Makes we repair
Which Profile do you have?
An old Potterton Profile is one of two ranges of the same wall-hung gas boiler. The Profile e was made from 1988 to 2001, and the Profile eL from 2001 to 2006. The model is in the name, an e or an eL after the number. On a Profile eL, the model is also on a label on the underside of the controls cover.
Profile 30e, 40e, 50e, 60e and 80e
Made
1988 to 2001 for the 40e to 80e. The 30e isn't in the government's database
How to tell it
An e after the number, for natural gas
Still made?
No longer made, last made in 2001
Profile 100e
Made
1988 to 2001
How to tell it
The largest e, for natural gas
Still made?
No longer made, last made in 2001
Profile LPG 50e, 60e, 80e and 100e
Made
Not in the government's database
How to tell it
LPG in the name, made for propane
Still made?
Not in Baxi's range today
Profile L, also called the Profile eL (40eL, 50eL, 60eL and 80eL)
Made
2001 to 2006 (the 60eL to 2005)
How to tell it
eL after the number, for natural gas
Still made?
No longer made, last made in 2006
Every old Profile is a regular boiler. It heats the radiators and a hot water cylinder, with the pump fitted in the pipework rather than in the boiler. Its heat exchanger is cast iron, its flue is room-sealed with a fan, and it isn't a condensing boiler. The Profile L and the Profile eL are one range. Potterton's brochure calls it the L, and its manuals the eL.
A newer Profile shares the name. A Profile with HO or S after the number, such as a 24HO or an 18S, is a condensing boiler made from 2013 or 2014. It has faults and advice of its own. We repair those too, wherever the part can be had. Ring us, and we'll ask what it shows.
Not a Profile? See every Potterton boiler and how each shows a fault, or every make we repair, by type.
The older Potterton Netaheat, model by model.
Sources: Potterton's user guides, the eL's installation manual and brochure, and the government's boiler database.
Potterton Profile faults, by what you see
A Potterton Profile has no fault codes, no lights and no display. A fault shows in what the boiler does:
- nothing happening
- the fan running without the burner lighting
- the overheat thermostat tripping
The window in the front shows whether the burner is lit.
The first five panels below are the faults its user guides and the eL's fault chart cover. The last panel says what the boiler does show you.
The Profile does nothing at all: no supply, or no call for heat
What it means: The boiler isn't being asked to run, or isn't getting its supply, so nothing happens. There's no fan, and no burner in the sight glass.
Possible causes, as the manual lists them:
- the mains supply
- the overheat thermostat having tripped
- the fuse on the electronic control
- the wiring
- the fan's supply
- the fan or the air pressure switch
What you can do:
- See that the gas, the electricity and the water are on at the mains.
- See that the timer is in an on period, and no thermostat is turned down low.
- Then go through the lighting steps again. Turn the knob to 0, then up to your setting.
If the boiler shut down on its overheat thermostat, the reset is in the section below.
If the boiler still won't light, ring us. We'll ask what you can see through the sight glass.
The Profile's overheat thermostat has tripped
What it means: The water in the boiler got too hot, and the safety thermostat shut the boiler down. It won't relight until the thermostat is reset. Potterton adds that a break in the electricity supply can trip it too.
Possible causes, as the manual lists them:
- the water not circulating (the pump not running, or valves closed)
- on a system with gravity hot water, the overheat thermostat's bulb in the wrong place
- a bypass not set
- the thermostat itself
What you can do: let the boiler cool, then press the reset button through the hole in the underside of the controls cover. On a Profile eL, press it gently, and if it won't reset, leave it about 15 minutes and try again.
If it trips again, turn the boiler off and ring us. A thermostat that keeps tripping has a reason, and the engineer finds it.
The Profile's fan runs, but it won't light
What it means: The boiler starts its lighting sequence, but stops before the pilot lights, so the burner never shows in the sight glass.
Possible causes, as the manual lists them:
- the fan cycling on and off (the electronic control)
- no spark, because the case door isn't sealing or the spark is jumping somewhere else
- no spark, because the air pressure switch's tubes are kinked or blocked, or the switch has failed
- no pilot, because the control isn't powering the pilot's gas valve
- no pilot, because the pilot jet is blocked or its gas screw is closed
What you can do: the checks in the first panel, and nothing inside the boiler. The user guides say the case comes off for a qualified engineer and no one else. They also say the boiler mustn't run unless its case is fitted and sealed.
Ring us. If you smell gas, don't touch the boiler. Ring the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.
The Profile's pilot lights, but the burner doesn't, or goes out
What it means: The small pilot lights, but the boiler can't prove its flame, or the main gas valve doesn't open. The burner then doesn't light, or soon goes out. A spark lights the pilot each time, so there is nothing to light by hand.
Possible causes, as the manual lists them:
- if the pilot won't stay lit, the pilot's gas valve
- if the spark keeps going, too weak a flame signal from a partly blocked pilot, or the electronic control
- if the spark stops, the main gas valve
What you can do: the checks in the first panel, and no more. The Profile eL's guide says a boiler with a known or suspected fault isn't used until a competent person has put it right.
Ring us. If you smell gas, don't touch the boiler. Ring the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.
The Profile runs too hot, or won't switch off at its temperature
What it means: The boiler doesn't turn itself off and on under its thermostat. Or, on a fully pumped system, the pump stops too soon after the burner does.
Possible causes, as the manual lists them: the boiler's thermostat, or on a fully pumped system the thermostat that keeps the pump running on.
What you can do: turn the thermostat knob down, or to 0. Potterton warns that the stored hot water can reach about 82 degrees and scald. That can happen at a high setting, unless the cylinder has its own temperature control.
If the boiler doesn't hold its temperature, ring us.
MoreWhat a Profile shows you, with no codes or lights
A Potterton Profile tells you three things, through its window, its knob and its reset button, as its user guides describe them.
- The sight glass, a small oval window on the frontWhether the main burner is lit. Once the boiler has been switched on, you can see the burner through the glass
- The thermostat knob, from 0 to Max0 is off. From 1 to Max, the water leaving the boiler is set from roughly 55 to 82 degrees
- The overheat reset button, through a hole in the underside of the controls coverNeeded when the boiler has shut down on its safety thermostat. The boiler won't relight until the button is pressed
The causes keep the chart's order, which doesn't show how often each one happens.
Sources: Potterton's user guides for the Profile e (1996) and the Profile eL (2001), and the eL's installation manual and its fault chart, read on 11 October 2026.
How do you reset a Profile, and does it need topping up?
A Potterton Profile has one reset, the overheat thermostat's button, for when the boiler has shut down on its safety thermostat. Its user guides give the steps:
- Let the boiler cool, then press the reset button, through the hole in the underside of the controls cover.
- On a Profile eL, press the button gently. If it won't reset, leave the boiler about 15 minutes and try again.
A power cut can trip the thermostat too, Potterton says.
If it keeps tripping, turn the boiler off and ring us.
No pilot to light. A Profile lights itself. With the timer on and the thermostats calling, turn the knob up from 0, and after a short time the burner shows in the window. A spark lights its small pilot every time, so the guides give no steps for lighting one by hand. After a gas or power cut, the boiler starts again by itself, with the timer and thermostats on.
Topping up: the Profile's user guides give no pressure figures and no top-up steps. On an open-vented system there is no pressure to top up. On a sealed one, Potterton leaves draining and refilling to a competent person. If your system has a gauge that reads low, ring us.
Keep the case on. The case is part of the boiler's seal. The guides say it comes off for a qualified engineer, and the boiler never runs without it. Keep the flue terminal outside clear, plants included. Keep a boiler cupboard clear too, with its vents open.
Signs to act on at once: yellow or orange flames, soot or staining, and more condensation on the windows. HSE counts these among the warning signs of carbon monoxide. If you see them, turn the boiler off and ring us. If you smell gas, or a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, ring the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.
Sources: Potterton's user guides for the Profile e and the Profile eL, and HSE's guidance on carbon monoxide.
Is a Profile worth repairing?
A Profile can still be worth repairing. Age alone isn't the test. The test is these three things:
- whether your Profile's part can be had
- the repair's rate beside the cost of a new boiler
- how often this Profile has failed
The choice is yours.
Age and parts. The Profile e was made from 1988 to 2001, and the eL from 2001 to 2006. A boiler should last 10 to 15 years with a service every year, says Baxi, which Potterton is part of. Potterton said in 2020 that Baxi Genuine Parts supplies parts for all Potterton boilers. Baxi aims to support its products with parts for at least 10 years after it stops making them. Your engineer says whether the part your Profile needs can be had, before any repair is agreed.
Safe to keep using? Whether a gas boiler is safe is the engineer's call on what they find, under the gas industry's unsafe situations procedure. A dangerous one is turned off with your permission. We are an independent firm, with no connection with Potterton or Baxi.
The other choice is a new boiler. We fit new boilers too, sized with a heat loss calculation. Quotes come from photos of the old boiler, or after a free survey visit. Read what a new boiler includes, and how the day goes. Still deciding? Ring us, and we'll ask what the Profile is doing.
Sources: the government's boiler database, Baxi's FAQ on how long a boiler lasts and its Parts Arena, Potterton's page on discontinued boilers, and the gas industry's unsafe situations procedure.
15% off a new boiler, fitted
The 15% comes off the price of a new boiler installation. We quote from photos of your old boiler, or after a free survey visit. Now is the time to replace an old or discontinued boiler.
Terms: 15% off everything in the price we quote for a new boiler installation. That means the boiler, its flue and controls, and the fitting. The offer is for installations booked by 31 December 2026. One offer per home, and not with any other offer.
Do you cover my part of London?
Yes: we travel all over Greater London, day and night, to repair Potterton Profiles in every borough, north and south of the Thames. We fit new boilers in their place too. Pick your side of the river to see the areas.
North of the river
Every borough north of the Thames: Barnet and Enfield at the top, Hillingdon in the west, Havering in the east, and central London in between.
South of the river
Every borough south of the Thames: Richmond and Kingston in the west, Bexley in the east, and down through Croydon to Sutton and Bromley.
Potterton Profile: your questions
Does a Potterton Profile have fault codes?
No, a Potterton Profile has no fault codes, no lights and no display. Its faults show in what the boiler does, such as nothing happening, the fan running without lighting, or the overheat thermostat tripping. The window in the front shows whether the burner is lit. If yours has stopped, ring us. Each fault, by what you see, is above.
How do I reset a Profile's overheat thermostat?
A Profile's overheat thermostat is reset with the button through the hole in the underside of the controls cover. Let the boiler cool, then press the button. On a Profile eL, press it gently. If it won't reset, leave the boiler about 15 minutes and try again. A power cut can trip the thermostat too. If it keeps tripping, turn the boiler off and ring us.
Is my Profile the old one or the newer condensing one?
The old Potterton Profile has an e or an eL after its number, such as a 60e or a 60eL. It was made from 1988 to 2006. The newer condensing Profile has HO or S after its number, such as a 24HO. The government's boiler database dates it from 2013 or 2014. We repair both, wherever the part can be had, and we'll ask for the model when you ring.
Is the Potterton Profile still made?
No, the old Potterton Profile is no longer made. The government's boiler database gives 2001 as the last year of the e models, and 2006 as the last of the eL. Baxi's range today doesn't include it either. We repair every old Profile, wherever the part can be had.
Does a Potterton Profile have a pilot light?
Yes, a Potterton Profile has a small pilot, but a spark lights it each time the boiler is called on. There is nothing to light by hand, and its user guides give no steps for it. If the fan runs and the burner never shows in the window, ring us.
Can I top up the pressure on a Profile?
Topping up a Profile isn't in its user guides. On an open-vented system there is no pressure to top up. On a sealed one, Potterton leaves draining and refilling to a competent person. If your system has a gauge that reads low, or keeps dropping, ring us.
Can you still get Profile parts?
Parts for a Potterton Profile depend on the part itself. Potterton said in 2020 that Baxi Genuine Parts supplies parts for all Potterton boilers. Baxi's stated aim is to support its products for at least 10 years after it stops making them. Your engineer says which part has failed, and whether it can be had. The rate is agreed in writing before any repair starts. When you ring, we'll ask which model you have.
How much does a Profile repair cost?
What you pay for a Profile repair depends on the part it needs, how long the job takes and when it's done. Our rates go up in the evening, overnight and at weekends. The engineer finds the fault first, and then the rate is agreed in writing, before any work starts. See how our rates work.
Do I need to know which Profile I have?
No, you don't have to work out which Profile you have. Say what the boiler is doing when you ring, and we'll ask the rest. The model after the name helps if you can read it, but finding the fault is the engineer's job.
Don't know what has failed? You don't have to.Ring and say what you can see or hear. Finding the fault is our job.
Calls answered 24 hours a day
A real person answers and gives you the rate on the call. No work starts until you say yes, and repairs are guaranteed for 12 months: parts, labour and any return visit.
