Atlantic oil boiler - any problems with a recent model?

[Bonny Lass]

Last year shortly after moving in, we discovered that we needed a new boiler, and were recommended an Atlantic Axeo Condens, either model 5025 or 5032, I'm not sure which.

The boiler was installed and had a water leak, this was then removed and replaced with another, and we have had nothing but problems with this replacement.  We wake in the morning to a cold house and find the boiler has gone off during the night.  Two engineers have been out on three separate occasions, the last time in July.

Because it was so hot during the summer and autumn we had not ran the boiler for any length of time, but now the winter weather is here and we are running it most of the time, we are back to the same old problem.  Our plumber/installer has been great, especially since he officially retired two months ago, and he is as fed up as we are.  he has been coming out whenever we call to clean the 'gicleur' and generally try to rectify the problem.  Apparently people in other areas of France (we are in the Limousin) have experienced the same problems with this particular model.

Another engineer is coming next Tuesday 11 December, but today the boiler has gone off four times and as I type this has gone off again.  So, although we have a woodburner, another cold night and a cold morning await us.

I'm posting this to ask two questions:  1)  has anyone else experienced this problem with an Atlantic boiler over the past few months (we hear that we aren't the only ones)   2)  any idea how we stand as far as compensation might be concerned - with the first 'new' boiler, we used what we now know to be huge quantities of oil, plus we have had to put the woodburner on when if things had worked properly, that probably wouldn't have been the case.  We've also been reluctant to go out in case the boiler has gone off in the meantime and pipes have frozen.

We'll contact our plumber tomorrow, but then he'll do whatever he does, then we have the same situation until Tuesday with constant checking and resetting of the boiler, and minus temperatures and winter now in full swing and Christma mornings looming.  The boiler installation also was not easy - it's quite a size and had to be manoeuvred down our outside cellar stairs, around a tight 90 degree bend, across one cellar room, then into another.  The second installatiion involved men with ropes to anchor themselves at the top of the steep cellar stairs.  The whole thing a nightmare!

Sorry this is so long, but needs explanation and any replies would be much appreciated.  Thank you.

[sid]

I have never heard of Atlantic but a quick Google brings up quite a respectable looking website. I think you have to go back to the guy who installed the boiler. I'm sure that there will be some guarantees associated with the boiler and parts.  If it's not brand new, and it sounds as though you've had it a while, it's important to act quickly before it's too late.

When you say it goes off, do you mean it switches into a standby mode, or is there an error code displayed? How do you get it to start again?

When the weather gets cold and you have to use your woodburner this may mean that the boiler has been wrongly specified (not sufficient output).

I'm sorry that I can't help you more but you must go back to the supplier.

Hindsight is wonderful, but it's best to do some research before signing up for an expensive item like a boiler... I know... I made this mistake in 2004 !!

The pipes are very unlikely to freeze when you go out for a short time, by the way; it takes a few days usually for the house temperature to drop to the point where pipes are freezing.

[Bonny Lass]

Thanks for replies so far.

The boiler is brand new, the first one installed last November, which had a leak inside, then another model the same installed in about February, so it's still under guarantee, and they are a reputable company!

Our plumber/electrician installed it and he has been great, coming out whenever we call, and spending hours on the phone to the company.  He is as fed up as we are. 

When the boiler goes off, it usually says there's a problem with the burner.  It's been sooting up on some little control, which my husband then cleans, then it will restart.  People in other parts of France have had the same problem, and it's the burner which Atlantic are now saying they're going to replace.  There should be adequate ventilation, but another contributory factor, according to the plumber, could be the height of our chimney (it's a two storey-house with quite a high roof)???

The woodburner, by the way, we use to heat our large living room, as this saves on the oil central heating we find.

Thanks again for replies.

[elamessa]

I have an Atlantic Franco Belge optima condens 4000 series 35kw oil fired boiler installed in my property in 2009 and it has been faultless for the past 3 years. The injector does soot up and is changed at the annual service for a cost of about 16€. Our chimney is over 30 foot in height and causes no problems basically it only emits steam.

Are you sure that it has been set up correctly as in the operating times have been set on the boiler. Our operating manual is quite intense and when we had it installed it would run at the wrong times of the night and I had to tweak the settings to get it to operate as we wanted.

Sorry can't be of any other help.

[sid]

Elamessa, that'll be the "jet" which you get changed each year I think. They usually cost around 8€ to buy.

Sooting suggests a "rich" mixture to me. Many installers try to set up the burner's fuel/air mixture by naked eye, looking at the colour of the flame through the little inspection keyhole, but the only sure way is to use a proper gas analyser which uses, amongst other things, a probe pushed into the flue. If your guy doesn't use one of these I'd be inclinded to find someone who does.

Also, are you using premium fuel? I have a good chauffagiste now who lives just around the corner from me; he told me in no uncertain terms that I must use the better grade fuel as it's cheaper in the long run; it burns better and you get more heat for the same amount of fuel. The lower grades also have a tendency to "soot" the combustion chamber, and "wax" or thicken up in the very cold weather, just when you want the heating on.

The height of the flue shouldn't be an issue so long as it's of the correct diameter.

The operating systems of these French boilers do seem to be complicated ! Mine has a controller which could also be used for an office block; it's a full-blown HVAC unit! With all the valves and pipework our boiler room is not unlike the engine room of the QE2 !

[elamessa]

'Jet' is what I meant and I say about €16 but not really sure as it is included in the price of the service.

And yes my chauffagiste uses the proper equipment with the probe pushed into the flue and a printed read out at the end.

And yes I do use premium 'Rubis' fuel.

And yes agree with all the pipework, it's amazing how it all goes together!!!!!

[Bonny Lass]

Thanks again for all responses.

This week a technician came out from Atlantic and fitted a new burner!  Hope I don't tempt fate here, but it has been running now for five days and has stayed on, so hopefully that is the solution to the problem, whatever the problem might have been.

Fingers crossed, and thanks again.

[elamessa]

Glad its sorted, fingers crossed!!

[sid]

A result, then! Good luck for the rest of the winter.