Vaillant ecotek 824 - leaks from water sensor

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Hi,

My first post and it's a traumatic one!

So my builder installed a brand new Vaillant ecotek 824 and during my first real use of it (a hot laundry wash) it sprung a pressurised leak (more like a spray) and dumped a heap of water on the brand new kitchen and the flat below.

Turns out the rubber ring (washer?) between the aqua sensor and a pipe didn't hold properly (was still intact though seemed to have been pushed out slightly). All the water also killed the fan which was replaced by a Vaillant repairman.

Now, the new rubber ring has given way too - again looks like its been pushed out of the position it was sealing. Luckily I caught it within 20 seconds so no damage this time. The thing is, this time the unit wasn't on and was even turned off at the wall. Also, because they never adequately explained how it happened the first time and because I haven't been living in the place I'd been keeping the mains water off. I'd only had the mains back on for 2 hours before the newest leak.

So any ideas / suggestions on what this may be?

Thanks!
 
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Hi,

So my builder installed a brand new Vaillant ecotek 824 and during my first real use of it (a hot laundry wash) it sprung a pressurised leak (more like a spray) and dumped a heap of water on the brand new kitchen and the flat below.

Thanks!

Boilers are meant to be fitted by qualified gas safe registered people, not builders!

How is it going to be notified to Building Control?

Has the Benchmark Certificate been completed?

I have not heard of any problem before with the seal you seem to be describing. Most boilers are rated up to at least 6 Bar water supply pressure. At the Vaillant premises in Kent they told me the pressure goes up to 10 Bar at night.

Without knowing for sure whats failed then I would say that a proper investigation needs to be done and that would start by measuring the water supply pressure over a 24 hour period with a recording device.

Can you post a picture indicating exactly where it failed?

Tony
 
Boilers are meant to be fitted by qualified gas safe registered people, not builders!

How is it going to be notified to Building Control?

Has the Benchmark Certificate been completed?

I have not heard of any problem before with the seal you seem to be describing. Most boilers are rated up to at least 6 Bar water supply pressure. At the Vaillant premises in Kent they told me the pressure goes up to 10 Bar at night.

Without knowing for sure whats failed then I would say that a proper investigation needs to be done and that would start by measuring the water supply pressure over a 24 hour period with a recording device.

Can you post a picture indicating exactly where it failed?

Tony

Thanks for the response.

I wasn't clear in my first message. My builder is gas safe registered - I found him on the gas safe site (and I did due diligence on him and his company before I engaged him). My understanding is that building control have been notified of the boiler installation and commissioning although I am yet to confirm this with them. I was due to receive the Benchmark Certificate (and he, my final payment to him) on the day the boiler first developed the leak but due to the misadventure this hasn't happened. I will ask to see this ASAP.

I will post a picture in the morning.
 
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Here are some pics of the component. Apologies that they are not incredibly clear.

The boiler installer believes he knows what happened. There's a metal y-shaped clip that clamp the aqua sensor in place with the water pipe. He believes he may have left it in the wrong position - ie so the Y is upside down (which seems to allow the pipe and sensor some give) rather than on its side (which seems to lock it all together nicely).

From the photos, you may be able to make out the Y clip on its side. The night before the mishap, I remember noticing that the Y was upside down. So the current position is after the water spray - presumably it forced the clip to move.

Sounds plausible?

 
I would consider a complete freak fault. I've never known this fault and I've seen very many ecotecs.
I cannot see how the orientation of the click would affect the problem as the profile of both aquasensor and pipe are the same around their circumference.
 
Had a flow sensor fail under warrenty Vailant fitted new sensor within 24 hours sprung a leak.Another vailamt engineer apologised and said clip was wrong orientation and had moved under mains pressure no problem since fitting clip correctly.
 
Although not on this model, I have encountered push in rubber seals which have apparently been partly pushed out of the groove during assembly and than later the water pressure pushes the rubber further out until it leaks.

Thats why I usually dry and silicone grease the outside of the ring before pushing it in.

Tony
 

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