruption of gas supply to the appliance.
Issues you will need to call a gas engineer for:
- No pilot light. Possibly blocked pilot injector unit
- Stuck or faulty circulating pump
- Incorrect gas pressures in the boiler
- Fan issues within the boiler
- Gas valve problems
- Internal leaks causing pressure loss
- Electrical fault within boiler.
As you can see, there are many causes of a Potterton boiler not firing up, many of which you can check and fix yourself. But when it comes to checking inside the boiler, be sure to get a qualified gas engineer.
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Summary
The main causes of a Potterton boiler not firing up are:
- Wrong setting on the thermostat.
- The boiler has no power going to it.
- Low gas pressure.
- Valves or pipes are blocked.
- No pilot light.
- Frozen condensate pipe.
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*The information in this article should be used for general guidance only and not as financial or health advice. Full details are on the link in the footer to our disclaimer page. Always discuss your requirements with a competent and suitably qualified professional before undertaking any work.
