Ideal Classic FF380 - couple of things

[oldskoo1]

Hi just moved into a new house

Ideal classic has been in for a few years, if not 8 years.

Some strange behaviour, our old potterton was balanced flue, this is fan but we have noticed it shutting off after about 7-10mins for around 3 mins before lighting up again. Is this so it can regulate heat? Ie stop itself from overheating or does it sound like a pcb fault?

I have noticed it before switching off after heating, then firing back up but immediately switching off again. It tries several times before stopping. We still get heating and hot water no problem.

Only other thing is when it starts there is a slight rattle for a couple of seconds until I presume the fan is spinning at full rpm. Is this normal for the boiler or an indication of a problem which might explain the behaviour above?

Thanks [/list]

 

[dcawkwell]

Turn the boiler temperature down.
If the boiler is running with central heating on it should be running
until all the radiators are hot. If not it sounds like circulation problems.
Try turning the pump speed to maximum.

 

[oldskoo1]

Thanks

We do run the central heating 24/7 and usually all rads get not as expected.

Interestingly I've just boosted for hot water. Boiler fired up for 5 mins and after 2 mins of switching off it fired briefly, clicked and turned off. Meanwhile pump is still going using residual heat.

The boiler stat is on 6 - I'm guessing these are susceptible to loose calibration at the top end so the boiler switches itself off early?

Update: just as I posted this, heard boiler try to come on 2 more times, both times it clicked and turned off again.

Pump speed is max 3 already and turned down boiler stat to 5. Hot water warmer but not 60c as it should be.

 

[dcawkwell]

Thanks

We do run the central heating 24/7 and usually all rads get not as expected.

Interestingly I've just boosted for hot water. Boiler fired up for 5 mins and after 2 mins of switching off it fired briefly, clicked and turned off. Meanwhile pump is still going using residual heat.

The boiler stat is on 6 - I'm guessing these are susceptible to loose calibration at the top end so the boiler switches itself off early?

Update: just as I posted this, heard boiler try to come on 2 more times, both times it clicked and turned off again.

Pump speed is max 3 already and turned down boiler stat to 5. Hot water warmer but not 60c as it should be.

I would say circulation problem. Boiler isn't getting rid of the heat
as fast as it is producing it.
I would try some system cleaner in the water and a couple of drain downs and refills to see if it improves.
Even on some of the lowest settings on the boiler it should get
the water to DHW to 60 degrees.

 

[oldskoo1]

Thank you

I will give my gas engineer mate a ring as he's coming next week anyway, he can probably sort it then hopefully

Ta

 

[oldskoo1]

Little update

Had my gas engineer round, service and replaced ignition. Boiler does seem to ignite pretty much every time now but i'm not sure if this cutting out is normal.

Just looking for advice on that.

Just a brief description. I checked the last rad in the system, it was full of air, like loads. I bled it and CH pressure dropped to about 1 bar. I topped it back up to 1.4bar / 20 psi.

I also bled the pump but not much there. I also check the pump spindle and it was turning freely.

Boiler fires up when CH wants heat. It stays on for roughly 8 mins before stopping for a 30-40sec break. Then on again for about 5 mins, 40sec break, then again 3 - 5mins, 40 break. Then it falls down to running for 1m40sec to 2mins then having a 40-50 sec break.

It takes an hour or more to raise the temp from 16C to 17.5/18c.

A new hot water cycle from cold takes about 50 to an hour for 210L megaflo.

The house is a 5 bed 3 storey, 19 or 20 rads.

I'm either uneducated about this boiler in how it controls heat and efficiency and need to be more realistic about how long it takes to heat 210L and 20 rads or that this is still cutting off too much.

When it cuts off the outlet pipe doesn't feel what the boiler should produce which is around 77-82c. The boiler is on a tad under max and the pump is on 3.

Pump feels quite a bit hotter than the feed pipe. I.e. i can only touch it for about 2 or 3 seconds but the feed pipe i can hold my fingers against for 12 seconds.

The only thing is the boiler noise when on or when pump still on sounds like trickling water. Think this is air but have no idea how to purge it.

I've experimented with differ boiler settings i.e. setting of 3 or 4 and even pump speed 2, all of these just increase the frequency of boiler cut off so the boiler cuts out quicker and is running for less time and therefore taking longer to heat.