Fault code 40/41 on gas boiler

V.W.L 11 · 10-02-2014 11:37AM #1

Does anyone know what these fault codes mean???the boiler is a VOKERA MYNUTE HE,this is the second failure in 4 months,the last failure was the thermister which was replaced and worked fine until this morning when the boiler started flashing the codes 40 & 41

Thanks in advance

P. Breathnach · 10-02-2014 01:10PM

Insufficient water pressure.

Manual here: http://cdn0.vokera.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/mynute-he-installation-and-servicing-manual.pdf.

V.W.L 11 · 10-02-2014 01:45PM

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Insufficient water pressure.

Manual here: http://cdn0.vokera.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/mynute-he-installation-and-servicing-manual.pdf.

Thanks for that,will read the manual once i get home,is it a big/small job???

P. Breathnach · 10-02-2014 01:57PM

I'm no expert. It's a doddle on my system, but obviously I know nothing about your installation.

Don't trick around with gas boilers unless you know what you are doing.

seamusmacc · 10-02-2014 02:19PM

maybe this should move to Home > Rec > Home & Garden > Plumbing & Heating

V.W.L 11 · 10-02-2014 02:26PM

P. Breathnach wrote: »

I'm no expert. It's a doddle on my system, but obviously I know nothing about your installation.

Don't trick around with gas boilers unless you know what you are doing.

i wouldn't dare touch it,havent a clue about them,made one or 2 calls (not experts) and they said that from previous experience of this problem the quickest fix is a new boiler,whether true or not I don't know,but I was told it wont be cheap :mad:

Gasherbraun · 10-02-2014 02:36PM

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

i wouldn't dare touch it,havent a clue about them,made one or 2 calls (not experts) and they said that from previous experience of this problem the quickest fix is a new boiler,whether true or not I don't know,but I was told it wont be cheap :mad:

Low water pressure is normally rectified by simply letting more water into the system to increase pressure. There is normally a valve located close to the boiler with a pressure gauge but do not do this if you are not 100% confident that you have the right gauge.

As for needing a new boiler I guess anything is possible depending on the age of the boiler and what is causing the pressure drop (in my experience - I am not an RGI - most boilers lose pressure over time through small leaks, evaporation etc) but I have never seen a boiler changed due to low pressure.

V.W.L 11 · 10-02-2014 02:41PM

Gasherbraun wrote: »

Low water pressure is normally rectified by simply letting more water into the system to increase pressure. There is normally a valve located close to the boiler with a pressure gauge but do not do this if you are not 100% confident that you have the right gauge.

As for needing a new boiler I guess anything is possible depending on the age of the boiler and what is causing the pressure drop (in my experience - I am not an RGI - most boilers lose pressure over time through small leaks, evaporation etc) but I have never seen a boiler changed due to low pressure.

there is 0bar on the pressure gauge,it usually reads between 0.5 & 1.0 (I think)but I wont go near it at all,no visible leaks on it,its about 6 years old now,but was not used for about 3 of that,the house was vacant,now in recent months it has given trouble twice,would it be connected to the thermistor or have anything to do with that?the pressure pressure pump that is?because they said the rest of it looked ok when they fixed it just before christmas

Ray Palmer · 10-02-2014 05:11PM

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

there is 0bar on the pressure gauge,it usually reads between 0.5 & 1.0 (I think)but I wont go near it at all,no visible leaks on it,its about 6 years old now,but was not used for about 3 of that,the house was vacant,now in recent months it has given trouble twice,would it be connected to the thermistor or have anything to do with that?the pressure pressure pump that is?because they said the rest of it looked ok when they fixed it just before christmas

A minor leak can reduce the pressure over time. Effectively a central heating system is one big loop. In order to get the heated water around it you need it to be a certain pressure for the system to work. A little leak can cause this to drop. The problem is finding a leak that is small.

Before you go searching for a leak get them to put in the standard central heating sealant. I probably spent a grand trying to find a leak and that solved my problem and took 10 minutes

In saying that you can probably find your top up valve and top up the system. Check for what pressure it should be at normally 1.5-2. Keep an eye on it over the week if the pressure is dropping check you rads for any leaks, tighten if needed. If still losing pressure do the sealant. Valve is probably beside your hot water tank not your boiler from my experience.

P. Breathnach · 10-02-2014 05:15PM

Boilers vary in their specifications, so it's worth reading the manual. That should tell you what the correct pressure range is. Normally adding some water to bring the pressure up is user maintenance, and does not require a specialist (subject to Gasherbraun's words of caution).

V.W.L 11 · 10-02-2014 05:56PM

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Boilers vary in their specifications, so it's worth reading the manual. That should tell you what the correct pressure range is. Normally adding some water to bring the pressure up is user maintenance, and does not require a specialist (subject to Gasherbraun's words of caution).

I can get the cover off the boiler and inside it is a small water tank,what i do or how i do it from there though is the mystery,it was fine yesterday when it was on but half way through the timer it cut out and hasnt worked since

jd · 10-02-2014 07:59PM

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

I can get the cover off the boiler and inside it is a small water tank,what i do or how i do it from there though is the mystery,it was fine yesterday when it was on but half way through the timer it cut out and hasnt worked since

You should not need to take covers off boilers etc.
For instance, my valve is beside the water tank, nowhere near the boiler. Twisting it (anticlockwise in my case) will increase the pressure in the system

murphaph · 10-02-2014 08:26PM

If your (sealed) system is losing pressure even after topping up then there are 2 causes: a straightforward leak somewhere or the expansion vessel has lost gas pressure. I would do as ray says and use a common sealing agent first (if you can't see any signs of limescale which would indicate a leak) and if that doesn't do the trick then the following is quite likely the cause:

The expansion vessel has 2 chambers separated by a rubber membrane. One chamber contains a gas (usually carbon dioxide) at higher pressure than the hot water circuit and the other contains water in the hot water circuit at system pressure. The expansion vessel slowly leaks carbon dioxide over the years and eventually cannot exert enough pressure on the membrane to maintain the correct water system pressure. You can drain the system and check the gas pressure in the expansion vessel with a car tyre manometer and if it's low, the gas can be topped up with regular air using a pump with a gauge on it. If the membrane itself is knackered then opening the valve to release carbon dioxide will also release water. If that happens the expansion vessel needs replacing.

I had this fault myself recently and from my bit of research that I did in older boilers the expansion vessel is often (like 80% of the time) the cause of such a problem,

HOWEVER: I feel confident working on such things and working on the water circuit is allowed in Germany (not the gas part though!) by laymen but if you are not 100% confident that you can handle such a thing then it should be entrusted to a professional!

V.W.L 11 · 10-02-2014 11:50PM

It is now showing codes 48/49/50/51/52 what do they mean???i have the heating on at present but there is zero pressure on the pressure bar

jd · 11-02-2014 12:22AM

http://cdn0.vokera.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/mynute-he-user-manual.pdf
AL52 Call engineer

did you try and increase the pressure in the system? Not sure it's the best idea to have heating on with zero pressure.

V.W.L 11 · 11-02-2014 12:23AM

Is this the valve

V.W.L 11 · 11-02-2014 12:26AM

jd wrote: »

http://cdn0.vokera.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/mynute-he-user-manual.pdf
AL52 Call engineer

did you try and increase the pressure in the system? Not sure it's the best idea to have heating on with zero pressure.

I switched it off after a few minutes,not willing to risk it

P. Breathnach · 11-02-2014 01:22AM

OP, you're making me nervous! I have the impression that you don't know enough about your boiler, and that you should not try to do anything with it unsupervised.

A few things can be done by the user, like bringing the water pressure up. But it looks to me as if you don't really understand your system. If you have a neighbour/friend/family member with a similar gas-fired system, you might be able to have somebody explain to you what is what.

Cut off the electical feed to the boiler (there should be a switch somewhere near the boiler) and after a few seconds, turn it back on. See if there are any error codes. If you are back to the original code, then it is a water pressure problem, and that should be an easy fix: open the tap and watch the pressure gauge until working pressure is reached, then close the tap.

Any other code, and I suggest that you call in a registered gas engineer.

RTFM!

V.W.L 11 · 11-02-2014 09:59AM

P. Breathnach wrote: »

OP, you're making me nervous! I have the impression that you don't know enough about your boiler, and that you should not try to do anything with it unsupervised.

A few things can be done by the user, like bringing the water pressure up. But it looks to me as if you don't really understand your system. If you have a neighbour/friend/family member with a similar gas-fired system, you might be able to have somebody explain to you what is what.

Cut off the electical feed to the boiler (there should be a switch somewhere near the boiler) and after a few seconds, turn it back on. See if there are any error codes. If you are back to the original code, then it is a water pressure problem, and that should be an easy fix: open the tap and watch the pressure gauge until working pressure is reached, then close the tap.

Any other code, and I suggest that you call in a registered gas engineer.

RTFM!

I havent a clue sure i admitted that,go back 2/3 posts and you'll see i put up a picture is that the valve???there's nothing else on it other than that,everything else is located internally in the boiler,its a council property and they wont come out and f**king fix it

jd · 11-02-2014 10:09AM

Did the council give you a file of manuals for the appliances etc in the house.
Try turning the valve for 5 seconds (DON'T FORCE IT) and see if the pressure increases.

V.W.L 11 · 11-02-2014 10:37AM

jd wrote: »

Did the council give you a file of manuals for the appliances etc in the house.
Try turning the valve for 5 seconds (DON'T FORCE IT) and see if the pressure increases.

All they gave me day 1 was a set of keys,no files for the appliances,will try that and let you know,did you look at the photo of the valve i posted?

P. Breathnach · 11-02-2014 10:41AM

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

I havent a clue sure i admitted that,go back 2/3 posts and you'll see i put up a picture is that the valve???there's nothing else on it other than that,everything else is located internally in the boiler,its a council property and they wont come out and f**king fix it

I saw the picture, but there wasn't enough information in it for me to be sure. Yes, it looks like the valve - that's as far as I can go. The problem I have with saying yes or no is that I can't judge the scale. There should also be a gas feed pipe with a valve. The gas feed is a much thinner pipe.

If you're sure it's a water pipe, go for it.

V.W.L 11 · 11-02-2014 11:00AM

P. Breathnach wrote: »

I saw the picture, but there wasn't enough information in it for me to be sure. Yes, it looks like the valve - that's as far as I can go. The problem I have with saying yes or no is that I can't judge the scale. There should also be a gas feed pipe with a valve. The gas feed is a much thinner pipe.

If you're sure it's a water pipe, go for it.

That valve is located underneath the boiler and is connected to a gold coloured metal pipe,not like a thin looking pipe as posted by a previous poster,i aint confident at all about whether it is or not tbh,i havent gone near it since last night and dont fancy it until i can ascertain whether or not thats the valve

P. Breathnach · 11-02-2014 11:25AM

I'm glad you are being cautious.

The gas control valve should be open for the boiler to work. The water feed valve should be closed except when water is being let in to bring the system pressure up. Turn the tap while keeping an eye on the pressure gauge; if nothing seems to happen, you might have turned off the gas feed. You can turn it back on, and look around for another valve.

V.W.L 11 · 11-02-2014 12:52PM

P. Breathnach wrote: »

I'm glad you are being cautious.

The gas control valve should be open for the boiler to work. The water feed valve should be closed except when water is being let in to bring the system pressure up. Turn the tap while keeping an eye on the pressure gauge; if nothing seems to happen, you might have turned off the gas feed. You can turn it back on, and look around for another valve.

Is the water feed valve definately located on the outside of the boiler???

P. Breathnach · 11-02-2014 12:56PM

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

Is the water feed valve definately located on the outside of the boiler???

I'd expect it to be.

V.W.L 11 · 11-02-2014 01:24PM

P. Breathnach wrote: »

I'd expect it to be.

I'll upload a full photo of the boiler soon and you can see for yourself the layout of it.

jjdub1 · 11-02-2014 02:16PM

@VWL11 the picture you posted is NOT the valve others are talking about... It looks EXACTLY like the picture jd posted (between the copper pipe and the silver flexible hose).

It won't be on,at or near the body of the boiler, It will be at your water tank. You should have a pressure gauge near your tank also, this correlates to the guage on your boiler, the valve will be beside or near it.
You turn this for 10-15 seconds and you will see the pressure rise on the gauge (1.5 - 2.0 is normal).

If you live in an apartment check behind the door of the 'hotpress' there should be a diagram of all the valves and their purpose.
It's fairly common that to have to 'top-up the pressure' at this valve from time to time (a dripping toilet bowl or a leak in a radiator will cause the pressure to drop) so finding out what to do now will save you hassle in the future.

V.W.L 11 · 11-02-2014 02:17PM

This is the actual boiler

jjdub1 · 11-02-2014 02:20PM

DO NOT touch the boiler ...

V.W.L 11 · 11-02-2014 02:22PM

This is whats below the boiler

Fault code 40/41 on gas boiler

Comments