Alpha 240P combi Boiler

[nesty1760]

Hi All

I have a Alpha Ocean 240P combi boiler. It's about 10 year old now, but been serviced at intervals.

I have a sight prob with it, when I open my kitchen sink hot tap and bathroom hot tap the combi boiler does provide piping hot water. However when I turn on my bath mixer hot tap, I can't really get hot water, unless I turn the tap down to a trickle. It does help turning the thermostat up to max, but surely I shouldn't have to keep doing this.

Anybody have any ideas what it could be?

 

[Gasguru]

This has been done to death but the usual problem is too higher flow on the bath mixer. It is often difficult to gauge the water flow from the large spout.

Set the required temperature at the kitchen sink tap and measure the time taken to fill a large saucepan. Then set the same rate on the bath mixer. You often find you only need to open the tap a fraction of a turn.

 

[Paul Barker]

Set that flow on the adjuster iso valve under the boiler the one on the cold mains coming in somewhere in the middle at the back.

Secondly put a single check valve on each pipe to the bath mixer and to any other mono tap or shower. The manufacturers ones (even if fitted) have a habbit of becoming ineffective. Unless your combi has first call on the cold mains coming in it will always loose in the equilibrium battle at a point where the two waters mingle, thus the clod water will dominate and you will have poor performance.

Excellent boiler. Not it's fault.

 

[nesty1760]

Ok cheers for this. I had heard that these boilers were suposed to be the biz. My Dad got one and made me get one. I must admit I hadn't really had a problem with it, just noticed this with the bath tap only over the last period & wondered what it was.

 

[Paul Barker]

At 10 years old you must have had a couple of diaphragms or surely need them now, maybe full DV overhall (requires two kits one for £30 plus vat one for £18 plus vat includes diaphragms and all seals internal and external required to do the job), system water cleanse and inhibit. Fan might well still be original and working fine but will be required sooner or later. Expansion vessel charge should be checked. If not been routinely seviced some cleaning here and there and checking of pressures required. To keep it in good order for the next 10 years.

 

[nesty1760]

Hi Paul

You have guessed well. Yes I had 2 diaphragms replaced + a sensor. The one that when you turn on the hot tap the boiler struggles to lit or turns off after 30 secs of lighting.

Though I remember the servce enginner pulling water of it that looked like Guiness a year ago and stated it needed inhibiting, but how do you do that on a sealed system? I have no tank in the loft?

Nesty

 

[Paul Barker]

Go to a rad in a room with tiled or linoleum floor. Put painter's roller tray under one end. Shut iso valves at both ends. Drain rad.

Fill through blank where the bleed pin is having made up sopmething to fit which you can poor chemical in using. Wash down with a little water at end.

Best to use good sludge removing chemical as per instructions on bottle, followed by two full refill and drains, finally add inhibitor.

 

[Paul Barker]

I did this for a completely sludged up and wrecked diverter valve only yesterday. having not accepted my quote of £300 for a powerflush (which if you know anything about powerflushing properly was cheap), they opted for sort of treatment outlined above. I went away overnight while the cleanser did it's duty, next day drained and filled drained and filled, filled again with inhibitor. It still cost them £90 plus chemicals, so quite honestly the full powerflush would have been worth it.

I kid you not, a Porsch and TT in the drive, when I quoted £300 for powerflush (which is very reasonable, and was wholely called for) wife said we can't afford it. That was that, most plumbers know when it's time to let ignorance prevail, that's one of those moments.

You've had the cowboys round they can't get your hot water working, you finally get in someone who knows what is worng he fixes it, you then decide to follow your instincts that all plumbers are trying to rip you off and dismiss his advise in your mind. we are not here to convert anyone, you get one chance at the wise choice. that's probably why some of us like answering on here, you guys are genuinly intrested in geting it right, that it is a pleasure to discuss the full implications with you guys without any vested interests.

 

[Paul Barker]

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying you need apowerflush, the one I'm referring to was absolutely caked up crusted hard and all seals perished.