Sludge in heat exchanger affecting temp sensor ??

[davidzzx99]

>Obviously you consider he is intellectually inferior

Nooooo ...

>and in just this instance I think that you are right

Oh OK then, Yesssss ...

>You would not be having to ask these questions about a very basic problem if he knew what he was doing

I'm sure the *problem* is very basic - it's just the *solution* that's elusive

 

[ironman1]

Hope you get it sorted David................................i'm sick of hearing the likes of RGIs on this forum beating their chest thinking their the best thing since sliced bread , WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? , also feel everone else is inferior to them , GET A GRIP FFS....................yes i'm an RGI but i sure don't beat my chest & talk down to every guy that comes on this forum....................if it was'nt for the likes of these guys WE would'nt have a buisiness.......respecting the customer goes half way towards winning the contract/job.

 

[Tibbot]

if it was'nt for the likes of these guys WE would'nt have a buisiness.......respecting the customer goes half way towards winning the contract/job.

The OP is not an existing or prospective customer of anyone here. The advice is also free so you tend to get what you're given.

The alternative is of course for the OP to pay for as many people to visit as have expressed opinions on here. You can then arrange, with the OP, to observe them and rant about their customer service as much as you wish.

 

[ironman1]

The advice is also free so you tend to get what you're given.

quote]

So this gives us the right to be rude & obstinate?.....................along with 'look @ me i'm an RGI'..........bullshit.............

 

[Tibbot]

The RGI's or anyone else can write what they want within the rules of the forum. I don't see any rudeness on this post.

 

[matt1e]

So no-ones checked simple stuff like if the cold feed is blocked. Do rads and hot water cylinder get hot cos' if so it can't be heat exchanger.

Hi, thanks for your quick reply. I'm sorry, I don't know if he's checked cold feed blocked. All rads & HW cylinder certainly do get hot. I'm not thinking the heat exchanger is completely blocked, just silted up enough to prevent the temp sensor from getting hot. It just seems weird that the temp sensor is no more than slightly warm. The Potterton guy also said something about putting in heat conducting paste - pls excuse my ignorance, but would that be around the heat sensor in its hole ?? Doesnt it seem a reasonable conclusion that a heat sensor that's not getting hot, not triggering the boiler thermostat, and so letting the boiler run too hot, would cause the vent pipe to flush out ?? Thanks & best wishes !! David 07739-314261

Well sound reasoning on tibbots part and you did answer the question, so good so far

but then

Coat the sensing phial with the heat sink compound. Try testing it in jug of hot water.

Did you try putting the phial in hot water?
this will tell you if the stats ok, you don't need any heat sink compound/ heat transfer paste to test this
Because I'm with Tibbots reasoning with this, if the rads and the hot water are both ok its unlikey to be the HEX

so

It may be overheating and boiling over
how hot are the surfaces of the rads or flow and returns of the cylinder (when HW calling)?

or

So did they or did they not check whether the cold feed to the heating is blocked ?

it may be restrictions in the system pipework and pumping over

Same question essentially; why would you change the heatexchanger, is it leaking?

same reason you would change a perfectly good cylinder stat

David, you can ask for advice on anything you like on here, but why ask for, then ignore perfectly good advice?
I think you have made your mind up that its the heat exchanger and thats your decision
so..............

change/powerflush/descale the heat ex

sorry couldn't resist, but seriously you need to assertain if the problem is venting over or pumping over

Matt

 

[Agile]

Hehe ... imagine your car was skidding in the wet, and you noticed the tyres were worn low, and you went on a car forum to ask for some "friendly" advice about where to buy new tyres, and they just kept asking you if you'd had your steering checked

xx

That would be very good advice because wrongly adjusted steering and camber angles can make a car more likely to skid on wet surfaces.

If there was still some tread on the tyres then that will still give a resonable adhesion and make skidding unlikely at normal speeds.

By the way, even if your thermostat pocket was not getting so hot beause the flow and return were reversed then the stat would still do its job but just at a lower temperature setting.

As a matter of interest just why dont you want to check the flow and return connections are correct. All you have to do is to identify the flow connection from the handbook and see if thats the hottest pipe when the boiler is firing?

Diagnosing a fault requires systomatic tests. You cannot find a solution until you have determined exactly what the problem is!

Tony

 

[davidzzx99]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your messages, I really do appreciate your help.

I do find it odd that some guys think a non-heating-professional can't apply a common sense approach - fault-finding can be tricky, but it's not unique to fixing a heating system - of course, I dont have the specific experience you guys have, so I dont have the intuition to "know" what's happening.

But after I'd said that "we" had found a clear area of fault that would cause the symptom observed, you kept saying the fault was somewhere else - which I find a bit odd. I say "we" because I had to point out to the engineer 3 times, the boiler thermostat clicking way too low before he accepted that wasn't right & would cause the symptom.

Latest news !! Engineer's boss came out late yesterday afternoon. The engineer had said the heat sensor wasn't getting hot enough so it would be sludge in the HEX preventing heat transfer. Boss was suspicious of this, so when he came out, he did the "sensor in cup of boiling water" test & the sensor was fine !! Which is great news of course. They will now replace the thermostat/sensor unit which "hopefully" will do the job.

Tibbot, I didn't realise that asking for advice on here was such a "bad thing" to do - I do acknowledge this is my first (and hopefully last) enquiry, and that I have contributed nothing, so I deserve nothing - I have no intention of asking round all local heating engineers, nor of ranting about customer service - what an odd thing to suggest ??

Matt1e, thank you for your kind message - but "you can ask for advice on anything you like on here, but why ask for, then ignore perfectly good advice?"

Because, along with the heating engineer, we had clearly identified a problem area that would cause the symptom - I'm making no claim to have detailed knowledge of heating systems (tho I've learnt a lot these past few days) but it seems common sense to me to concentrate on that, rather than on other possible causes.

I will confirm when it's fixed, but I'm confident, and yes I am "feeling lucky" !!

Thanks again & best wishes !! David xxx

 

[adlplumbing]

just out intrest can u ask does the magnet on stop tap work as i only seen idea in theory

 

[DP]

OP, check the flow pipe and return pipe for temperature difference. Also check the pump.

Contrary to what has been said, sludge can cause the boiler thermostat to behave in the manner you indicate.

Get the guys to check not guess.

 

[bengasman]

just out intrest can u ask does the magnet on stop tap work as i only seen idea in theory

Methinks there is not much chance of magnetite in the stopcock.

 

[Agile]

Hi Guys,

Latest news !! Engineer's boss came out late yesterday afternoon. The engineer had said the heat sensor wasn't getting hot enough so it would be sludge in the HEX preventing heat transfer. Boss was suspicious of this, so when he came out, he did the "sensor in cup of boiling water" test & the sensor was fine !! Which is great news of course. They will now replace the thermostat/sensor unit which "hopefully" will do the job.

Thanks again & best wishes !! David xxx

You spoke about an owner using common sense but you dont seem to be displaying much.

Two of us have asked you to check the flow and return temperatures which takes all of 30 seconds. But you dont bother!

As you have said above the boss checked the sensor in boiling water and found it works fine.

So very oddly you then say they are going to replace it and YOU think that will solve the problem! Just how can common sense indicate that replacing a "working fine" sensor will cure any fault?

Tony

 

[Tibbot]

Tibbot, I didn't realise that asking for advice on here was such a "bad thing" to do - I do acknowledge this is my first (and hopefully last) enquiry, and that I have contributed nothing, so I deserve nothing - I have no intention of asking round all local heating engineers, nor of ranting about customer service - what an odd thing to suggest ??

I hope your concentration when your engineer explains things is better than when you read. The above comments were aimed exclusively at Ironman 1.

 

[davidzzx99]

Tibbot, I didn't realise that asking for advice on here was such a "bad thing" to do - I do acknowledge this is my first (and hopefully last) enquiry, and that I have contributed nothing, so I deserve nothing - I have no intention of asking round all local heating engineers, nor of ranting about customer service - what an odd thing to suggest ??

I hope your concentration when your engineer explains things is better than when you read. The above comments were aimed exclusively at Ironman 1.

Not true - you referred to the OP, which I assume is me.

 

[davidzzx99]

>You spoke about an owner using common sense but you dont seem to be displaying much.

Cheers, mate !!

>Two of us have asked you to check the flow and return temperatures which takes all of 30 seconds. But you dont bother!

You have no idea whether I bothered or not

In fact I did try & you won't be surprised to hear the pipes are connected fine, and no one has sneaked in thru the air vent in the dead of night & swapped the connections

>As you have said above the boss checked the sensor in boiling water and found it works fine. So very oddly you then say they are going to replace it

Not odd at all - the sensor tested fine, in that it's reporting the correct temp to the thermostat, indicating a problem with the thermostat - therefore the thermostat will be replaced, but since I believe the heat sensor comes with the thermostat, they're being replaced as a unit.

>and YOU think that will solve the problem

Yes I do actually

>Just how can common sense indicate that replacing a "working fine" sensor will cure any fault?

See above

Sheesh, this is HARD WORK