Does the Potterton Promax Ultra 40 Boiler have a filter to release water?

[jameslpool]

Hi, Does anyone know if the Potterton Promax Ultra 40 Boiler have a filter to release water, if the pressure it too high?
Or do I just have to release some from a radiator?

On using it again for the first time this year for heat, the same thing has happened that happened last year.

Basically, I can't have the pressure above 1.2 or the boiler goes nuts when the heat is on and ends up going upwards of 3.0 bar which leads to it just repeatedly turning off and on and giving error messages saying the pressure it too high.

When this happened last year I got it services and mentioned this, as I was of the impression I should be able to set it to around 1.5 bar, but he couldn't find any issue, and just said don't go looking for issues that aren't there.

I have the radiator temp on the boiler set to 68c.

Will it just be the case, this boiler just likes a low resting pressure, probably about 1.1 is what i'd need to set it to.

The only reason I asked about the water filter is because when I repressurised after bleeding the radiators, it accidentally went a bit over what I wanted, and wondered if there is an easy way on the boiler itself to release water?

Regards
James

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Basically, I can't have the pressure above 1.2 or the boiler goes nuts when the heat is on and ends up going upwards of 3.0 bar which leads to it just repeatedly turning off and on and giving error messages saying the pressure it too high.

There should be a Pressure Release Valve, which opens at around 3 bar, to release pressure, and an Expansion Vessel, which is designed to allow the water to expand into it, as it expands due to temperature.

Pressure increasing, that much, suggests the EV is not doing its job. It is like a small bomb shape, one pipe in, and a tyre type valve, to pressurise it with air. Inside is a diaphragm, with air on one side, the water on the other. If the diaphragm fails, you get water out the tyre valve, when pressed. It may just need to have air pumped into it, with a normal tyre pump.

 

[terryplumb]

Pressure when system is cold at just over 1 bar is fine.
Your EV ( expansion vessel) probably needs attention. Do you have a large system ,how many radiators ?
Drop the system pressure from radiators bleed valve.

 

[jameslpool]

We have 11 radiators and 3 towel rails.

This exact scenario happened this time last year, and the expansion vessel was mentioned back then. The guy that come out to look at it said it was fine though, I think he set my radiator temp a bit lower though before he left, but i wanted them at around 70c and think he switched them to about 65c or lower.

I was just trying my system before with the resting bar pressure was showing as 1.2 and about 5 mins after putting heat on, I'm getting E117 error pressure to high.

If it is the EV are they expensive to replace?

If i set the temp lower, to around 65 or lower, and it's then fine, would it be that the temp was just too high and causing this issue, i have read a lot of articles on radiator temp, and up to 70c seems like whats recommended though.

Regards
James

 

[terryplumb]

The EV most likely just needs recharging ,( not replacing ,which is costly) ,and you can probably recharge it yourself,if you know exactly how to do it.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

This is what the expansion vessel looks like, most often blue or red in colour - https://www.diynot.com/diy/media/expansion-tank-jpg.108577/

 

[ianmcd]

Is your boiler a Promax ultra combi 40 ? if it is your expansion vessel needs recharged but you cant do it as the expansion vessel is within the combustion chamber of the boiler, and I wouldnt be using the person you got to service it as they should have done it then

 

[jameslpool]

Yes that is my boiler, there is a plumber coming soon to look at it today.

 

[jameslpool]

Guy has been out, there was no pressure in the EV, so he's sorted that.
He said there's no sure way to know there's not a very slow leak in some way, so if in weeks / months it does t again, we will look at replacing the EV.
He did test the pressure in the EV after about 20 mins, and it was still what he has set it to, so that sees great.

He recommended I turned the temp down from 68c to around 60c as it probably won't be in condensing mode at 68c, but the rads might be a little cooler, but would prob save a good bit more money.

I was wondering, though, if I was to test some different settings, how exactly do I know if the boiler is in condensing mode or not?

James

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

He recommended I turned the temp down from 68c to around 60c as it probably won't be in condensing mode at 68c, but the rads might be a little cooler, but would prob save a good bit more money.

I was wondering, though, if I was to test some different settings, how exactly do I know if the boiler is in condensing mode or not?

It's the temperature of the water which is returned (Return) to the boiler, which determines whether it runs in the efficient condensing mode, the lower, the better, but below 45C. The cooler the flow (Flow) from boiler, and the more heat is dissipated via radiators, the better.

So, basically - if you set that Flow as low as is acceptable to you, the more economically you can heat your home - though you may need to tweak it up, in really cold weather conditions. Some integrated control systems, like mine, can automatically adjust the Flow temperature, so as to maximise the economy.

 

[jameslpool]

Thanks for that, so in general, the next time the heat it on, if I look at the return temp, if it's around 45c or less or will be in condensing mode and set up pretty well to also save money?