Help needed with fault diagnosis -Ultimate 50FF

[bbbriann]

Hi all, Could someone help diagnose this fault please.
Fault - radiators take ages to get warm (can not get hot enough).
Water taking a long time to warm up.
System - glow worm 50FF boiler, conventional hot water tank, with header.
14 radiators - 10mm microbore pipe, 14 yrs old.

I guessed it was sludge or a new pump needed. so flush currently in progress.. however...

The boiler lights fine, the main burner flame is very small .. aprox 15mm
like a stove on simmer.. is this correct as I can touch the cast water heat exchanger in the boiler (just), & touch the water pipes that exit the boiler.
I recall them being much hotter than this even at the pump last year.

Also the boiler is on all the time, I would expect it to trip if flow was low & the boiler was working.

Should the flames be bigger ?
Could it be a gas valve issue ?
Should I continue with the flush (Sentinel 400 in system)

Any ideas welcome. Thanks.

 

[heatingman]

for your sake, your famillies and your neighbours I would strongly advise you to call on the services of a competant RGi to check over your boiler. Messing around within the combustion area and burner/gas setting is not a DIY job.
From your description there is evidence of a problem which needs investigation.

 

[namsag]

check that main tap on meter has not been partially turned off

 

[bbbriann]

check that main tap on meter has not been partially turned off

Checked the tap (main & boiler) both are fine.
Gas fire & hob are also fine.

Checked electric supply. I get 4 neons, there is also 240V to
the solenoid for the pilot & shortly afterwards to the main burner.

I have a new pump on order, in case its very poor flow.

anyone got any more ideas befor I try to find an expert or BG.
?

 

[Jezzy]

Sounds like a gas valve problem, get an RGI in.

 

[bbbriann]

Thanks for the advice.
Before I call the gas man,, can you expain why you think its the gas valve ?
A few other threads point to problems with the solenoids.
Is it worth changing the main burner solenoid ?
What instruction does the gas valve get to go from low to high ?

I looked at the neighbours boiler which is very similar, this starts at low & goes high after a few seconds.


If its not worth it, do you know a good RGI in the Warwick area ?
& should I ask him to bring a gas valve with him ?

Thanks again.

 

[Agile]

You do seem very reluctant to call a good gas engineer!

All I can say is that I dont know any bad ones in that area.

I did have a nice meal at the Castle Balti last Wednesday though.

Tony

 

[Jezzy]

you put
The boiler lights fine, the main burner flame is very small .. aprox 15mm
This could be the solenoid though, so i'd get an RGI in to be sure.
Not sure if you can buy a solenoid on it's own though, it comes with the new gas valve.
I had a similar problem on a Worcester 240 and was in the process of changing the gas valve (which i'd been told to go and change), when my team leader came through the door, looked at what i was up to and took the solenoid off the new gas valve and put it on the old gas valve, and it worked ok.

 

[gassafeman]

Call Transco (or Southern Gas Networks roud this way) on 0800 111 999.

Could be a meter / governor fault. If it is, it will be repaired FOC. Unlikely as the hob / fire appear fine. Just a thought.

Regards

Paul

 

[bengasman]

This is not something that can be diy-ed, and as such we do not give safety critical info on the forum; you must get a RGI to sort it out.