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Heating and cooling: Thermal store and system boiler

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthorPaul_B
    • CommentTimeAug 20th 2010
     
    Morning all,

    I'm being forced to make a decision on our boiler, Potterton, it has a design fault on the system board that results in the reset button needing to be pressed. It is highly annoying especially in the morning when their is no hot water and can take several attempts or even a complete power cycle to get it to work. The problem is getting worse.

    Now I can spend about £300 on a replacement board but I can't help thinking this is ultimately a waste of money. The boiler is now 10 years old and rated at 75% efficient.

    The current hot water and heating is system based and open vent. I'd like to move to a closed vent system and use a thermal store. In the next few years we'll likely to build an extension to the house and I'd like to include a small solar array for heating water. We'd also like to add a wood chip / log / pellet stove to reduce the reliance of gas and for aesthetic reasons. I'm also likely to use UFH in the new extension and have radiant wall panels in one room which requires a manifold and mixing valve.

    So any recommendations?

    Paul
    • CommentAuthorcromar
    • CommentTimeAug 20th 2010
     
    For what it's worth, I have a Viessmann boiler, a DPS heatbank, Viessmann solar tubes, UFH and a wood burning stove with back boiler. They seem to work together exceptionally well and I'm delighted with the result.
    My heatbank (300l open vented) could be bigger as the woodburner heats it up to its limit quite fast. Solar tubes - 8m2 of them - are super efficient and provide most of our DHW from late Spring to early Autumn.
    At the moment, CH comes off the boiler and UFH off the heatbank. I'm not sure which would be the most efficient, but the current setup seems to work well and gas bills have plummeted thanks mainly to the solar.
    Anyway, Viessmann boilers seem to be very reliable and very efficient and if I was replacing mine I would go for Viessmann again.
    • CommentAuthordelboy
    • CommentTimeAug 20th 2010
     
    Paul if your boiler is 75% efficient then I'd suggest that is fairly rubbish and you should look at getting a new boiler anyway.
    • CommentAuthorPaul_B
    • CommentTimeAug 20th 2010
     
    Thanks Cromar I've looked at Viessmann and the seem to have a good offering. Need to look into thermal stores a bit more but have seen DPS metioned before. I think another recent thread mentions DPS and Tisun.

    @Delboy yepp 75% is poor in todays standards where 90%+ is common. The boiler as I said is 10 years old but still rubbish having a known design fault and needing a further spend of £300. It is non-condensing which will go some way to exlaining the poor efficiency.

    Paul
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeAug 20th 2010
     
    Has your boiler gor a bypass?
    • CommentAuthorPaul_B
    • CommentTimeAug 21st 2010
     
    Tony,

    How can I tell? Is this something external to the boiler that would allow how water to bypass the boiler?

    Paul
    • CommentAuthorPaul_B
    • CommentTimeAug 21st 2010
     
    For anyone else reading this thread now or in the future I also posted the same info on UKHA Group on Yahoo. I was pointed in the direction of http://suprimafix.cozweb.co.uk/index.htm which is a site dedicated to problems with Potterton Suprima boilers. It looks as though a common fix is to resolder dry joints. They also list suppliers of reconditioned boards which are around 1/3 the cost of a new PCB board.

    Long term I still intend to replace the boiler but this will give an opportunity to improve insulation and draught-proofing first as well as get a better thermal store. All in all hopefully this will mean a smaller and more efficient gas boiler when the time comes.

    Paul
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeAug 21st 2010
     
    I have a DPS store which seems to work well, however have heard they aren't as well insulated as other makes. The room our is in certainly gets quite hot but I can't tell if that's due to the store or all the other associated pipework (which is insulated but could do with more).
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeAug 21st 2010
     
    I have seen this reset button popping out when the pipes get too hot in the boiler and a bypass greatly increase the flow of water through the boiler and I have see a bypass fix the popping out problem.

    A bypass is a short circuit across the main flow and return after the pump usually with a red gate valve on it or an automatic bypass fitting..
    • CommentAuthorPaul_B
    • CommentTimeAug 21st 2010
     
    Thanks Tony I'll have a look. I've done more research and it seems to be a common fault with the Poterton Suprima model, even got mentioned on Watchdog in 2007. The usual problem seems to be soldering failing especially around the relays. I'm gonna have a look at mine tomorow as I'm now back from a weeks break.

    @CWatters I've read a few threads on here from people who have gone with DPS and also noticed the comments about lack of insulation.

    Paul

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