Vaillant ecotec plus 418. Many problems.

[ScottishGasMan]

did the 4 series not get the 2012 update?

If you mean the modulating/mass air flow sensing gas valve then no it didnt, it stayed they same up until they ceased production for the ERP boiler.

I'm curious to know if the ally 400 is any good - does anyone know if they've sorted the modulation gremlins out?

Been in production since August and I've yet to be called to one for a repair so they seem to be going well. No Idea on the numbers fitted yet.

Different PCB/Software/Hex/everything so there should be no issues with modulation, although the old 400 never really had any issue as far as I know, yet to see one fitted according to the instructions (re: pipe/pump sizing and layout) have any issue with modulation or otherwise.
Although in general Ali Hex gives a boiler quite a bit more tollerance to flow rates etc (within reason)

 

[Dan Robinson]

If you mean the modulating/mass air flow sensing gas valve

No mate - I meant the new PCB with pretty coloured plugs

 

[ScottishGasMan]

Nooo Same old PCB (had software changes over the years) but no nice colours

 

[Dan Robinson]

In which case I owe @bernardgreen an apology. I'm big enough to admit I was an a7se in this instance.

 

[EricTheFedUp]

Whats everyones best guess. Water and heating set to timed, heating was on last night but the water
was cooling down. Before i went to bed i switched the water onto always on leaving the heating
on timed. Normally i switch it back to timed but forgot last night.

Today lovely scalding hot water and no heating?

Winner gets a free one year service plan with the Npower muppets that cannot seem to
fix it. Cannot or maybe just cannot be bothered?

If i dont get a satisfactory answer the boiler may accidently fall off the wall and out of the window.

Or i could pull it to pieces and sell it on ebay? Wait for the complaint that i sent them a faulty part?
That sounds like a plan

 

[TCCHeating]

Whats everyones best guess

It will be either a wiring or controls fault. I would be very surprised if the boiler has anything to do with it at all. As everyone has said before it should be simple to diagnose by using basic step by step electrical fault finding methods.

Ps. If I win can I have some beer instead of the n power service plan? Cheers

 

[mogget]

As above, it will be the controls not the boiler.

Do you hear a regular ticking sound from the motorised valve sometimes?

 

[bernardgreen]

In which case I owe @bernardgreen an apology. I'm big enough to admit I was an a7se in this instance.

Apology accepted

Do we know if the link between 3 and 4 was removed or is the boiler still being affected by its own "intelligent" control section which cannot make any sensible decisions as it has no valid input data from the Q bus.

 

[Dan Robinson]

That would not cause these problems.

 

[EricTheFedUp]

Well, some so called supervisor came around and almost agreed with me that it is not working as it should.

BUT tried to blame some of the issues on the room stat being too close to a radiator. Its only slightly more
than a door width away and 49" if measured. Yet the old stat worked fine for 18 years in the same
position.
And tried to blame the temperature markings on the stat as not being accurate and the manufacturers
should not put them there. I know nothing of these heating systems but i doubt a modern stat would
be 7 degrees out?
When i explained that the stat was set to 17 degrees, yet the rooms were well over 22 degrees and the
boiler was still firing, when i switched the boiler off and turned the dial it clicked at the 22+ degree mark.
So it seems the stat knows the temperature but the boiler is not taking any notice of it.

And another issue noticed since then, for some reason the pump seems noiser since they fitted the new boiler
and i seem rather sensitive when its running. I hear a humming noise and check the boiler and it shows
the pump as not being switched on. Yet when i went into the cupboard the pump is indeed running.

So now it seems it doesnt know if the pump is running or not???

Is there anything here that i am wrong about and its normal?

Electrician is coming out again on Tuesday, this is their final chance before it gets formal
and i start checking my power useage since they fitted the thing.

Why me?
Thanks.

 

[EricTheFedUp]

Well i am still FEDUP. The guy was great went through all the wiring and it appears to be switching what it
should when it should. Yet the valve near the tank is either on water only or heating only. It doesnt seem
to want to goto the middle position and have both heat and hot water.

The room stat was shutting the boil off when i turned it down, it wouldnt switch the boiler off when i set
it to 17 one evening and the room temps were over 22/23 degrees I turned that down but teh boiler
kept heating so i had to switch it off manually.
That appeared fine today, although we didnt leave the heating on to heat the whole house.

The saga contines on thursday with the heating engineer and the electrician.

PS the link wire had been removed.

 

[stardanny]

Can you do this check? This is to check if control system is working ok.

Starting from cold, with all to off and all stats down.

On the programmer, switch hot water to on. Anything happen? If no, good.
On the hot water cylinder stat, turn up the stat till it click. Do boiler and pump run and the heated water is going to cylinder flow connected? If yes, good.
Turn cylinder stat down, do the boiler stop, and pump (pump over run) continue to run for a few minutes then stop? If yes, good.

Switch off hot water on the programmer.
On the programmer, switch on heating to on. Anything happen? If no, good.
Turn room stat till it click. Do boiler and pump come on and the heated water is going to radiators? If yes, good.
Turn room stat down, do the boiler stop, and pump continue to run for a few minutes then stop? If yes, good.

From cold, on the programmer, turn both hot water and heating on.
Turn both hot water and heating stats on.
Boiler and pump come on, heated water should spilt up and going to hot water and heating. Is it working?
Turn down room stat, heated water should stop going to radiators.
Turn down cylinder stat, boiler should stop and pump continue to run for a few minutes then stop.

If above are not working as should be, the motorised valve will be the problem. It could be pipework issue or wiring issue.

Please let us know what happening on Thursday when they come visit you.

Daniel.

 

[EricTheFedUp]

Even more still Fedup, Plumber and electrician changed the valve again, and changed the programmer and
still no worky.

EDIT: they replaced the valve in the airing cupboard and the timer/programmer to the old original
style one and still no fix.

They said they need to come back and check every single wire.




Will reply to stardanny below...

 

[Agile]

DP has a high regard for those who work for HAs.

Maybe he needs to fly in to sort you out?

 

[TCCHeating]

Even more still Fedup, Plumber and electrician changed the valve again, and changed the programmer and
still no worky.

This is getting a bit ridiculous now. I really feel for you eric. How many replacement valves, programmers etc have they thrown at the system now?

Must have practically renewed all the controls twice over ffs!

Who are the so called plumber and electrician? Chuckle brothers spring to mind!

They are never going to fix a wiring fault by just replacing parts.

I almost feel compelled to come around to your house with my multimeter and properly fault find the system for you free of charge. Just for my own gratification