Gerkros Wood Pellet Boiler

PaulWright · 11-11-2017 02:13PM

Over the last 3 years I’ve formed a closer relationship with my Woodpecker Boiler than I thought was possible. With the company no longer around and very limited information out there I’ve self taught through trial and error.

I only know one Engineer and the boiler does get serviced annually but it always seems to need my attention. Last year it would have tripped Er13 on a weekly basis, this year it’s tripping Er12 daily.

I’ve had to learn and can now completely strip down and clean out the entire boiler which I’ve already done and can follow the different sequences the boiler goes through and can basic fault find. I’ve recently also cleaned the Auger and pellet bin of all sawdust

Recently the boiler has been lighting, running, standby when temp reached and starting again when temp drops but at some point when my back is turned it trips Err12 with two different outcomes. 1) Fresh pellets in the blast tube implying Ignition failure but also 2) Empty blast tube with ash residue implying the new pellets were burnt. I happened to be in the garage the other day when it tripped Er12, on opening, it was burning away but during shutdown it blows the ash out of the blast tube.

An Engineer was out yesterday and outcome 1 appears to have now been solved. Three of the four spacers were missing between the inner and outer tubes. The blast tube had therefore moved and it and the element were out of alignment.

Unfortunately since he’s gone it’s returned to tripping Er12 with outcome 2 as above. (Empty blast tube with ash residue implying the new pellets were burnt.)

I’m guessing that it’s lighting but tripping before the photocell recognises the flame.

limklad1974 · 09-12-2017 04:12PM

PaulWright wrote: »

Over the last 3 years I’ve formed a closer relationship with my Woodpecker Boiler than I thought was possible. With the company no longer around and very limited information out there I’ve self taught through trial and error.

I only know one Engineer and the boiler does get serviced annually but it always seems to need my attention. Last year it would have tripped Er13 on a weekly basis, this year it’s tripping Er12 daily.

I’ve had to learn and can now completely strip down and clean out the entire boiler which I’ve already done and can follow the different sequences the boiler goes through and can basic fault find. I’ve recently also cleaned the Auger and pellet bin of all sawdust

Recently the boiler has been lighting, running, standby when temp reached and starting again when temp drops but at some point when my back is turned it trips Err12 with two different outcomes. 1) Fresh pellets in the blast tube implying Ignition failure but also 2) Empty blast tube with ash residue implying the new pellets were burnt. I happened to be in the garage the other day when it tripped Er12, on opening, it was burning away but during shutdown it blows the ash out of the blast tube.

An Engineer was out yesterday and outcome 1 appears to have now been solved. Three of the four spacers were missing between the inner and outer tubes. The blast tube had therefore moved and it and the element were out of alignment.

Unfortunately since he’s gone it’s returned to tripping Er12 with outcome 2 as above. (Empty blast tube with ash residue implying the new pellets were burnt.)

I’m guessing that it’s lighting but tripping before the photocell recognises the flame.

Hi there
I am also getting daily Err12 and Err13 messages, in fact the Gerkros boiler hasnt worked at all properly for 2 days. Do you have an engineer you can recommend?

limklad1974 · 09-12-2017 04:14PM

smwalsh wrote: »

After much looking I found a techncian who knows what he is doing with my Woodpecker boiler. PM me your number and I will pass it on to him

Could you PM me the details for the guy who looks after your boiler?
I used to have a number for James but it doesnt seem to work any more

ElenaD · 12-12-2017 09:39PM

I am having troubles with my boiler for last week and it doesn't work. The motor is not turning the auger. Does anyone know where I can order the spare parts? Thanks for any advice!

PaulWright · 13-12-2017 09:48AM

I’ve been having the same problem. I heard that a company in Tipperary called WoodCo had links to the previous Gerkros company. They have a website and also sell parts for the old Woodpecker range.

biomasssparesdirect.com

Cookies 1 · 13-12-2017 02:19PM

Hi there, has anyone had any luck in getting a contact number for James ? If so could you PM me please. He has been servicing my boiler for nearly 10 years now. I am assuming at this stage I might have to go searching for someone else. Thanks.

Loueln · 13-12-2017 07:10PM

Very unreliable fiddly, nobody to service the damn thing and very early failures.
IT seems when originally made in order to qualify for the grant they had to be "Irish manufactured". It seems the company ordered up 50 50 different parts from multiple suppliers and bodged then together so it would qualify as Irish manufacturered
James Fahy is a tipp based and used to work with Gerkross.

PaulWright · 13-12-2017 07:41PM

Cookies 1 wrote: »

Hi there, has anyone had any luck in getting a contact number for James ? If so could you PM me please. He has been servicing my boiler for nearly 10 years now. I am assuming at this stage I might have to go searching for someone else. Thanks.

PM sent with James’ contact details.

vincenzolorenzo · 14-12-2017 10:10AM

The grant scheme came probably a year too early for them. The first models were rushed into production when the grant scheme was announced and they were playing catchup from then

ltdslipdiff · 14-12-2017 10:16AM

I battled for years with a Scotte/OPOP set-up and finally bit the bullet this year (I gave it 10 years of buying bags and manually loading the hopper and self-servicing in my defense) and changed to oil and a Vortex. I have a number of a wexford based technician if anyone would like it?

rolypoly · 16-12-2017 08:26AM

We have gerkos wood pellet boiler. Has anyone had and luck with service guy ? The blower in ours is not kicking in on start up so boiler keeps cutting out. Working off plug in rads for last 10 days. Dont know what the hell to do

ElenaD · 16-12-2017 09:54PM

rolypoly wrote: »

We have gerkos wood pellet boiler. Has anyone had and luck with service guy ? The blower in ours is not kicking in on start up so boiler keeps cutting out. Working off plug in rads for last 10 days. Dont know what the hell to do

My boiler doesn't work for last week or so, the motor is not turning around and wood pellets not supplying into the boiler. The house is absolutely freezing. We have reached out to James and he has ordered spare parts and now we are waiting. I hope to have it by Monday and back to heat again. If you need James' phone, let me know and I will PM you. Good luck!

limklad1974 · 09-02-2018 05:03PM

currently getting an Error 03 on my machine, never seen it before, and cant get it to go away!

anyone know what to do?

Cookies 1 · 09-02-2018 11:13PM

Hi Limklad, just sent you a PM. Hope that helps.

didds · 10-02-2018 12:49AM

limklad1974 wrote: »

currently getting an Error 03 on my machine, never seen it before, and cant get it to go away!

anyone know what to do?

You need to clean it out. The heat is travelling up the feed tube and tripping out the thermostatic safety switch attached to the steel pipe running into the blast tube.
There are two screws holding a rectangular steel piece (this is covering a thermo based trip switch) with a wire running into it attached to the steel tube feeding into the burner. Take these out and remove the cover.
Click the switch and screw the little cover back on.
Clean out the blast tube thoroughly (including the air holes in the bottom)
Clean out the ash from the main body
Take off the cover above the main door and remove the two bolts.
Behind this cover are two sets of baffles and a dividing plate.
Take note of the positions of the baffles (zig zag metal pieces)
Slide everything out and clean.
Replace everything where you found it.
Reset unit.
Should run away fine after that.

Best of Luck!

pellets · 26-01-2022 12:08AM

GERKOS. The worst investment we have ever made. I was stupid enough to buy. It is unfixable. There are not enough service people to keep the bloody thing going. Those nice GERKOS people have been on to me wondering will I buy another one from them.! A pellet boiler should work. I have asked everyone in Norway,Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. It’s only here in Eire that they don’t bloody work.

you are wasting your time fiddling around with it. If there is a Kama Sutra book on all the different problems and how to fix them then I have got to the last page, the blank page inside the back cover.

I can be sipping a chilled glass of Chablis and looking into to my beautiful wife’s eyes.

” What are you thinking about my darling” she will say.

”I’m afraid it’s error 12 again tonight” I will honestly reply.

Vinneyboy · 30-12-2024 02:57PM

Hi can anyone give a number for a Tech to look at a Gerkros woodpellet boiler, mine has stopped working. I'm based in Donegal any help would be much appreciated.

Gerkros Wood Pellet Boiler

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