Baxi Platinum Plus - problems with plate heat exchange

[djo0677]

Hi,

I am having major problems with my baxi boiler - leaking from cold water in on the plate heat exchange. We must have had the same fault 20 times, 2 new floors and 2 new boilers from baxi (or at least they say they are new but the cases have been the same).

We also have a self contained hot water tank that is heated using a zone valve connected to the central heating side.

Baxi are now saying that we need to get this removed in order to carry on getting support from them - but I am not sure this will solve the problem as I understand (and I am no expert) that this would only affect the heating side which has always been fine.

Considering keeping the tank and just replacing the baxi with another product - any thoughts or ideas welcome. Has anyone had experiance of a re-occuring fault with the plate heat exchange, Haetteam seems baffled.

 

[nogoodatfaultfinding]

Hi,

I am having major problems with my baxi boiler - leaking from cold water in on the plate heat exchange. We must have had the same fault 20 times, 2 new floors and 2 new boilers from baxi (or at least they say they are new but the cases have been the same).

We also have a self contained hot water tank that is heated using a zone valve connected to the central heating side.

Baxi are now saying that we need to get this removed in order to carry on getting support from them - but I am not sure this will solve the problem as I understand (and I am no expert) that this would only affect the heating side which has always been fine.

Considering keeping the tank and just replacing the baxi with another product - any thoughts or ideas welcome. Has anyone had experiance of a re-occuring fault with the plate heat exchange, Haetteam seems baffled.

Tell them to get a set of new washers and i garantee this will solve your problem, you have in my opinion a cracking boiler with a cracking setup, just get a decent boiler man in to sort this and get rid of the agro you are currently feeling!!!
The storage tank on the S Plan you talk of is actually on the Hot Water however will not affect the Plate heat in any way shape or form with regards leaks!!!

 

[djo0677]

When you say 'The storage tank on the S Plan you talk of is actually on the Hot Water however will not affect the Plate heat in any way shape or form with regards leaks!!!' What does this mean, I understand the tank has a cold water in from the mains and hot water out which only serves the bath tap. Heatteam have replaced the boiler twice, plate heat exchange must be 10 times at least, I have lost faith in the product as it always, always goes. Do you think that by removing the tank out of the system it will solve the problem?

 

[mickyg]

sounds like you could use an expansion vessel on your cold water inlet to the boiler. It sounds like your getting expansion in the pipework which can cause leaks like what you have described.

 

[djo0677]

They recently fitted a pressure reduction valve to the cold water in to restrict it to 2.5 bar, but again it broke, is this what you refer too?

 

[nogoodatfaultfinding]

When you say 'The storage tank on the S Plan you talk of is actually on the Hot Water however will not affect the Plate heat in any way shape or form with regards leaks!!!' What does this mean, I understand the tank has a cold water in from the mains and hot water out which only serves the bath tap. Heatteam have replaced the boiler twice, plate heat exchange must be 10 times at least, I have lost faith in the product as it always, always goes. Do you think that by removing the tank out of the system it will solve the problem?

No Way, No Chance, No How,

The Plate feed turns cold into hot and wether there is a cylinder involved or not then the boiler does not know this.
Your cylinder maybe holds 3 bath fulls of hot water and again the cylinder nor boiler does not know how much its using.
Please remember that your boiler does not know wether it is running CH nor HW so as per your post it will leak wether it runs a bath or a sink full.
Heatteam let alot of folks down and as i stated i believe only new washers are needed however i am willing to stick my neck on the line and put this on the CC to see what people think!!!

 

[mickyg]

They recently fitted a pressure reduction valve to the cold water in to restrict it to 2.5 bar, but again it broke, is this what you refer too?

No this is not what i mean. A pressure reduction valve won't stop the pressure increasing downstream due to heat expansion. You need an expansion vessel. A mini one may even do it, however i'm guessing the hw tank is unvented? in which case this could have something to do with the problem if there is a fault or an installation issue. It will do no harm to fit a reasonable size EV on the pipework and should cure your problem.

 

[djo0677]

Thanks for your comments, at the moment Baxi are telling me that in order for them to fit a new plate heat exchange we need to get the tank taken out of the loop - I am unsure if it is vented or not.
I guess at this moment I feel I presented with 2 choices:
1. Take out the tank and hope that we dont have the same problem
2. Take out the boiler and get a new boiler and keep the tank.
What would peoples advise be?

 

[mickyg]

i feel im repeating myself somewhat. but er....Fit an expansion vessel on the cold water inlet to the boiler. pretty sure i said that already.................

 

[nogoodatfaultfinding]

Thanks for your comments, at the moment Baxi are telling me that in order for them to fit a new plate heat exchange we need to get the tank taken out of the loop - I am unsure if it is vented or not.
I guess at this moment I feel I presented with 2 choices:
1. Take out the tank and hope that we dont have the same problem
2. Take out the boiler and get a new boiler and keep the tank.
What would peoples advise be?

Listen to MickyG and get a decent bloke round and have a new expansion vessel added to it and i bet it works, probably cost just over £100 at most fitted as well!!

 

[djo0677]

OK, I guess I will have to run this past heat team as at the mement they are telling me to remove the tank and with no hot water (except to the bath) I feel that I am over a barrell.....as they may invalidate the warrenty on the boiler.
P.S. Do you know anyone in this area, I live near Stalybridge?

 

[rojaca]

Ihave a sneaking suspicion that your hot water cylinder is an unvented system that is being heated indirectly by your blr. I also suspect that form what you have said the dhw to the blr is perhaps being fed either from the cylinder or is perhaps teed in somewhere on the hot water. I would suspect that the faults that you are experiencing are perhaps to do with this.

NGFF i would imagine that somewhere in the twenty visits (if this is correct) one of the engineers may have thought to change the washers at the same time as the plate.

 

[kernow]

What Mickyg said . All WB combis fitted must have cold water exp v fitted or guarantee invalid ( dif' boiler I know but for same reason ) .

 

[djo0677]

Ihave a sneaking suspicion that your hot water cylinder is an unvented system that is being heated indirectly by your blr.

I do not know it is vented, it has a small copper release valve at the top which sometimed oushes air out. Applarantky there is somekind of flow control value under the bath which diverts hat water round a pipe in thecylinder to heat uo the water temprature is not to required and then back roulnd the heatince once the tank is hot. I grain the tank andthe whole things starts again. that works like an absolute drean and in the event of heat exchanger blowing out this 1/2 of the install workperfectly, still heating and hot water for the bath/schower mixer tap(could this tap cause any problems at it appears the only place it could potentially get onto the boiler?.



I also suspect that form what you have said the dhw to the blr is perhaps being fed either from the cylinder or is perhaps teed in somewhere on the hot water. I would suspect that the faults that you are experiencing are perhaps to do with this.

What is dhw? how could I test the above lodgic.

NGFF i would imagine that somewhere in the twenty visits (if this is correct) one of the engineers may have thought to change the washers at the same time as the plate.

If you mean the black O rings yes they have been changed and we ar en around our 10th plat heat exchange. - I have seen those black O ring slit into 2 hence why Heatteam seem to thing it has ben presure related and fitted the retricture.

Whit a clearer picture if the flex preventor still the way to go next would you say

 

[rojaca]

Looking at the m.i's and having read what mickyg and some of the other chap's have said, then I would be looking into whether or not expansion is able to take place in the cold main. If you have a look at the manufacturers instructions regarding this there is a good illustration of what MickyG has written above.