Potterton Kingfisher Mf CFL 70

[stevecaner3546]

If you still want/need help I'm willing to give it another go, but I do NOT want your opinions or guesses at what may, or may not, happen.
If you follow instructions and answer questions with a yes or no, we might just get somewhere.

Hi Mick

That's Ok. I have been trying to follow what you say but things seem to change. Like tonight - been behaving it'self. Boiler lights, green light on, rads get hot then boiler switches off - dead silent. 1 hour later rads cool down. I check boiler and all appears Ok. Turn boiler stat up and it lights so I know that is working (when it does go out (as it did at 09:00 and again at 14:10 the fan keeps running but no heat so I think the system "thinks" it alight and is calling for heat and the pump is running but the main burner is dead.) Turn room stat up from 24 to 26 boiler still won't light. Towel rail stinking hot and water very very hot - much hotter than normal - tank stat not touched.

As I said this guy suggested a new tank and as an engineer with a physisc degree I can see the logic behind his explanation but.. do these just disintegrate suddenly or is there signs of a malfunction earlier.

Thanks

Steve

 

[twgas]

The primary coil can leak, but you should get evidence of it, overflowing tank, if you have any.
overpressurising of heating system if sealed.
dirty hot tap water is possible.

 

[stevecaner3546]

The primary coil can leak, but you should get evidence of it, overflowing tank, if you have any.
overpressurising of heating system if sealed.
dirty hot tap water is possible.

Hi.

It is a vented system. I have a largish cold water tank that only feeds the HW and a smaller tank that is the CH header tank.

CH header tank is about 1/2 full and the ball valve operates as normal when lightly pressed down (so not sticking). HW seems hotter than usual but never having measured the temperature that is only guessing but I could easily touch the towel rail without a "Oh Fxxk - that's hot" measurement.

HW from tap is clear but as it has done in the past after initially turning on in the morning or after prolonged non-use it will run cold (expected) then as the HW comes down the pipes it will "spit and splutter" then run as normal with same force as it always has done - BTW all Cold Water is Mains fed and I mean ALL cold water everywhere - no tank.

Set the system to AUTO last night (both HW & CH) and, apparently, it came on at 06:30 but when I got up to make a cup of tea at 07:46 the boiler sounded as though it was alight but it wasn't and the rads were "cool". I turned the controller to OFF for both HW & CH and waited until I had done the tea and biscuits and let the dog back in - 5 mins maybe 10 mins - then pressed the + 1 hour for CH (which also brings on the HW.).... Boiler from silent - 30 sec. low hum from fan then "click" and green light flashes a couple of times then main burner lights up and green indicator stays on. All appears normal at 08:35 so I pressed the +1 hour again and I wait to see what happens.

Haven't done anything else just switched it off at the controller/timer and back on via the + 1 hour button.

The weird thing is that it is supposed to be a fully pumped system with 2 zone valves so theoretically the HW and CH should run independently but the CH won't energise the boiler - it will only run when the HW is on alone or with CH. The HW valve is controlled by the tank stat and is set @ 120F.

More info than you need but this is the exact situation - no overflow, no dirty tap water, no boiler at times - seems to run for about an hour or two then Pooof! it dies until I switch the system off and restart from the controller/timer.

Steve

 

[twgas]

Doesn't sound as though the coil is leaking.
I would suspect both your zone valves need changing, although HW problem might be the 'stat, CH valve I imagine is stuck.
The programmer is probably just not set up for a fully pumped system, a switch on the back will probably cure this. Can you remove the prog from wall to see if there is a pump/grav or 16/10 switch?
Do you have the means to check for voltage (multi-meter)?

 

[stevecaner3546]

Doesn't sound as though the coil is leaking.
I would suspect both your zone valves need changing, although HW problem might be the 'stat, CH valve I imagine is stuck.
The programmer is probably just not set up for a fully pumped system, a switch on the back will probably cure this. Can you remove the prog from wall to see if there is a pump/grav or 16/10 switch?
Do you have the means to check for voltage (multi-meter)?

Hi Mick, Been there - done that. It was initially set up for a fully pumped system when I fitted the timer/controller 9 years ago. It's a Landis & Staefa RWB9. It replaced a mechanical one that wast there originally that had a broken CH on/off switch. After tracing the wiring - the guy that owned this house was a real bodger - I managed to sort it out and but even though I set it for 3 x day 5/2 days and mode 16 the HW still came on with the CH.

However, it has run perfectly well with the old potterton boiler that sprung a leak and since we had the NEW Kingfisher Mf CFL70 installed (by a CORGI plumber). I had the pump changed 2 years ago and the old pump had a "by-pass" around the back of the iron casing so it was made and fitted to a fully-pumped system.

When this problem first reared it's ugly head I tried everything I mentioned previously but the Thursday or Friday before Christmas the HW would NOT switch off no matter how the programmer was set and that is when I pressed the reset and reset the time and operational times. After that the HW would come on and light the boiler but the Ch wouldn't do anything although the controller idiot light showed the CH should be on. The boiler only fired up when I also energised the HW.

I removed the programmer - 2 x screws and looked at the dip switches which were exactly as I left it 9 years ago (or was that 10 years?) So not trusting the wife to press both HW & CH + 1 hour buttons to get some measure of heat I reset dip switch 5 to mode 10 so the front controls acted as they had been doing for the past 10 years and now I have reset it for 3 x a day 7 days a week as we are now retired and at home most of the time. That is all that I have done with the programmer.

As I said... The boiler will light up after a period of rest - anywhere between 2 mins and 30 mins. It will at some time appear that it is running but with no main burner - it sounds as if it is operating normal but we have a pilot light but no main burner - pump is running and rads get cold. Switch off at controller (or boiler sometimes) wait a few mins and there's a good chance it will light up as normal then again sometimes the green burner indicator will flash a few times accompanied by a few clicks (main burner relay?) and go out - fan and noise is still there - it sounds as if the burner is alight but it isn't as the fan is quite quiet normally.

Head and Brick wall are springing to mind......

Steve

 

[twgas]

the boiler issue will need a RGI to sort.
It wasn't clear in your response if you tried what I suggested or not!!!!
turn CH and HW to off at the programmer.
Do both the valves shut AND boiler go off?

 

[bengasman]

...It wasn't clear in your response if you tried what I suggested or not!!!!...

Fancy a wager?

 

[twgas]

...It wasn't clear in your response if you tried what I suggested or not!!!!...

Fancy a wager?

I say he didn't........how much?

 

[bengasman]

...It wasn't clear in your response if you tried what I suggested or not!!!!...

Fancy a wager?

I say he didn't........how much?

A penny. But only if I can save the other half for double or even on another bet.
Were you a monk in a previous life? This thread is quite entertaining to read, but that is about where it stops for me.

 

[twgas]

I sometimes think I was better behaved than that.

 

[bengasman]

Was thinking more in terms of patience; I simply have no time for people who ask me how to do something, and then argue that they want to do something else.

 

[twgas]

I've been married for over 25 years, I'll say no more.

 

[Agile]

I sometimes think I was better behaved than that. ( A Monk )

That begs the question "Whats a Monk's only pleasure" ?

 

[bengasman]

I got married too, 4 best months of my life.

 

[twgas]

I sometimes think I was better behaved than that. ( A Monk )

That begs the question "Whats a Monk's only pleasure" ?

Nun, except trying to get them out of bad habits.