How to clean dirt collected inside boiler?

[underwurlde]

Hello,

This is the diverter valve removed from my Glow Worm 30cxi Condensing boiler:


It was the cause of many problems which I have now sorted out, but would like to keep it as a spare.

The failure of this valve was caused by a build-up of dirt which had caused the valve actuator shaft to cease up:



Question therefore if I may: Using household goods, what is the best / most effective way to clean this gunk off please?

BTW, what IS this gunk, where does it come from?

Thanks in advance,

Andy

 

[Gasguru]

Chuck it in the bin....the quality of these diverters is dire.

The slightest muck in the system will cause them to leak. It's not uncommon for the actuator motor drivers on the main pcb to burn out too to it's just not worth risking it...pcbs are a rip off.

Consider cleaning the system water though.

 

[mfarrow]

The gunk will be rust from radiators and pipes.

Perhaps try some rust removal gel?

 

[Gasguru]

Now I remember that you were the clever poster that reverse engineered the pcb....and indeed found the H bridge drivers had failed.

I'm guessing Vaillant choose to cheapen the design or future proof the design by using individual drivers rather than a more robust purpose designed driver. It's also entirely possible Vaillant just subbed out the pcb to the Chinese, unaware of the junk design....Vaillant lost the plot years ago and have sunk to a new low, everything is cheap cheap cheap and really poor quality.

It's interesting to note that Vaillants first venture into steeper motor diverter design was on the Turbomax Plus. They used a quad driver.... the L293DD from ST. The diverters very rarely leaked but they often seized up (especially the initial design). Despite being seized solid the drivers never fail (or at least I've never come across failed pcbs).

 

[easyflow]

Try flushing the system fitting a magfiltre/scale reducing unit then add inhibitor

 

[Agile]

For "steeper" read "stepper" !

Whilst the Vaillant div drivers don't fail when they get jammed, I have read here that they can fail when water has leaked into the div motor.

Tony

 

[underwurlde]

The house that this boiler is used in was purchased only 5 months ago. It was apparent from the second we moved in that there were problems with DHW and central heating.

It was immediately apparent upon looking at the exposed pipe work inside the boiler that there had been an on-going problem with it for some time as quite a lot of lime-scale build-up in and around the diverter valve could be seen, indicating an on-going leak somewhere. As a pure guess, judging from the amount of lime-scale build-up this (small) leak had been present for over a year, more than likely longer than that.

I note that alternate versions of this boiler use a lovely brass diverter valve such as that used on the EcoTech Pro:

Niiiice! I wonder if this would fit in my boiler....

The diverter valve used in my boiler is made of ABS plastic <- I'm not worried about the use of plastic parts, but it does represent an obvious cost-down exercise. Seeing the same thing in car engines now too however this DOES worry me

Whilst the Vaillant div drivers don't fail when they get jammed, I have read here that they can fail when water has leaked into the div motor.

For the diverter valve in my boiler, the actuator motor assembly was as dry as a bone.

Thanks again all, most helpful as usual,

Andy

 

[Gasguru]

All the Ecotec diverters were originally brass....and they were all prone to leakage on the spindle gland.

Just accept that Vaillant (and much of German engineering) is not quality orientated....they just have an excellent marketing department and have and continue to fool the World

 

[wannocks]

The insides of the brass version are the same as the plastic one. They are all sensitive to crud in the system.