need quick advice on why the boiler is playing up - no heating/HW at the moment!

[likeatonneofbricks]

I'm in rented at the moment and the landlord is away (joy!) and of course something has gone wrong. The boiler was swithced off for a few hours today and I can't get it working again. It's Worcester but not very new model (no separate HW controls). When i try to turn CH on, it starts making firing up but then the red reset light flashes. I've tried dozen of times now, with turning the tap on and also just various CH regimes (timed. untimed) - nothing! This happened couple of times recently when it was off for few days and once - for half a day. After a dozen attempts it did go on then - but today it's dismal! been trying all eve! One of the pipes underneath got strong condensation before, but no so bad today, though there was some, I did try to dry that with hairdryere and just a papercloth - it's not so bad, but still nothing. argh! really don't want to shell out on a plumber as lamdlors is away until end of week. Any advice? PigletJohn maybe?

it should then try to relight. If unsuccessful, it will wait about five minutes and try again.

The fast flashing indicates a fault in the boiler, or possibly an obstruction such as dirt or birds nest in the flue. It needs a serviceman, even if you manage to get it going today.

If you are lucky there should be a sticker or gas safety certificate with the name of the engineer the landlord uses (IIRC gas appliances in rental properties are meant to be certificated every year for safety).

Boiler engineers are usually reluctant to repair boilers in rented properties unless they are confident they will be paid. Landlords and tenants often argue about this.

it's unsatisfactory that you can't see a switch or plug for the boiler; how would it be turned off in an emergency or for servicing?

I suppose you will have to turn off the MCB in the consumer unit (fusebox). Unless there is one labelled "boiler" it will probably be the same one that supplies the kitchen sockets.

there is one labelled Boiler - I turned it off, then on after a minute and reset was flashing again - now i turned it off and will wait few min as you say.

I'm only a short term tenant but i reaaly don't think I should be paying - the permanent tenant was away butis back end of week and I'm moving! it had to happen just now!! they will need to service for sure if no hw/ch and generally.

tried turning on again - still flashing (trying to hold a civil tongue argh!) - maybe I need to turn the reset off differently? or press it while pressing 'on' CH?
the thing is it was only off few hrs today but i managed before when it was off for longer (even though it took halg hour to fiddle) - I think it's cold pipes, is there some way of unfreezing them?

My boiler went on the brink and the gas man said it was because there was a fault in the diaphragm. I so had to refrain from telling him I'd had that problem...

if it's still flashing fast, you can turn it back on and leave it. The boiler has its own 5-minute delay built in.

If it continues to flash fast it has a fault and needs repair. I doubt it is condensation. You would normally see condensation on the cold-water supply pipe because it is cold, but that should not trouble the boiler. Today is not freezing so the condensate waste pipe is probably not frozen. It is probably not a leak either. It might be a faulty fan, or a blockage, or a faulty airflow sensor. Can't tell from here.

Worcester Bosch is quite a good manufacturer, so if the boiler is properly serviced it should be reliable.

by the way it really windu today in london andit could well be that something got into the flue s you say (it's in the roof and boiler is on the outside facing wall)

is really windy today, i meant, the extracctor fan on same wall is shaking almost.

tallwiv - are you saying what i think you are saying! it's property section you know

I'm just relieved I didn't kill the thread

it's ok tall, light relief in my stressful evening with boiler!

PJ - thank you very much and sorry for springing this on you so late in the day! it hasn't started, I'm now sure it a flue blockage due to the weather/flimsy wall in the roof. will be trying tomorrow am, and then calling a serviceman (sigh).