Creda Comfortaire

My son has a flat in Bournemouth which is heated by a Creda Comfortaire system. This is a large (12kw) centrally located storage heater type system with duct work leading to each room. It heats up overnight using the Economy 7 tariff and the heat is controlled during the day via a thermostat which controls the fan. He is now having trouble with it as it does not appear to be heating up over night. This seems like the wrong way around but it does make perfect sense, the high current feed which feeds the heating elements has a rating of 50A and is fed from the 24 hr supply. The much lower current circuit is from the off peak only supply. This is effectively a control circuit. So, the 50A supply is on and available all the time, the lower current circuit is coming on over night as it should be. I can test during the day by connecting the low current 'control' circuit to a 24 supply using an extension lead. So, when I apply power to the control circuit, I can hear the relay click and can detect 240v across the output of the relay, above the relay is a thermal relay. The thermal relay has four terminals. I think that two of these are a live an neutral which get fed from the relay when the off peak supply is energised. The other two terminals are for the switching function of the thermal relay as one permanently has 240v on it. What is strange is that the terminal that is the live that heats up the bi-metal strip for the thermal relay only has 240v on it about a minute after the off-peak supply is connected. When it does have 240v on it, I can see the electric meter wizzing around so I know that it is then working. However, a minute or so later, the 240v that heats up the bi-metal strip drops to zero. This indicates to me that the thermal relay is working fine which is a relief as a replacement is around £150. So, I guess it could be the relay but not easy to test this as the wires are 50+ years old and I don't want to mess with the relay too much. There is another small component above the power and thermal relays but it's quite difficult to get to and I'm not sure what it is. I've added pictures of the power relay and thermal relays.

So, I'm now a bit stuck. Can anyone please help with any of the following questions:

- Any ideas on how to continue troubleshooting would be gratefully received.
- I suspect I will have to get someone out to take a look. However, my worry is that these are now 50+ years old so will need someone with pretty specialist skills. Can anyone advise how best to find someone in the Bournemouth area who will have experience with these units ?
- If it is terminal, I know you can't replace these units as they stopped making them decades ago. As the flat has all the ductwork installed and a big centrally located cupboard where the Creda unit is located, is there any like for like system that could be installed (no gas in flat) ?

Many thanks in advance.

Steve

I don't know, but the brand might be Comfort-aire with a hyphen.

For Electricaire, there are a few companies that specialise in parts and repairs, it might be similar for yours.

Hi John. Thanks for your reply, it is Comfortaire, no hyphen, and Electricaire! See attached.

Steve

Hello Steve. I have only just seen your post while searching for something else. Have you got your heater sorted yet? I have worked on these for years, carry most well used spares and have wiring diagrams etc. Your post suggests that the unit is heating, as the meter is whizzing round. Your deduction skills, assuming you are not an electrician, are brilliant. I suspect your problem is the economy 7 signal wire that you energised via a plug top, is not working. Have you checked the fuses are ok and indeed is the fusebox turned on! (Been caught with that one before many years ago LOL) Another problem that would match your issues is a change of electric meter with no economy 7 option, or the meter is not changing over to night rate and sending the signal to the heater to charge. You can check this by recording the reading of the night units during the day, and see if they have moved overnight when you recheck. Even a fridge running would record some useage. If the reading does not change you have found your problem according to your diagnoses above.

Message me back if you need help. My mobile is 07770518952. Be lucky...Doug

Many thanks Doug. Are you the Doug Broad that did an apprenticeship with Seeboard between 1979 and 1983 ?

I did eventually fix the issue but ended up having to replace both thermal relays and the core thermostat.

Hi Steve, Yes I am he!!! You have me at a disadvantage, but I am suspecting a Glynn or a Curtis?

Mate. We shared a room at Aggie's for a year. How the hell are you ? I guess we should take this off the forum ? What a small world.

We have a Creda Warmaire heater which has always been pretty effective and economical to run (still is) but it has developed a habit of tripping the RCD when shutting down, I tried fitting a new room thermostat and that hasn’t worked, it fires up fine, warms the house and then plunges it into darkness when it shuts down more often than not, has anybody got any ideas please?