Could you imagine if your boiler and controls were self-diagnosing and could pinpoint any faults automatically?
Think of the amount of time and hassle you could save – not to mention all the unnecessary stress it’d prevent! If only something like that were on the market already… it’d be fairly incredible, right?
Well, I’ve got some good news for you. As an seasoned engineer who’s spent over 20 years installing and servicing boilers in the Edinburgh area, I want to tell you about something that’s set to revolutionise how we maintain and repair boilers.
Introducing… the Ideal Touch and Ideal Touch RF Smart!
I’m pleased to announce that the future of fault-finding and boiler diagnostics is here! And it comes in the form of the Ideal Touch and Ideal Touch RF Smart. Just like the Worcester Bosch Wave, the Touch is an app that works via the internet with things like weather compensation. Only it goes one step further.
That’s right, it can diagnose any problems, faults or errors that are happening with your boiler. It can then send on any relevant information to Ideal (after you give them a phone) and any fault within the boiler can be read at their end. This allows them to know pretty much exactly what’s wrong with your boiler before they send anyone out!
Not all problems will require a call-out, either. If it’s a relatively simple fix like low pressure, they can talk you through what to do on the phone. If it’s a glitch within the system, they can tell you how to reset the fuse box and reset the boiler so it starts working again.
Say your tenant has ran out of gas. They’ll immediately be able to tell if there’s no ignition, gas or electricity. Ideal can even perform tests on the boiler remotely, through the electronics. So, once they help you diagnose what’s wrong with it, all it might take is pressing a button on your end to get it fixed.
What issues can this fix?
So many things. I had a problem on my own boiler, so I had to call Worcester Bosch. Only when I did, they told me there was no such fault. They pointed to three different things, which wasn’t helpful – even to a Worcester Bosch accredited engineer such as myself!
I was able to find the fault eventually, but sometimes a boiler can point to a circuit board or diverter valve. It might then turn out that it’s something as simple as a broken fan, which acts on variable speed to pull the fuel through. So, sometimes boilers can get it wrong – although they will still mostly point you in the right direction.
Now, engineers can just turn up at your door without having to go through a fault-finding procedure. Instead, they’ll be given a job sheet so they know what’s happening and can be prepared before they even reach you. Including what parts (if any) have to be changed!
Service engineers from Ideal think this is fantastic, and it’s already saving so much time. Domestic engineers seem less phased. You’ll find domestic engineers are a bit slower to catch onto things. Once they realise how much of a difference it makes, it’ll make fault-finding repair so much more improved.
Advice from an experienced engineer
This is such a great feature Ideal has brought out. It means that if your boiler has a problem, it can be fixed quickly. What’s more, there’s far less chance of someone going back and forward with four or five different parts!
Ideal have been putting a lot of investment into research and development, as well as customer service. They now have a fantastic backup in place and customer centres to ensure their customers are taken care of. They have enough people to relay information and be open seven days a week! Bravo, I say.
So, if you’re loving the idea of this feature, and also want to potentially take advantage of an amazing 12-year guarantee, I’d say go for it!
One other thing I would say is this; at this moment in time, Ideal are the only ones offering this innovative new feature. However, you can bet other manufacturers will quickly follow.
Conclusion
What a time to be alive! Ideal are now offering fab self-diagnosing and fault-finding boilers and controls. This means that you no longer have to get an engineer out who maybe has to spend hours figuring out what the trouble is. Or going back and forth with various different parts!
What do you think of these amazing new features from Ideal? Do you have any questions I can help answer about them? Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear from you!
