POTTERTON COMBI 8O-YES IT'S STILL GOING

[kerjak]

Hi,

Quick update again, heating engineer has visited again and he is now saying it's a circulation problem. Pump is trying to pump water rouns system but it's sludgy so thermostat then cutting in and putting flame light out.

Recommends a clean.

 

[Agile]

Ok, quick update. Have turned off main water supply and heating seems to be working. So, what does this mean?

Thanks.

So has it sludged up in the last day?

It may well be sludged up but all my expectations are that the diverter valve is sticking/not moving/being cooled by hot water leak.

Tony

 

[kerjak]

Tony,

According to 2nd engineer with new pump being fitted it may well be "pumping" better that old one and it may have disturbed sludge.

I am certainly no expert but all rads have been turned up to max for the past couple hours and some are stone cold others are warm and boiler doing the same flame light not staying on for more than a minute at a time.

I'm thinking he may well be onto something, would a diverter valve have same symptoms as this?

Thank god our 8 month winter seems to be coming to an end.

Cheers.

 

[davebgas]

Agile



Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 45606
Location: London,
United Kingdom
Thanked: 2486 times
Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 12:20 am
No Dave, the pump is designed to run on HW thats right.

But it still gives HW if the pump is NOT running!

Not for long.... It'll soon overheat!!!

 

[Agile]

Most of those that I encounter have been working for most of the summer with the pump not working!

 

[Agile]

Tony,

I am certainly no expert but all rads have been turned up to max for the past couple hours and some are stone cold others are warm and boiler doing the same flame light not staying on for more than a minute at a time.

I'm thinking he may well be onto something, would a diverter valve have same symptoms as this?

Cheers.

I would say thats exactly the same symptoms as a faulty diverter valve.

But what happens if you turn off the mains water into the property???

Tony

 

[davebgas]

Me thinks I've dropped a clanger... Thinking of the wrong model

 

[kerjak]

Tony,

I am certainly no expert but all rads have been turned up to max for the past couple hours and some are stone cold others are warm and boiler doing the same flame light not staying on for more than a minute at a time.

I'm thinking he may well be onto something, would a diverter valve have same symptoms as this?

Cheers.

I would say thats exactly the same symptoms as a faulty diverter valve.

But what happens if you turn off the mains water into the property???

Tony

Tony,

Have turned off mains water and heating still works.

 

[Agile]

So what conclusion have you come to?

Tony

 

[kerjak]

So what conclusion have you come to?

I've purchased some fernox super concentrate cleaner which I'm going to put in this weekend, leave for a week and flush out next week and then add some inhibitor.

I'm still not sure what relevance turning off mains water has as heating still works when off. Can someone explain this please?

If above doesn't work I'll get the back out to check again as it's under insurance cover. Won't have wasted anything as probably needs cleaned anyway and it might solve problem.

Cheers.

 

[twgas]

I'm still not sure what relevance turning off mains water has as heating still works when off. Can someone explain this please?

If you have a dripping tap (or even a very small leak) the cold water entering the boiler is enoughto cool the wax capsule in the diverter so preventing heat going to rads.

 

[kerjak]

I'm still not sure what relevance turning off mains water has as heating still works when off. Can someone explain this please?

If you have a dripping tap (or even a very small leak) the cold water entering the boiler is enoughto cool the wax capsule in the diverter so preventing heat going to rads.

Mick,

Thanks for reply. I'm not getting this I'm afraid.

My heating should still work if mains water turned off as it's a sealed system. Shouldn't it?

How do you mean dipping tap? Hot or cold, any or both? As for leak, do you mean on heating system or mains cold water supply?

How would could water enter boiler? I thought this could only happen via filling loop?

Could you explain a bit more?

Thanks.

 

[twgas]

If The drip/leak is on the hot tap/supply cold water will enter the boiler from the main to replace what has dripped out, this cools the wax in the diverter valve which means the CH port of diverter is kept closed and prevents rads heating.
Turning cold main off stops cold coming into boiler preventing this cooling effect.
It has nothing to do with the fact heating is sealed and is seperated from tap water.

 

[Agile]

Have turned off mains water and heating still works.

So if the heating is working with the mains water turned off then what do you see as your problem?

Or if you may be having problems understanding these questions then does the heating work properly with water supply turned off?

I would remind you that this is what you said in your first post:-

Have noticed recently when boiler turns on the flame light only comes on for about 45 secs and then goes off for about a minute and a half and then it keeps repeating this pattern.
Cheers.

Tony

 

[kerjak]

Have turned off mains water and heating still works.

So if the heating is working with the mains water turned off then what do you see as your problem?

Or if you may be having problems understanding these questions then does the heating work properly with water supply turned off?

I would remind you that this is what you said in your first post:-

Have noticed recently when boiler turns on the flame light only comes on for about 45 secs and then goes off for about a minute and a half and then it keeps repeating this pattern.
Cheers.

Tony

Tony,

Think i'm getting it now, apologies for being a bit thick sometimes.

Yes I did turn off mains water and heating still worked i.e. came on anyway. Didn't check if my initial problem was still happening though i.e. flame light only staying on for 45 secs or so(that's the thick bit.

I will turn off mains again and double check, if it works ok i.e. flame light stays on for a while then it looks like diverter valve. Would this be correct?

Drained system today and water that came out was pretty clear to be honest, so don't know if sludging/circulation was the problem. Boiler still did the same thing when starting up flame light on for short periods and off for long periods.

Strange though once it's been on for a few hours the flame light seems to stay on for longer periods.

Stuck a couple of tubes of fernox cleaner in and will flush out and put some inhibitor in next week anyway.

Thanks again.