Heat Exchanger Blockage on Heatline Solaris Combi

[jmh1]

Hi

I am on my fourth secondary heat exchanger on my Heatline Solaris Combi 30 - the boiler is only just over 2 years old. The boiler engineer took the last one off only last week, and it was full of black particles, which when rubbed between my fingers broke up. I had the system flushed (not power flushed though) before the second HE was fitted.

The system has gone down again, and this HE has only been in a week. I asked the last engineer whether he thought I should have the system flushed again, and he said no. I am running out of ideas. Is there anything I can put into the system to dissolve the crud instead of getting the HE taken off again. And, if I do take the HE off can I wash it out and re-use it, or do I have to put a new one back on?

Please help asap as I am running out of ideas!

Thanks, jmh

 

[bengasman]

It may have been flushed, but it has clearly never been done properly. It is pointless replacing heatexchangers because the block up.

 

[jmh1]

So you think that a powerflush and a decent amount of inhibitor should solve the problem?

 

[kevplumb]

good dose of ds 40 would

and you can clean out the cans don't be binning them

moral of the story is

don't get a boiler fitted by a clown

your paying the price for saving money

 

[jmh1]

Thanks - unfortunately I don't personally know the engineer who fitted it. I have spoken to him and he promises he flushed the system when he installed it. And I've had it normal pressure flushed again since.

It's a pain as it is a rental property and I think my poor tenants are pulling their hair out (as am I!).

 

[bengasman]

First of all, get a different heating engineer; this one is a clown.
If your boiler can handle it, a powerflush with fx 2 will solve the problem. If done properly that is.

 

[mehran]

the plate heat exchanger in a solaris 30 is a 18 or 20 plate whopper...so for it to be blocked up in a week would take some going and to the point of being noticeable is unusual as due to the size of it would have built in redundancy to blocking

i would get your boiler/system cleaned by some one who know what he is doing... get a filter as well

i would also have a look at the the dhw temp sensor as a faulty/failing one would give poor hot water performance and being miss taking for a full blockage in the plate heat exchanger.

also some solaria 30's are miss labeled 35kw boilers which would make it a monster 24 plate heat exchanger

 

[mickyg]

also some solaria 30's are miss labeled 35kw boilers which would make it a monster 24 plate heat exchanger

are you saying that they boxed and labelled a 35kw boiler as a 30kw??

 

[jmh1]

Thanks so much for everyones reply. I saw the heat exchanger taken off last week, and it had lots of black gunk/particles in it - I could see why the DHW wasn't working. However, the filter was clean. The water in the system is clear though (with the colouration from the inhibitor), but I am wondering if maybe the inhibitor is not strong enough? I do live in a hard water area, but as this is a closed system once the inhibitor is in, it should be fine as no extra water is being introduced??

It's definately the smaller heat exchanger - I know because the engineer tried to fit the larger one as that was the one he had brought in from the van. He couldn't and fitted the smaller one (which I was relieved at!). I guess the number of plates is not important anyway, as it is the input that is getting blocked and these are the same size.

I'll check the dhw temp sensor as well, just incase it isn't the heat exc.

As the boiler is still under warranty, I get the Heatline engineer that they send me, so not much choice I'm afraid!

 

[bengasman]

You will have a problem when the warrantee runs out, swapping plate hex will be about £200 a pop.

 

[jmh1]

Yep, I know, especially if I am calling them out this frequently! Think I'm going to have to learn how to take it off myself, although it is located right at the back of the boiler and has proved a pain to get off. Is it a difficult job?? I'm surprised that the last engineer that attended (and changed the HE with lots of black gunk in it) said he didn't think the system needed flushing.

I'm thinking otherwise now! What's the difference in between DS 40 and fx 2? Are they just different brands?

Thanks, jmh

 

[bengasman]

You need to get the system cleaned, nothing will kill a boiler quicker than a load of corrosion. I'd also get the whole installation checked; heatline is one of the favoured brands of cowboys, chances are there have been more corners cut when it was installed.
Fx2 is phosphoric acid, ds40 is citric acid if memory serves.

 

[mehran]

how does sentinal x800 or fernox version compare to fx2?

the solaris was never sold through b&q so i dont know how many were sold to cowboys. I fitted a good few and found them to be a good basic band A boiler

 

[bengasman]

Never used x800. Never done a flush where fx2 did not do the trick, it dissolves limescale as well as corrosion.

 

[mickyg]

mehran, I'm interested in the answer to my question