Albion Mainsflow faulty heat exchanger

[discov97]

I have an Albion Mainsflow cylinder fitted for about three years and has recently developed a leak internally from the mains pressure coil int the static heatstore. I tried in vain to apply the warranty with the makers.

The fault allowed about five litres of water to be discharged through the overflow each day. It was not cost effective to replace the cylinder purely on the cost of the water lost and I therefore thought of a less costly solution.

I bought three components. A pressure switch which senses the drop in pressure as a tap is opened, a pilot operated solenoid valve and a non return (double check valve). The pressure switch is fitted on the hot water outlet along with the check valve. The solenoid valve is fitted to the mains cold supply to the coil.

The seepage to the overflow is reduced to a negligible

 

[Agile]

Its odd that George Bramwell, or Dr Drivel as we better know him, never seems to notice all these reports of early thermal store failures!

Tony

 

[holty]

im interested what the use of a pilot operated solenoid is for .suppose its one of them have to see it to believe it.

 

[discov97]

Holty

The whole purpose of my adaptation is to reduce the pressure in the coil when the hw taps are shut off. an ordinary solenoid valve would have cut off the mains pressure to the coil but it would also reduce the flow rate. By using a pilot operated solenoid it allowed full bore operation, without loss of pressure at the taps when in use.

The only downside is in the case of a electric power cut I should be without hot water unless I install a bypass to the solenoid. There is also an audible click when someone turns on a tap in the house, a bit like a combi boiler.

 

[Agile]

What do you think the non return valve does in your case?

Tony

 

[simond]

was not cost effective to replace the cylinder purely on the cost of the water lost

Just as well we don't all apply that logic to leaking cylinders. What kind of world would we live in?

 

[GeorgeBramwell]

Its odd that George Bramwell, or Dr Drivel as we better know him, never seems to notice all these reports of early thermal store failures!

Tony

I don't know about Mr Drivel. I do notice these things. Bad workmanship from makers is unacceptable. Holed coils on normal cylidners are far too frequent. I would have gone for an Advance Appliances stainless steel thermal store.

This unit can easily be converted to use a plate heat exchanger, flow switch and pump. Cost is around £150 for parts and performance improves. That is what I would do if coming across this, which is a very rare event.

Doing what he is doing may allow contaminted water from the store into the coil.

 

[discov97]

What do you think the non return valve does in your case?

Tony

The non return valve prevents the pressure dropping in the HWS and thus keeping the pressure switch in open circuit.

 

[Agile]

I don't know about Mr Drivel.

I do notice these things. Bad workmanship from makers is unacceptable. Holed coils on normal cylidners are far too frequent. I would have gone for an Advance Appliances stainless steel thermal store.

You certainly are best placed to know all about Dr Drivel and Big Burner as they are all your alter egos!

I thought that Albion were one of your favoured thermal stores! I even wondered if thats where you worked part time for a while after leaving the gas burner design job.

Tony

 

[GeorgeBramwell]

You certainly are best placed to know all about Dr Drivel and Big Burner as they are all your alter egos!

How about the Scarlet Pimpernel? You missed him out. BTW, the Mainflow has been around for a very long time. I have fitted many and never had any problems. You are saying all Albion products fail. They make some decent stuff. Quality levels may have suffered lately, if this is common in their cylinders.

 

[simond]

Don't recall you using the Scarlet Pimpernel moniker.

But as your posts go on, there are more and more phrases and expressions that allow me to be sure of your identity. Welcome back, I haven't been called a bathroom changer for a while.

 

[GeorgeBramwell]

Don't recall you using the Scarlet Pimpernel moniker.

My identity is George Bramwell it says at the top. You haven't mentioned Moriarty. It appears that anyone who recommends a thermal store is a Mr Drivel. I cannot understand the animosity towards thermal stores by so called professionals. It is plain as day people here do not understand them with constant bizarre recommendations of unvented cylinder and system boilers and the odd combi when a simple thermal store would be the answer.

I have used them for years and never had any trouble at all with any of them. The new stainless versions are well worth fitting. There are lots of SS versions coming in from the Continent with domed top and bottom sections meaning sludge will not accumulate inside if neglected. People on this forum constantly call them "sludge buckets". I have never come across one that has been sludged up. I have come across lots of boiler's inside sludged reducing efficiency, up and radiators sludged up as well. Newark, Geldhill and others made stores that could not sludge up.

Here is the Newark thermal store. The CH is taken off a coil, connections G, isolating the section where sludge is created, the radiators. I have fitted many of these and the store is heated directly from a vented heating boiler, connections F, with a cheap expansion vessel kit and Alpha pump on the CH circuit. They just go on and on and stores are easy on boilers as no cycling.

http://www.newarkcoppercylinder.co.uk/cylinders/thermal_store/

BTW, I always go for a quality high flow combi if the mains pipe is up to it. If the mains is not then an accumulator and a combi. If a higher flow than a highflow combi is needed then a thermal store. I find it difficult to justify installing an unvented cylinder these days. They also have far too many call-backs for my liking. Times move on, move with them.

 

[picbits]

Doing what he is doing may allow contaminted water from the store into the coil.

I think this is the most important sentence in this whole thread.

If you are getting mains fed water being pushed into the store due to a leak, by switching off the feed from the cold water supply, you are running the risk of the contaminated heating water being fed through your hot tap. It may only be a small bit or it may be a large amount.

You may or may not notice it until you start feeling rather ill ......

 

[mickyg]

I have never come across one that has been sludged up.

thats because you sell them, you don't repair them. I have seen hundreds sludged up. Especially the Boilermate II that was the worst, despite being one of the more reliable in terms of component failure. Stop talking out yer rear end and pretending to be an RGI. We all know your a salesman.

 

[Norcon]

I have seen hundreds sludged up

Yeah , probably installed by bathroom changers and maintained by dim wit rgi's who can't be bothered to powerflush or inhibit the system.