Condensate pump safety issue - advice needed please

[NeilPalfreyman]

I had a new boiler (a Worcester Greenstar 8000 Life) fitted over the summer (BG). This morning the condensate pipe froze. I've sorted that out and put some extra insulation around it, but I'm worried about the electrical side of things and wondering if I have a wiring issue that needs looking at.

The boiler had been on for about fifteen minutes this morning when my wife commented on how noisy the condensate pump was, and that it was continuously running. I knew this shouldn't happen, so I checked and found that the boiler had completely shut off, but the condensate pump was still going continuously, trying to pump. It must have been like this for five or ten minutes, maybe longer.

The condensate pump unit (a Sauermann SI 1800) was getting quite hot and starting to smell like it may burn out. I stopped it by turning the power off at the switched spur, found and thawed the freeze after which everything has been fine.

What's worrying me is what would have happened if we hadn't noticed or had been out at the time.

Should the condensate pump keep running continuously like it did? Could it have burnt out or even caught fire? It would make more sense to me if it shut itself off too.

Could there be a wiring issue, or maybe I have a faulty pump?

Thanks in anticipation of replies/advice

 

[RandomGrinch]

Should the condensate pump keep running continuously like it did? Could it have burnt out or even caught fire? It would make more sense to me if it shut itself off too.

It sounds like it is just doing its job!
According to the tech specs, it has an auto-resetting thermal cut-out of 105°C,
This sure is toasty, and could cause a warm plastic smell, but shouldn't harm the pump (too much!).

 

[fixitflav]

I had a new boiler (a Worcester Greenstar 8000 Life) fitted over the summer (BG). This morning the condensate pipe froze. I've sorted that out and put some extra insulation around it, but I'm worried about the electrical side of things and wondering if I have a wiring issue that needs looking at.

The boiler had been on for about fifteen minutes this morning when my wife commented on how noisy the condensate pump was, and that it was continuously running. I knew this shouldn't happen, so I checked and found that the boiler had completely shut off, but the condensate pump was still going continuously, trying to pump. It must have been like this for five or ten minutes, maybe longer.

The condensate pump unit (a Sauermann SI 1800) was getting quite hot and starting to smell like it may burn out. I stopped it by turning the power off at the switched spur, found and thawed the freeze after which everything has been fine.

What's worrying me is what would have happened if we hadn't noticed or had been out at the time.

Should the condensate pump keep running continuously like it did? Could it have burnt out or even caught fire? It would make more sense to me if it shut itself off too.

Could there be a wiring issue, or maybe I have a faulty pump?

Thanks in anticipation of replies/advice

It doesn't jump out at me from the Sauermann manual, but I'd expect there to be a level controller in the tank to start/stop the pump, so it doesn't run continuously. If something was frozen up the level wouldn't drop, which might explain it.
Also it says
"If a failure occurs, the pump sends a signal to the regulation box.
The regulation box closes the solenoid valve and stops cold
water entering the boiler.
The heating stays on, hot water is stopped."
Presumably that means a condensate pump failure, but I don't get it. If the heating stays on, condensate is still being produced.

Maybe a chat with Sauermann?

 

[NeilPalfreyman]

Thanks for the replies, both. I found a number for Sauermann and had a quick chat with them. It's expected behaviour, and (as you pointed out) there's a thermal cut out to prevent fire. I must have got to it before it got to that point.

 

[fixitflav]

Thanks for the replies, both. I found a number for Sauermann and had a quick chat with them. It's expected behaviour, and (as you pointed out) there's a thermal cut out to prevent fire. I must have got to it before it got to that point.

So is it meant to run continuously, or start/stop on level? Thermal cut out to prevent fire seems like a last resort!

 

[RandomGrinch]

start/stop on level?

Yup -

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It is probably running continuously, because it is unable to discharge what it pumps, because it's outlet is still frozen. Maybe post some photos of it's outlet system, and some advice can be porovided?

 

[RandomGrinch]

It is probably running continuously, because it is unable to discharge what it pumps,

That was the assumption from the start...

It is not still running continuously!

I stopped it by turning the power off at the switched spur, found and thawed the freeze after which everything has been fine.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

That was the assumption from the start...

It is not still running continuously!

Obviously, advice is still needed, if the system froze.

 

[just pumps]

So is it meant to run continuously, or start/stop on level? Thermal cut out to prevent fire seems like a last resort!

It starts when the water level rises and activates the float and stops when the float drops down, thermal cut outs are a safey device and do what they are designed to do.

 

[fixitflav]

Yup -

View attachment 289118

OK my mistake, I missed that