"hes4tres" wrote in message
...
Baxi solo RS wall hung boiler installed 13/14 years ago. Not combi - i.e.
has hot tank and header tank.

The pilot light does not stay on when the knob is released, even after 2
minutes or more rather than the 10 secs they say, so cannot relight the
boiler which went out for reason not known. The instructions say to wait 3
mins before relighting the pilot but this does not appear necessary, so I
can light the pilot but only by holding the gas knob in.

Don't know if it has overheat cut-out. I can't find a reset knob though.

Your symptoms are classic failed thermocouple which IIRC is a specific type
for the Baxi. Replacement available for a few quid from Parts Centre (used
to be HRPC) in your locality. Changing the thermocouple is a trivial job.
Before going ahead you should look to see if there is an overheat stat often
involving a simple stat connected in series with the thermocouple. It
doesn't need to be a resettable type since once operated the thermocouple is
interuppted and you cannot re-establish the pilot until the unit has cooled
down and its contacts closed thus manual intevention is achieved.

This happened 6 months ago and the plumber replaced the gas control (?) -
that's the bit with the knob you push in to light the pilot etc. He said
it
might be another part which is more expensive to replace.

Oh dear you "may" have been ripped off by an unscrupulous person there.

I thought boilers were reasonably robust but if this keeps going wrong it
may be better to simply replace it.

Well they generally are very robust but simple things can and do go wrong.


Questions:
1 Is the boiler at the end of it's natural life and should be replaced?

Unlikely

2 If so I would want to replace like with like as the simplest option -
are
there new regulations altering the type you can replace it with?

Yes - unless you act before 1st April you will almost certainly have to
install a condensing boiler

3 If not, what parts are likely to be needed to get it working reliably? -

A thermocouple maybe other things.

No sense in keep calling out the plumber who does seem good.

He may be but a gas valve seems an unlikely failure so I'd be wary of making
such a generous judgement

4 Is there anything else I need to consider? My wife would like to rip the
whole system out as she doesn't like central heating but it would knock
£30/40k off the value of the house so I'm against it.

Send her to live with her mother


Many thanks for your help & advice.

Hontres.