Swift Flow 80 problems.

[mal2000]

hello,

I've been reading up on posts regarding this boiler as we have one and it's playing up and has been for some time in certain areas.
I'm worried as our list of problems seems to include most if not all of the other problems listed in the forum.

1. Pilot light will not stay on. Working fine one day last week, next day went out and will not stay alight.
2. Hot water from taps but only when heating is on. On the odd occasion you may get hot water from a tap when the heating is off you require and very slow flow, and it doesn't last for long.
3. We have recently experienced noise from the boiler and vibration in the pipes, even after bleeding all the radiators. Turning down the temp on the radiators seemed to stop the vibrating.
4. The pressure in the system fluctuates quite a bit between 0.5 and 3 bar. We often add water to raise the bar when going lower than 1.
5. Last year the heating wouldn't come on, we called a local plumber who replaced the 'thermistor' and found some dry joints which required soldering. It worked again but he said he wouldn't expect the soldering to last. (He wasn't familiar with the boiler.)

So I guess my question is, is it worth pursuing these problems, I understand these boilers are quite old. I guess we could we end up spending a lot of money to find/fix the issues, and possibly still face more?

Any advice on the best course of action would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Agile]

Well I can identify at least two faults but I could only fix one of them until someone can tell me how to access the EXV pressure valve.

Clearly you have allowed the boiler to get into quite a state rather than getting it repaired properly.

I cannot answer your question. Its up to you.

I am sure that I could sort everything out for less than £220 but I am not sure how easily you will find someone else willing to do that.

That boiler is getting a bit old but the basic design is quite good and very reliable. Its just as good as any other non condensing boiler apart from the inconvenience of a manual reset o/h stat inside the combustion chamber and the over sized case.

Tony

 

[mal2000]

Thanks for the quick reply.

When it broke last year, we did get it fixed. Admitted the hot water from the taps has been an issue for a while, but the plumber said he couldn't fix that one - perhaps a second opinion would have been in order. The other issues are recent, hence the post.

Thanks for your thoughts on the boiler, it is reassuring that you think it is a quite good design and generally very reliable.

As we are in Northampton and I believe you are in London, I think it might be better to get a local person in, in case of further issues, as you say we need to take better regular care of it, and we would like to find a local person we can rely on.

 

[scatmanjohn]

I wouldn't chuck any money at it i i were you.

Get yourself a new one before the winter

 

[Agile]

Needing to put CH on to get DHW is as a result of a failed diverter valve.

In your boiler they are standard generic types but on your model we are happy to repair them and charge £106 inc for that with a service. Its not so much a repair as a maintenance item as they will all fail after 5-7 years.

Thats such a common fault that its very odd that your fellow could not deal with it. ( I now see that he was a plumber rather than a boiler engineer! )

Tony

 

[mal2000]

Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Da-Bop Indeed.

It's the big question hey! Will eat up a chunk of cash to get it done no doubt, but at least we'd know it worked and was covered for a while.

I really don't know what the sensible thing to do is.

 

[nickso]

there isnt a diverter in a swift flow

 

[mal2000]

Tony,

Thanks for clearing that one up for the HW.
Yes he was a plumber - so you are probably right in thinking he wasn't up to the task.
Edit: Just found the invoice for the Work, he was in fact a CORGI registered Gas Installer. anyway doesn't help me now!

 

[namsag]

Was about to say same thing Nickso... Agile your not by any chance ripping people off for parts that are not required.

 

[mal2000]

Nickso,
Really, grrr man. So it sounds like i need to find a Swift Flow 80 expert? Are there other oddities which could be found? (if the lack of a diverter is an oddity)

 

[nickso]

Nickso,
Really, grrr man. So it sounds like i need to find a Swift Flow 80 expert? Are there other oddities which could be found? (if the lack of a diverter is an oddity)

dhw flowswitch would be one place to start

 

[Agile]

Oops, sorry! Yes of course the Swiftflow does not have a diverter valve!

It uses a flow switch low down on the left hand side!

Thats an even easier part to check and replace because you can easily test that its failed by removing its plug and shorting the two wires together*** to get the boiler to fire up and prove the switch has failed. They sometimes just need cleaning inside.

Tony



*** One trainee I had was asked to do that by telephone and joined the two wires on the switch together!!!

 

[mal2000]

Thanks for everyone's help so far. I'm collating the info I've found in this thread and elsewhere on the forum as a list of possible solutions/causes.

Pilot Light not working
EDIT: Replace thermocouple
EDIT: Could be seal underneath the Pilot pulling air in as fan runs
Could be the overheat stat.

System pressure rises and falls.
The Pressure Vessel needs repressurising.

Little or no hot water form Taps
Could be down to the Flow Sensor.
or
Board connections broken.
or
A scaling problem in the heat exchanger.
or
Cold water inlet maybe throttled down by previous owner.
not
a diverter valve, it doesn't have one!

Noisy boiler (not always noisy mind!)
Pump may be warn.
or
Crud settled in the heat exchanger.

Can anyone add to my list? I've also mailed Glow Worm for a pdf version of the manual as someone else was able to obtain one that way.

thanks again
Mal

 

[nickso]

pilot light sometimes goes out because the seal underneath it is pulling air in as the fan runs..

i would replace the thermocouple first off anyway.

 

[Soggy_weetabix]

there isnt a diverter in a swift flow

hear hear

David

I see Tony has see the error of his ways.

This is an edit