Ask a plumber/heating ‘engineer’ anything

[Scabutz]

I have an Ideal Logik + boiler and a PRT3 wireless stat and programmer. On the front of the boiler there is a dial for low temp, it has an e symbol about 3/4 of the way round and detent. This seems to be at a setting of about 80c which seems high as most stuff on the internet says combis should be run at 60-65.

However, when I turn that dial it scrolls a message saying Set point Xc is being controlled by programmer. Is the programmer overriding the flow temp?

[KTF]

Do you have the ideal weather comp accessory fitted?

[Scabutz]

KTF said:

Do you have the ideal weather comp accessory fitted?

I dont know, its a rental so was here when I moved in

[A500leroy]

Washing machine.


After a few days of none use, it fills itself with cold water.

Had a plumber out to check the main valve on the pipework, all ok.

Could it be high water pressure when the weather was cold, or is there another valve leaking inside the machine?

[cliffords]

A500leroy said:

Washing machine.


After a few days of none use, it fills itself with cold water.

Had a plumber out to check the main valve on the pipework, all ok.

Could it be high water pressure when the weather was cold, or is there another valve leaking inside the machine?

Yes there is a valve as the flexible pipe enters the machine. It opens and closes with an electrical signal , more like a solenoid.
They can get a bit of dirt in them and then not fully close .

Turn the tap off fully on the supply and disconnect the flexible pipe at the machine. Have a look and see if it's failed to fully close .

[pacenotes]

Just about to buy a place and its my first time with a hot water tank.

Old thing with a boiler beside it and a pump in the showers.

I hate the shower pumps, The water pressure is rubbish.

I like the idea of a tank as I want to go solar which could heat it up in the summer

But the shower pumps put me off.

Can you put a pump at the tank end to increase the pressure and get rid of the showers?

Or get rid and get a combi?

[EAuserUK]

Need to replace a shower pump, 46500.
Bought one described as the 46500, but it's actually 44420.
Will it work?

[tegwin]

pacenotes said:

Just about to buy a place and its my first time with a hot water tank.

Old thing with a boiler beside it and a pump in the showers.

I hate the shower pumps, The water pressure is rubbish.

I like the idea of a tank as I want to go solar which could heat it up in the summer

But the shower pumps put me off.

Can you put a pump at the tank end to increase the pressure and get rid of the showers?

Or get rid and get a combi?

A system boiler with a direct hot water tank (thermal store) would make more sense. That way you get mains pressure hot water for your shower and you can use wet or PV cells to heat the tank with immersion heater or heatpump.

[Regbuser]

The 46500 is 2 bar pressure, the 44420 is 1.5 bar pressure, so it won't feel as powerful.

[EAuserUK]

Maybe there are different versions? Defunct 46500 and replacement 44420

[Regbuser]

Hmm, well, if they're both rated at 2 bar, then happy days

[dhutch]

Vaillant EcoFit Pure 825 making a funny noise?

https://youtube.com/shorts/WhmcYc2rMDE?si=uLoxTK11...

Thoughts welcome....

[bmwmike]

I've been planning on replacing my 1980's ideal Mexico open vent with a new system boiler and invented cylinder, primarily as I need the space that the existing tanks occupy as the system works flawlessly at the moment.

I've found that my incoming flow is only 16lpm and the water company confirmed that this is also present on the supply side of the meter, so no point upgrading the plastic incoming main etc.

So I'm stuck with 16lpm. Water board chap did say he'd try and get something sorted as my pressure is 3.5bar, so he reckoned I should get 25lpm, but there may be a constriction on the water board side but as they are only obligated to supply 9 lpm it's unlikely they'll fix it.

Don't want an accumulator.

So I am thinking if I put a combi in, and then if the supply issues get sorted, I could add an unvented cylinder to the combi?

Not sure what kind of performance I should expect, not much I guess with that flow, but I've got 3 showers, 1 bath, 16 rads.

Any other options from a heating engineering standpoint or am I basically screwed? Thanks

[Trustmeimadoctor]

Most normal non storage combi's can't supply 16lpm at a 30c rise

You will need 40+kWh usually or a storage combi for more

Some very efficient combos and do 17lpm with like 32kWh but very few and far between

[bmwmike]

Trustmeimadoctor said:

Most normal non storage combi's can't supply 16lpm at a 30c rise

You will need 40+kWh usually or a storage combi for more

Some very efficient combos and do 17lpm with like 32kWh but very few and far between

Sorry, not sure I follow... So can't even stick a combi in? I'm not expecting 3 showers to run at same time. I've had 5 quotes for an unvented and system boiler and only one expressed a concern at the incoming flow rate. Am I wrong in thinking 16lpm is fanciful to consider a unvented?

So no combi and no unvented, I'm stuck with either an accumulator or a pumped gravity system, which I've got now...

[Lincsls1]

Yes, you could put a combi in and yes, you could then install an unvented cylinder later on if you decided to. A combi can be made to work like a regular system boiler very easily.

[Trustmeimadoctor]

bmwmike said:

Trustmeimadoctor said:

Most normal non storage combi's can't supply 16lpm at a 30c rise

You will need 40+kWh usually or a storage combi for more

Some very efficient combos and do 17lpm with like 32kWh but very few and far between

Sorry, not sure I follow... So can't even stick a combi in? I'm not expecting 3 showers to run at same time. I've had 5 quotes for an unvented and system boiler and only one expressed a concern at the incoming flow rate. Am I wrong in thinking 16lpm is fanciful to consider a unvented?

So no combi and no unvented, I'm stuck with either an accumulator or a pumped gravity system, which I've got now...

As I said you can have a combi as most can't do more than your flow rate anyway and yes you can have a tank with a combi or a storage combi

[bmwmike]

Great, thanks guys

Sounds like a reasonable tactical approach, should be cheaper too?

[dhutch]

bmwmike said:

Great, thanks guys

Sounds like a reasonable tactical approach, should be cheaper too?

If you have a reasonably poor supply flow rate, and the current system works well, and your not against having a unvented tank, why are you so desperate to get rid of the cold water header tank? Could well be that a unvented hot tank is the best setup for you.

[bmwmike]

dhutch said:

bmwmike said:

Great, thanks guys

Sounds like a reasonable tactical approach, should be cheaper too?

If you have a reasonably poor supply flow rate, and the current system works well, and your not against having a unvented tank, why are you so desperate to get rid of the cold water header tank? Could well be that a unvented hot tank is the best setup for you.

The existing system does work well, but i need the space that the 3 tanks take up to make a bathroom, as i'm in a converted bungalow. Confused by your comment though, as I didn't think an unvented tank needed a cold water header tank?

The 3 existing tanks are the DHW cold water storage, the hot water cylinder, and the CH F&E tank. All of that can be removed and disposed of with a new boiler and unvented cylinder, can't it?