Alpha 240E does not like cold weather-fine when weather warm

[Treena]

Be very grateful for some help on behalf of my friend - she is no good on computers!

Her boiler stops working every time the temperatures plummet and starts working on its own, once the temperature rises.

She does not think it is a condenser boiler (we believe condensers can have the problem due to the outlet pipe freezing).

Apart from the obvious problem that on the day she needs the heat the most, it does not work, she is also planning on going away and is worried that if it does stop again, because the temp drops, her pipes might freeze and burst - is that likely?

She did have BGas out, but by the time they came out the temp had risen and it was working fine. They could see nothing wrong, but then it has done it again since.

Is this a known problem with the Alpha 240E?

Any help really appreciated.

Many thanks

Treena

 

[accelerator]

Hi

Firstly, I'm no boiler expert. However, I Googled Alpha 240E for you and it does appear to be a combination boiler.

The fact that it stops working during cold weather does suggest that this could be related to water freezing somewhere. Whether that might be when leaving the boiler or before getting to the boiler, I couldn't say. However, I do know that water freezing in the waste condensate pipe of a combi boiler can shut the boiler off.

Rgds

 

[accelerator]

Regarding the pipes bursting in cold weather, it's hard to say without knowing the exact plumbing system. However, a pipe bursting and then causing water leak damage is not impossible.

She needs to work out where water is "sitting" in a pipe that is exposed to low temperatures and take remedial action. Pipes underground don't tend to freeze.

You need to worry about a frozen pipe bursting in a position where when it thaws, water will be under pressure again, as that will cause the leak.

Rgds

 

[Treena]

Thank you for your reply accelerator - are there non-condenser combi's because she seemed pretty certain that although it is a combi, it is not a condenser combi?

 

[accelerator]

Not sure. I looked on the Alpha Boilers site and found the below. Don't know if it's the right boiler though.

http://www.alpha-innovation.co.uk/c...o Installation and Servicing Instructions.pdf

Rgds

 

[Treena]

Thank you accelerator; had a look at the manual - maybe the steam that goes down the pipe, if the over-heating valve kicks in, turns to water when it hits the cold air outside and flows back down the pipe?

She's going to ring BGas tomorrow and ask if that is a poss scenario, so thanks for the link.

Many thanks

Treena

 

[muggles]

Accelerator, in the nicest possible way I think you're causing more confusion than you're creating help on this one, might be time to quit


Treena - where is the boiler fitted? Is it in the house or in a garage / other unheated space? If so, are the pipes insulated? If your friend leaves the boiler on overnight once it's working, does it work continue to work in the morning?

 

[Reyserf]

Is there any red lights illuminated? Can she hear the fan running?

When the boiler starts up the upper most red light should light up momentarily, if it stays on then there is a problem with the fan or with the air flow switch.

I have the same boiler and occasionally had a similar problem where the air flow switch sticks. A sharp blow with a screwdriver handle served to free it off. However a new switch assy can be found for £30 or so BUT this requires the boiler combustion chamber cover to be removed for fitting and should only be done by a competent person.

^^ This assumes that the red light comes on AND stays on!