home Fix label Heating label_important Home Heating Systems category Potterton Kingfisher

Potterton Kingfisher II pilot light?

How do I relight the pilot light on my Potterton Kingfisher II boiler? As well as the ignition button there appear to be two other controls - one which moves from 0 to Max, another which has three symbols - a flame, a star and a black dot.

Miss Preedy, February 2006

home Fix label Heating label_important Home Heating Systems category Potterton Kingfisherdone

Where s the pilot light? Bottom right at the front or towards the back behind the unscrewed glass??

Rachel, August 2016

Just tried this & it worked! Thank you......does anyone know what the 0-max knob is for & what it should be set on?

Thanks

Laura, December 2014

WOW.. thank you all.. 8 years since this thread started? I live on 4th floor, very windy, pilot light goes out.. Caretaker often starts it.. but THIS time, thanks to you people.. **I** did it.. feel very pleased with myself and most grateful to all you guys.. yay.. now thnking shall I leave it all on until the wind dies down,never allowing the boiler to go out?

Sunny Soleil, November 2014

My pilot light is on but the fire does increase when I turn the 0 - Max button . The Pilot light just stays the same no whether it is on '0 or Max', no intensity change. Any ideas, I'm freezing??? :)

Tee, August 2014

do as brandan says however make sure once the pilot lights turn 0-max dial to number 3 whilst keeping button on the right held down.

gee, April 2012

Thank you very much for the information.
Just tried the steps below and hey, got the flame. Only thing, mine behaved slightly different for some reason.

Moved to ignite position. Pressed the black button a number of times, no flame. So I moved the knob back to the stop position.

Moved back to ignite and kept pressing the black button. Saw the spark a couple of times but no flame.

Finally stopped and out of frustration and dreams of flying pound bills, wife in my ear etc etc moved the knob to the flame position anyways. Presto! steady blue flame.

Mahesh, February 2012

Just to clarify - on my boiler there is access to the pilot light outlet (the bit you need to light) by sliding a small metal panel to one side. It is situated to the bottom right of the panel as you look at it.

Ray J, February 2012

Hi everyone, was wondering if anyone can help. i have done the above to light the pilot which has worked perfectly. I then moved the knob to the flame signal.the main flame has not come on. Does any body know how long it is before the gas valve is warm enough to open and provide hot water n heating?
Thnx

Sam, December 2011

This website is fantastic! Pilot light went out so followed first instructions from IS 2006 below but would not relight so unscrewed the glass cover over the pilot light and after finally seeing where the pipe went in I knew where to put the match and it caught light! So relieved. Thank you everyone who takes the time to help people like us. :0)

Happy from Berkshire, December 2011

Another successful pilot lighting operation, for me on a cold November day, with much relief at not having to call a plumber. Thanks to "Is", July 2006.

Keith, November 2011

Many thanks to all those that provided a solution.

Noticed this morning rads hadn't come on. Spotted pilot lightout and followed instructions on here.

Have a nice toastie warm house again.

Stewart, January 2011

Brendan O'Brien back again!!! We have had the same problem this year!!!. It may be due to the extreme cold that here is such an inflow of air. We used a new gas lighter - the sort used for lighting ovens. It need to be long enough to reach the pilot light - you can buy one in most supermarkets. Then flick the button as the gas is flowing to the pilot light as per instructions earlier.
By the way we have a huge draught this year too. We thin it has blown out the pilot light.
We are going to replace the ignition button unit too.
By way of caution it is not recommended to light the boiler in this way!

Brendan O'Brien, December 2010

Hi Folks,
I have tried as July2006 and then followed as Brendon said, but when I open pilot light glass, can feel a cold breeze of air. Not sure how it will light up there.

I am I doing something wrong??

Ram, December 2010

Brendan O'Brien
Thank you so much for the info. No heating in this cold spell

Denise Powell, December 2010

Power to people on this forum who are genuinely trying to help by answering our questions as comprehensively as possible. Thumbs down to those who try to mystify matters with advice to get the job done by 'professionals'.
Yes, we all know about the perils of carbon monoxide build up.

KneeHi, December 2010

You think this site has saved you money but why did the pilot go out in the first place. Have you had it serviced recently. Is your old boiler slowly killing you with Carbon Monoxide. It's a silent killer.
Get it serviced by someone that's Gas Safe registered.

Memor Maplin, November 2010

For those who were still struggling to light it. The pilot light is behind the glass panel right at the bottom of the unit, just above ground level (not the gap on the unit further up). You can unscrew the lower glass panel and try to light the gas through this hole, although it is a bit if a faff - I used a match and you need to push it a fair way in and aim for the right, that is where the flames light.

le fabue, September 2010

What a brilliant website, just saved myself £3000+ for a new boiler, a combination of Brendans instructions and a lighted cocktail stick did the trick, the old Potterton lives on... a million thanks,

A warm Simon in Twickenham

Simon, May 2010

I can relight my pilot light but it goes out as soon as I turn the knob to the flame sign. Help!

Clare, January 2010

What a find this info was. An 85yr old friend's home was freezing as we are having a very icy spell and the pilot had gone out. There were no instructions to hand so I followed the instuctions to light the pilot and heh presto a warm home again. Many thanks

Maureen, December 2009

I can't find any of these symbols! I've tried depressing the ignition lots of times & the light has flashed on sometimes. I've tried holding it down too but that doesn't do anything. There's just one dial which I have put from 0 to max in my attempts. Please help I'm freeeezing here!

Mel, November 2009

Our central heating STOPPED WORKING half 8 on a Saturday night!!!!! Before I started ringing around I thought lets take the front cover off expecting there to be instructions...but no!! then started to panick. Half hour later thought lets check the web....found this site I followed the instructions as left by ls July 2006 hey presto!!! Pilot light came on....god bless you and this website.

Ifty Manchester, November 2009

I have this boiler, and have tried the method, failed, and haven't unscrewed anything. I am not even sure where the pilot light is supposed to be. I don't have a glass panel or anything.

Ali, September 2009

Set the right hand control to '0' and follow Brendan's instructions. If that doesn't work unscrew the complete ignition assembly; four screws with two tubes going in and the igniter cable attached. Follow Brendans instructions and you should see the pilot light work independently of the boiler. If it doesn't check each of the elements; are you getting a spark from the igniter. If you get the pilot light to ignite and after 60 seconds if it goes out tighten the nuts on the copper tube to your left connecting the igniter assembly to it's control unit. If all else fails; panic!

Triton Tom, May 2009

Thank you for your help Is! Much appreciated!! Haved saved some money!!! lol

Alfredo, May 2009

How does the control marked 0-max need to be set when you try to lit the pilot light?

pp, May 2009

What a great website and useful responses. Faced tonight with a fixed but still high £130 charge from BG and instead 2 mins on the web to get our pilot light working. Thank you to all previous responses!

A from Herts, January 2009

What a great website I thought I was going to incur a massive reapir bill. But all worked well in the end. I would add that you need to hold the pilot light down for atleast 2mins if not more, this is so you can warm up the termocouple next to the pilot light as if this is not hot enough the main gas valve will not open and you won't get hot water. Thanks

Phil, January 2009

after 2 long freezing days and not a plumber to be found, i discovered this site and managed to get my pilot alight. thank you. i joined the ignnition icon up with the red dot, lit the space where the pilot should be and persisted to do that for a couple of mins until the flame seemed steadily persisting, i then twisted slowly the ignition symbol round, moving the icon to flame, and hey presto.. i have heating and hot water, spread the love and keep the fire burning.

victoria summers, January 2009

This works exactly as discribed on our 15 yo boiler which stopped working yesterday!!

The only thing I would add is that you need to repeatedly press the fire button for at least2 mins - then go over to the flame symbol - it should then fire up nicely.

Many thanks for your help!

Mike Bennett, January 2007

Wejust lit our pilot light. The problem for us was that the ignition switch did not seem to be working. We opened the glass panel for access to the pilot light. We followed the given instructions up to the point where we were to push ignition switch. Instead we put a lighting taper to the pilot light area. Then we closed up glass panel - two screws. All is well

Brendan O'Brien, October 2006

move the black control knob situated on the left of the boiler till it aligns the circle with the marker on the right below it, wait 3 mins then align the star symbol, hold the knob down whilst pressing the black ignition switch situated next to the control marked 0-max. once pilot is lighted keep knob on left depressed for 30 seconds and it should stay alight, once lit move knob on left to flame position next to marker.

ls, July 2006

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