circulating pump over run

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what does over run mean (in the case of a c/h circulating pump)?
should a circulating pump over run?
if so, why? (or why not)

my particular system is gas fired independent CH & HW, wet open vented.
 
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When a system shuts down the pump runs on to remove the heat from the main heat exchanger to prevent overheating and possible damage to boiler components. This over run period is controlled by either the PCB or on older boilers the main boiler thermostat. Modern boilers have low water content heat exchangers and would absorb all the residual heat and suffer damage if pump over run was not a part of the controls. Some older boilers with cast iron heat exchangers have no pump over run, as well as some modern Baxi boilers. These heat exchangers tend to be larger and able to cope without it.
What make model boiler do you have?
 
potterton suprima 40. it does seem to have connections for "pump" but they are unused. the pump is controlled ultimately by the aux switches on the zone valves (and indirectly by the stats, then at the top level by the time programmer)
the boiler has had an upgraded Siemens PCB after the original pcb packed in.
 
The pump should be connected to directly to the terminals marked PUMP LNE on the boiler. If not, then you have no pump over run.
 
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Yes, it was looking that way from the wiring in your EP2002!

It's a smallish boiler so less likely than some to damage itself by overheating, especially if you don't run it with the boiler thermostat set to max. I doubt you did that, since you didn't have a room thermostat. Little Suprimas don't seem to suffer when (mis)wired this way. Overrun stats were introduced originally only on larger models of some boilers.

You're wasting some energy, because when the boiler goes off the heat exchanger is sitting there slowy heating the atmosphere instead of your house, as are the underfloor pipes etc. With an overrun thermostat connected, the pump would typically run on for a minute or two, with a small boiler. By that time the room stat might have brought the boiler on again anyway, or not, depending... Room stats variously "pulse" on and off. That might sound odd but systems work well like that for donkeys years with no problems.

It needs an extra wire between the boiler and (in your case) your programmer's wiring. So it's tediously commonplace that installers don't bother to run one when doing a cheap replacement boiler job.
It's also common to find the wire's there, but the installer didn't use it (deep sigh emoticon!).


I just remembered you have "S" plan - so if the pump "runs on" there's nowhere for the water to go, when the call for heat is removed (the valve shuts). So without doing something else there's no point connecting overrun. It would have to get more complicated... If it's working, I'd leave it.
 
thanks very much for these informative replies: I fully understand now.
Ive just successfully fitted an RF room thermostat, it will be very interesting to see how this improves efficiency.

next question: the circulating pump has 3 speed settings. Is there a rule of thumb for setting it?
 

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