Fire Valve Problems

Only a few years ago a FEL Thermostatic Fire Valve was fitted to protect my oil fired boiler. It was successfully tested OK at each service but has just failed continuously tripped off and cannot be reset. It has to be replaced!

I spoke to Keraflo/FuelStop who took over the FEL product range to try and find out why the valve had failed after such a short time. Their view is that it has failed due to exposure to excessive sunshine in the recent heat wave!! This has resulted in overexpansion of the bellows inside the valve and permanent damage has been caused which is now preventing it being reset. Certainly the valve felt very hot to the touch when I last checked it.

Keraflo advised me to fit a 'sun shade' to protect any replacement product. This all strikes me as ridiculous, and is certainly not mentioned as an issue in any installation or environmental information I have seen. Teddington assure me that their KBB valves do not suffer from this problem so that's what I shall be using as a replacement (albeit with some changes to fittings).

Has anyone else come across this problem with the FEL product? OFTEC were not aware when I contacted them.

I have always used Teddington KBB valves without problem.
Valves very rarely fail.

Oftec are a parasitic waste of space! They will not criticise any PAYING manufacturer.
They also bestow the title of "Oil Technician" on any imbecile that forks out the couple of grand for assessment & membership every 5 years.
After years of checking fire valves using a kettle and thermometer, I am told that this is too dangerous so I must spend £200 on a tester.
I am deemed competent to use a blowtorch for soldering and also incidently a kettle for making tea. But not for testing a valve.
I told them where to shove it last renewal.

Keraflo/Fuelstop also told me that their valves should not be tested with hot water as if this was above the trip temperature of the valve (e.g. a 72 deg C one) it could/would cause permanent damage. Perhaps this is also behind OFTEC's guidance to not use boiling water.

Why the cloth?

Can you not just pour cool water over them?

Tony

My testing of the 95 deg C FEL valve using hot water was just as careful with heating stopped as soon as the valve tripped (and surely 100 deg C water shouldn't damage a 95 deg C valve!). The valve functioned perfectly for the whole last winter - it's just the recent hot weather that has blown it. I have not read any guidance anywhere about keeping these valves out of the sun!

Agile said:

Why the cloth?

Can you not just pour cool water over them?

Tony

Click to expand...

I suppose it comes from the practice of cooling / cleaning residues on fittings after soldering.
It is not about cooling the phial as much as preventing the latent heat from increasing the temp.

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