This was a little repair I did in Handsworth, Sheffield S13 last week. The boiler was a Saunier Duval F30E Combination boiler and its not a make or model I really work on much anymore to be honest. I thought it might be worth a mention as the information might be useful to anyone who has one of these boilers – there are still quite a few Saunier Duval Themaclassics out there.
Although I work mainly on Vaillant boilers I thought this had some relevance as Saunier Duval used to be part of the Vaillant/Glowworm group. Saunier Duval do not trade anymore in the U.K. and their boilers are regarded as obsolete.
There are still quite a few Themsclassics and Themcondens models installed but finding people to repair them is becoming more and more difficult. This is partly because Vaillant don’t offer any sort of technical support to “engineers” when they need some help in trying to identify certain faults with them.
If you are having issues with your Vaillant ecotec boiler and you are looking for a Gas Safe registered Vaillant combi boiler expert, then please give me a call to see if I can help.
Trying to find someone for combi boiler repairs was hard enough but this just makes it a little bit harder especially on the Themacondens models which superseded the Themaclassic. The Themclassic models are near enough identical to the Glowworm Ci models so you can still get some information from technical support if you just pretend the model you’re talking about is a Glowworm.
The Themacondens however is not identical to the Glowworm cxi which superseded the ci models, so that trick doesn’t work for these.
If you have any of these two models don’t panic as you can still get most if the parts for them even though they are “obsolete”. One of the parts I know you definitely cannot get for these models is anything to do with the flue. As far as I am aware just about all the other parts as still available so repairs is not an issue.
I actually sort of like the Themaclassic models I don’t think they were a bad boiler I think they’re ok. Like the Glowworm equivalent they do like to leak from a lot of the plastic components that probably one of the main issues with them.
So about this particular repair. The customer called me to tell me that he tried to put some pressure in his boiler about 7 months ago and something went wrong and the filling loop/non return valve(disconnector) leaked all over the main printed circuit board and temporarily killed the boiler.
He did call someone from his insurance who said he needed a new boiler. He called someone else who fitted a pressure sensor and a new printed circuit board but couldn’t get the boiler to work. He charged him some money and took the original printed circuit board and the box for the one he had fitted to the boiler away with him.
Apparently the boiler was displaying the F9 fault code and was trying to do something but would not fire up. He saw my website and asked if I could help.
As described the boiler would display the F9 fault code almost immediately and the fan would run constantly and not do anything else. If you disconnected the air pressure switch the fan would run constantly but not display any fault codes.
I suspected that the previous “engineer” had fitted the wrong printed circuit board to the boiler. if it was the right part then it was faulty. The only problem is that you can’t identify the printed circuit board from any serial numbers etc on it, you can only identify the board from the part number on the box. The previous guy had taken the box with him so I couldn’t do that.
I grabbed a printed circuit board that I carry for the Vaillant ecomax pro boiler which looks identical to the one that was fitted. I had actually learnt from experience that the printed circuit board from a Vaillant ecomax pro/Glowworm cxi looks exactly the same as the themacalssic and glowworm ci models but does not work on these boilers as the firmware on the board is different….
So I went away got a printed circuit board and came back to try it as that was the only point I could really start from. As it turns out the printed circuit board I fitted made the boiler work and I was able to get the boiler going again and leave a happy customer.
He was nice enough to leave me some really good feedback which you can check here with all my other reviews.
Areas where I can repair your Vaillant ecotec pro combi boiler
I cover a large part of South Yorkshire including most of Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley. I also cover a small part of Doncaster.
Sheffield:
I cover most of Sheffield including central Sheffield, Chapeltown, Ecclesfield, Grenoside, High Green, Oughtibridge, Thurgoland, Wortley, Aston, Aughton, Swallownest, Todwick, Hillsborough and Stannington.
Rotherham:
I cover the whole area of Rotherham including central Rotherham, Brinsworth, Catcliffe, Canklow, Masbrough, Treeton, Whiston, Greasbrough, Kimberworth, Thorpe Hesley, Rawmarsh, Wentworth, Bolton-on-Dearne, Goldthorpe, Thurnscoe, Wath-on-Dearne, Mexborough, Swinton, Kilnhurst, Hooton Roberts, Ravenfield, Thrybergh, Bramley, Hellaby, Maltby, Thurcroft, Wickersley and Braithwell.
Barnsley:
I cover most of Barnsley including central Barnsley, Birdwell, Stairfoot, Worsborough, Kendray, Ardsley, Athersley, Monk Bretton, Lundwood, Royston, Brierley, Cudworth, Cortonwood, Great Houghton, Shafton, South Hiendley, Brampton, Darfield, Wombwell, Hemingfield, Elsecar, Hoyland, Jump, Barugh Green, Cawthorne, Darton, Dodworth, Gawber, Mapplewell, Pogmoor, Staincross, Wilthorpe, Worsbrough, Thurnscoe and Tankersley.
Doncaster:
I cover a small part of Doncaster including central Adwick, Conisborough, Edlington, Warmsworth and Mexborough.