The Infamous Potterton Profile 50e

Hi all,

I've read numerous threads on here regarding the title and i'm taking there not the best. I hope somebody can help me with this.


Shortly before xmas I was posting on here regarding having problems with my central heating. Basically I added a couple of new radiators to the system one in the loft and one replacement radiator in the bathroom. After in stalling them I proceeded to treat and fill the system back up but was left with no central heating. After about 10 days trying to sort the problem and worrying that my pump or mid valve had gone the central heating came back on, however all the radiators were not getting as hot as before, but still the heating was miraculously back and the wife was happy again.

Fast forward 4 months to now.
Last weekend I tried to sort the radiators that weren’t getting really hot, I thought if I drain the system and treated it may clear some sludge in the system. I shouldn’t have bothered basically, because my messing has caused all the CH to go off again.

My problem is that I have had 2 specialists round to look at my CH, both are giving me different feedback, but I am not initially convinced with both of them. 1 is saying that I need a complete system blast/flush with a power flusher and the other is saying that my pump has gone. I am very sceptical about both these analgises as I know all the components on the system are working due to them miraculously coming back on last time. The room thermostat is communicating with my midway valve, the header tank is full and all the radiators are fully bled. For the last week every second day the trip button trips underneath the boiler which I have to reset but the boiler only fires for about 2 minutes then turns off.

The system seems to be effected by me emptying the system and refilling! Has anybody got any experience of this type of boiler system. Could it be air anywhere other than in the radiators? Say on the entrance to the boiler itself? If so how do I get it out. I’m thinking that it might be air pressure as well,. PLEASE, PLEASE help, the wife is driving me mad and I don’t want to pay for work that is not needed as I think it’s a simple problem to fix.

Kind Regards


Dan

Sounds like you have probably fried the pump by running it with the system full of air.

ollski said:

Sounds like you have probably fried the pump by running it with the system full of air.

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Hi ollski, thanks for the reply, but no. I didn't run the system full of air. When I drained the system I made sure that all power to my bolier/pump was off, until the system was back full and bled!!?!!

Sounds like it could be the pump still. Why didn't the guy who said that change it?
Profile is one of the best boilers ever produced. You read so much because there are so many of them and they last such a long time.

If your boiler is tripping, it is overheating due to a circulation fault. This is caused by air, insufficient water, sludge causing partial blockage or bad pump.

OK, F&E tank is full, you have bled radiators but have you bled hot water primary circuit? Is there an upstand bleeder on the feed into the cylinder after the motorised valve? Sludge; when you open a low point drain valve and with the MV set to manual (mid position) does the water come out clean? Pump; Have you bled the pump, does the pump respond to speed changes, is it noisy, does it vibrate?

Why are you draining the system? To flush out system leave F&E supply on and set MV to man. Make sure fill rate is greater than drain so as not to introduce air.

Ronald0 said:

If your boiler is tripping, it is overheating due to a circulation fault. This is caused by air, insufficient water, sludge causing partial blockage or bad pump.

OK, F&E tank is full, you have bled radiators but have you bled hot water primary circuit? Is there an upstand bleeder on the feed into the cylinder after the motorised valve? Sludge; when you open a low point drain valve and with the MV set to manual (mid position) does the water come out clean? Pump; Have you bled the pump, does the pump respond to speed changes, is it noisy, does it vibrate?

Why are you draining the system? To flush out system leave F&E supply on and set MV to man. Make sure fill rate is greater than drain so as not to introduce air.

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Hi Ronaldo, I drained the system to put the treatment solution in.

I haven't bled the hot water primary circuit.

I have bled the pump a few times by opening the centre screw.

When i open the low point, the water is clean!!

The pump is not firing at all at the moment, the mid valve is but the pump seem is connected to the boiler which isn't firing as well. But going back to my original problem the pump wasn't working then, however, came back on after a few days.

mickyg said:

Sounds like it could be the pump still. Why didn't the guy who said that change it?
Profile is one of the best boilers ever produced. You read so much because there are so many of them and they last such a long time.

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Hi Micky.... he didn't change it because I didn't go ahead with it, i don't think it's the pump I think it's something else because the pump does work when i get the boiler firing.

how would i bleed the hot water feed again? You mentioned it's after the mid valve?

Dannyg78 said:

how would i bleed the hot water feed again? You mentioned it's after the mid valve?

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The mid-position valve will be fed in from the pump. One exit from the Tee will go to the rads, the other to the cylinder coil. Find this one and about where it enters the cylinder there should/may be a vertical upstand with a bleed valve on top.

If there isn't one you could loosen the union to the cylinder to let any air out.

Dannyg78 said:

Hi Micky.... he didn't change it because I didn't go ahead with it, i don't think it's the pump I think it's something else because the pump does work when i get the boiler firing.

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Does that mean that he came to you examined the system and then had to go away unpaid?

We alweays charge for diagnosing faults!

Its always possible there is a fault in your boiler which is causing it to fire up without powering the pump. Thast easy to you to check.

If that was the case then you could always power the pump from another supply.

However, I expect he is right and the pump is stickling.

It will be less likely to stick if you turn it the the maximum speed setting.

Tony

Ronald0 said:

Dannyg78 said:

how would i bleed the hot water feed again? You mentioned it's after the mid valve?

Click to expand...

The mid-position valve will be fed in from the pump. One exit from the Tee will go to the rads, the other to the cylinder coil. Find this one and about where it enters the cylinder there should/may be a vertical upstand with a bleed valve on top.

If there isn't one you could loosen the union to the cylinder to let any air out.

Click to expand...

Will have a look !! cheers buddy

Agile said:

Dannyg78 said:

Hi Micky.... he didn't change it because I didn't go ahead with it, i don't think it's the pump I think it's something else because the pump does work when i get the boiler firing.

Click to expand...

Does that mean that he came to you examined the system and then had to go away unpaid?

We alweays charge for diagnosing faults!

Its always possible there is a fault in your boiler which is causing it to fire up without powering the pump. Thast easy to you to check.

If that was the case then you could always power the pump from another supply.

However, I expect he is right and the pump is stickling.

It will be less likely to stick if you turn it the the maximum speed setting.

Tony

Click to expand...

Hi Tony thanks for the reply,

He charged me 30 bucks call out like.
If you look at my images the pump i have doesn't have anywhere to change the speed!!

Are you quite sure that there is no speed adjustment on the pump? Super 4 would make me expect to find four speeds!

Its a very old pump anyway and very likely to be failing/sticking so it would not surprise me at all if it was the problem.

I do have to say that you have one of the most untidy systems that I have ever seen. It might not affect how it works but just how it looks.

Tony

Did you do that plumbing yourself? it looks shocking. The picture of your pump has a black section below it where the wire goes in, this will be where your speed adjuster is.

Is there power at the pump? is the pump running? to check remove bleed screw on it and put a screwdriver inside.

I must reiterate what others are saying it definately sounds like a pump issue.

Very good value to attend to diagnose the fault and only charge £30 when we would charge £84 !

But perhaps he would have charged another £120 to replace the pump whereas we would have only charged about £65-85 depending on make fitted.