Faulty programmer or boiler having problems?

[TheGman83]

Hello,

I'm having an issue with my system since coming back from holiday (during which time the programmer was set to 'off' for heating and hot water but nothing else changed).

The problem is that the boiler runs normally for a period of time but will then shut off, and no amount of button pressing/resetting will bring it back on - until the following sheduled programmer event (e.g. if it stops in the evening it will not come back on until the morning).

For example, this morning the boiler ran normally from 5:30am to 7 (both heating and hot water). In the evening the programmer is set to bring the heating and hot water on at 5:30pm. The hot water goes off at 6:30pm and the heating is supposed to remain on until 7:30pm. This evening the boiler came on as normal and was running for a good 30 minutes at least. Radiators got nice and hot and there was hot water. When I looked at it again at 6:45ish the boiler was off (programmer still 'on'). The radiators had cooled down quite a bit. I checked the thermostat but the 'click' was a little way below the selected temperature.

This odd behaviour has been happening for the last week or so. Whilst thinking about it I remembered that about a week ago I noticed the programmer was a day behind (Sunday instead of Monday) so I corrected it and thought nothing more of it until now. It hasn't done that before.

Am I looking at a faulty programmer? Or something to do with the boiler?

Boiler: Ideal Classic FF250 (installed 2001)
Programmer: Grasslin Towerchron QE2 (installed 2001)
Pump: Wilo Gold 50 (replaced 2 years ago)
Motorised valve: Drayton MA1 (replaced 2 years ago)
Thermostat: Drayton Combi-Stat (replaced 2 years ago)

Hope somebody can help.

Greg

 

[ollski]

mid position valve.

 

[TheGman83]

I replaced the mid position valve (actuator & valve body) 2-3 years ago as it had seized. This time the valve appears to be okay, but there is a faint buzzing from the actuator - so this is likely to be the fault?

 

[ollski]

Yes sounds as if the actuator is struggling to push the microswitch for heat only, could try farting about with the synchron motor but the best solution is to get a little spanner on the valve spindle and give it a good wiggle to make sure it's not binding and not leaking and then replacing the actuator complete.

 

[TheGman83]

Spot on ollski. I took apart the actuator and one of the plastic lugs that holds one of the springs had broken off, and so the spring was just rattling around inside.

I decided to replace both the valve and the actuator with a Honeywell V4073A. I like the metal body, no plastic lugs to snap!

Everything is now working as it should. Cheers.