Combi and ongoing running bath problems

[rundwald]

Sorry about the ignoring , but I was finding it difficult. Thanks for the explanation. Your comments about manufactures overstating surely could apply to all, as I see similar rates quoted for 30kw by most. Whatever about the boiler that was recommended my searches have shown nothing that will fit where a want it and it has to go in an existing cupboard in the kitchen.

I live near Ringwood with water supplied by Bournemouth and West Hants water. The water is harder than when a lived in North Sussex, and that was enough.

 

[Agile]

Unfortunately the rear flue option makes that boiler fit into a smaller space than any other but otherwise it would rarely be anyones first choice.

We would say choose the best boiler and then design your kitchen around it.

I am not aware of your water being significantly hard by comparisom with other areas where it causes a problem with boilers.

Take great care! I dont think that boiler is going to significantly improve your situation although the cost is quite high. Its only a 25% increase in power!

Tony

 

[rundwald]

The kitchen is there so I am stuck with it but there it is. As to hardness it does deem to vary a lot round here. My daughter's supply about a mile away is better hardness wise than mine. As to changing so many think that Protherm is naff, that my thinking is influenced rightly or wrongly to change.

Perhaps I'd better depart now.

 

[Agile]

I dont disagree with changing the Protherm!

Its just that the GW boiler is not considered a very good one and to significantly improve your hot water you should be looking at a 37 kW model and ideally a storage combi like the Vaillant 937 model which will give 20 litres per minute for 10 minutes and quickly fill a bath.

The 30 kW boiler will be great for showers but not very wondeful for filling baths. Shaving just 25% off the time taken by the Protherm!

If you are spending so much then it would be better to spend just a little more to get much better results.

Tony

 

[rundwald]

Thanks for your advice, but can you think of a boiler that is no bigger than what I've got now,as the scale reducer will have to fit in the same cupboard?

If GW Flexicom is the only option in the end, how much would going to the 35kw add to my cost to change if installer supplied and fitted? I presume labour would be the same

 

[Agile]

The scale reducer can be anywhere on the cold water feed. It does not have to be near the boiler.

A 30-35kW power increase is usually about £50 extra on the boiler.

But a storage combi will give 20 li/min which is very useful floow rate.

Tony

 

[rundwald]

Thanks. With such a small price increase a 35kw seems a no brainer. (Absolutely suitable for me ). By cold feed in re the Combicare you mean after the rising main supply to the cold tap? If so I'd be puzzled where it could go with the kitchen designed as it is: same unfortunately applies to a storage combi.

BTW are there combis that are the same or smaller in width and depth than either the Protherm or Flexicom? My hunting hasn't found any

 

[snb]

if you adamant about using a combi that will fit in the cupboard then perhaps the remeha broag 35c or 39c would be a better choice.

I have fitted a few flexicoms and also the broags. The broags are a much better boiler with internals nearly as good as vaillants.

Price wise they are only slightly more than a flexicom.

The 39c would be able to manage about 50% more than your current boiler.

Otherwise my reccomendation would be to have an unvented cylinder fitted in the house if you had space.

 

[ctp]

just a quick point.. how is the perfomance at the kitchen sink is it ok and only poor at the bath or poor at all points ?

 

[rundwald]

just a quick point.. how is the perfomance at the kitchen sink is it ok and only poor at the bath or poor at all points ?

If anything worse at the bath (located immediately above the boiler down in the kitchen), but it was not particularly good even down there. However at the moment that has become academic, as even at a modest trickle we cannot get HW. The temp indicator rises quickly to 70and then the gasgoes out, comes on, goes out. Heating is OK.

Maybe the ultimate decision is being made for me

 

[Agile]

Your Protherm plate heat exchanger is blocked!

If you would only measure the flow rate from the bath hot tap we would know exactly how your boiler is performing!

Tony

 

[rundwald]

But with the hot not working I can't complete the test, surely.

 

[ctp]

the water flow not temp ,but to me sounds like plate is blocked on the boiler side

 

[Agile]

Your first posting did not say that the boiler was not working! You said the hot water flow is poor and just now you have said it goes hot and cold because of the blocked plate HE.

The flow rate is stil a valid test as it indicates if the existing boiler should be able to heat it or not.

Tony

 

[rundwald]

For clarification the situation changed yesterday to no hot water as per my recent post. It was another poster who suggested it was the heat exchanger.