Boilermate neon light stays on

[MarkWorthington]

Re-posted with correct Boilermate spelling in Subject!

My Potterton Suprima 60 and Boilermate 2 system makes kettling noises when the boiler is generating heat (burner is firing), and I have been advised to add some Sentinel X200 boiler noise reducer. I understand the possible corrosion issue and am OK with this.

However, as I familiarise myself with the system and read the manual, I suspect I have another, more fundamental fault. The Green light at the bottom of white front panel on the Boilermate 2 is illuminated 24/7 and never goes off and the boiler pump continually runs. The Gas Boiler is being controlled OK, ie fires as requested (presumably) by the Boilermate 2 store thermostat, and can be off for long periods. I have followed the commissioning instructions, tried reducing the store thermostat, but the light is always on.

Sounds like a possible thermostat problem…. ?

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Dazza322]

Hi, Mark i too have same problem. I have have 1 tank descale, 2 b-mixer valves. and now i have the neon light problem and i have noticed that my gas bills are massive. Also if i leave as it is it uses 4.6 units over 24 hr period. When i switched the boiler on and off for 1 hr in morning and 2 hrs in evening it only used 0.8 units, when i have spoken to an engineer, he said that it could be the thermostat or that the tank is not fully descalled properly thus the thermostat not hitting temperature and the neon light staying on.
If you find out where to get a thermostat from let me know....ta !

 

[MarkWorthington]

Dazza322,

Sorry for the delay in replying, been busy!

Boy, have I made a difference to my system! Firstly, I removed the Boilermate access panel, and soon discovered that the thermostat was not switching off. Therefore, the system was on 24/7, powering the boiler, neon light and boiler pump. As the boiler was on maximum, the whole system was at 100% output, effectively controlled by the boiler’s internal thermostat. So like you, I have suffered high gas usage … I suspect that the boiler’s heat exchanger has gradually scaled up over the last x months, so that the kettling just got worse and worse.

I removed the capillary thermostat, only to find that the bulb end had broken away (it therefore failed “on”) and was 6 inches down a long, close fitting tube within the tank. It took me 2 hours to get it out, eventually using a bit of rubber tube (with superglue) on a long stick …. I spent much time on the net trying to find the best place to get a spare, as Gledhill won’t deal with Joe Public. See

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=40852&highlight=

I eventually went direct to the manufacturer, Hawco, and gave them the thermostat details (written on the back). See

http://www.hawco.co.uk/products.asp?catid=82

Cost me about £30 in p&p, cheaper than via The Plumb Center. It should arrive today, and is a doddle to fit.

As for the boiler : I drained out some water, and for my 13 radiators & 150L Boilermate water store, added 2L of Sentinel X200 and 2L of X100. (I disconnected the F&E connection to the main tank, moved it slightly to one side and emptied the stuff directly into the main tank). The effect was dramatic; Sentinel suggest up to 6 weeks to notice the full effect, but within a week I was amazed in the noise reduction. The best £53 I could spend on a boiler!

I turned the boiler thermostat down while awaiting the Boilermate thermostat, so I expect an increase in boiler noise when I turn it back to max. But then the Boilermate should be in control …

One other point : my airing cupboard was STUPIDLY hot when I moved in to the house. Boilermat say that more heat is lost from the 1st metre of unlagged pipes that from then tank itself, and STRONGLY suggest pipes are lagged. Of course, mine wasn’t. I have now lagged them all, even the ones in the hidden cupboard beneath the tank, and the heat loss has almost reduced to what I used to have with a conventional hot water tank.

Hope this helps, let me know what you find ….

Regards,

Mark

 

[MarkWorthington]

Fitted the replacement Boilermate store thermostat and re-commissioned the system. All working OK and what’s more, it’s even quieter and cooler (in the airing cupboard) now that the pump is not on 24/7!

I still need to check the temperature rise across the boiler and radiator circuits, which may affect the final pump speed I choose ….

Mark

 

[MarkWorthington]

Fitted the replacement Boilermate store thermostat and re-commissioned the system. All working OK and what’s more, it’s even quieter and cooler (in the airing cupboard) now that the pump is not on 24/7!

I still need to check the temperature rise across the boiler and radiator circuits, which may affect the final pump speed I choose ….

Mark

 

[MarkWorthington]

Fitted the replacement Boilermate store thermostat and re-commissioned the system. All working OK and what’s more, it’s even quieter and cooler (in the airing cupboard) now that the pump is not on 24/7!

I still need to check the temperature rise across the boiler and radiator circuits, which may affect the final pump speed I choose.

Mark