Potterton Suprima 50 - cast-iron or aluminium heat exchanger

[hsabbers]

So I'm going to flush my CH system and add cleanser then protector. I was all set to do it when I read the bit on the fluid bottle about not using in boilers that have aluminium heat exchangers...

I called Potterton to check and, while the tech chap was helpful, I wasn't entirely confident in his answer, because I know there are two versions of the 50 -- the plain old 50 and the 50 HE.

The tech said that because the label on our 50 is at the top right, he was sure it was the old model and therefore would certainly have a cast-iron heat exchanger.

Can anyone on here that's suitably informed confirm this? Also, what is the risk precisely of using these fluids in a system with an aluminium heat exchanger? Instant meltdown and nuclear explosion or something less dramatic over time?

Thanks for any further guidance.

Harry.

 

[ChrisR]

Completely different boilers.
Curvy door on the right = old = cast iron.

Corrosion is what it's about.

 

[hsabbers]

Completely different boilers.
Curvy door on the right = old = cast iron.

Corrosion is what it's about.

Yes, narrow curvy door on the right, covering the control panel. So the 50 deffo has cast iron and therefore it's safe to use these Homebase cleaning/protector chemicals?

Thanks,

Harry.

 

[Rob]

Homebase!!

 

[hsabbers]

Homebase!!

Yes, yes - I know. I'm evil/stupid/naive. Happy to buy something else but it's all they had in stock and I want to do this quickly, cos it needs it and it's getting cold.

Open to recommendations tho...

 

[gaswizzard]

50 HE has the PCB/gas valve situated at bottom of boiler , this boiler also has a drawer at the bottom , you will also notice a plastic condense pipe exiting from lower right hand side of boiler.

The 50/50L has the PCB situated at the right hand side of boiler which hides behind a door that is hinged from the left.

The HE has the secondary Hex which is the reason the PCB was moved along with gas valve to the bottom of boiler , HE models are taller than the SE models.

 

[hsabbers]

50 HE has the PCB/gas valve situated at bottom of boiler , this boiler also has a drawer at the bottom , you will also notice a plastic condense pipe exiting from lower right hand side of boiler.

The 50/50L has the PCB situated at the right hand side of boiler which hides behind a door that is hinged from the left.

The HE has the secondary Hex which is the reason the PCB was moved along with gas valve to the bottom of boiler , HE models are taller than the SE models.

Thanks. Our boiler has the PCB on the right behind a door that's hinged on the left, so that certainly makes it a 50/50L then. Any relevant difference between the 50/50L (relevant to my purposes, I mean, which is knowing whether or not the boiler has a cast-iron heat exchanger)?

 

[gaswizzard]

The 50L used a water flow switch whereas the 50 didn't.

The boiler you have has a cast iron heat exchanger with no aluminium secondary hex.

Open the controls door & you will see the model number , if the data plate has been left blank (naughty ) then this boiler has had the newer type PCB fitted.

 

[hsabbers]

The 50L used a water flow switch whereas the 50 didn't.

The boiler you have has a cast iron heat exchanger with no aluminium secondary hex.

Open the controls door & you will see the model number , if the data plate has been left blank (naughty ) then this boiler has had the newer type PCB fitted.

Thanks. It has the new-style PCB cos it was fitted by Potterton a few months ago. This has a label on it that, hnadwritten, says only '50'. All stacks up then... it's a 50. It's getting the chemical treatment tomorrow...

 

[hsabbers]

Just to bump this one last time (I promise), why are people so down on shop-branded chemicals, like the Homebase Cleaner/Protector bottles that I've bought? Do people really believe that Fernox et al are that much better? Surely these are essentially commodity chemicals that are bottled and branded and that's it -- one vat of acid is much the same as any other, at industrial-manufacturing scales?

I'll duck now...

 

[bolshy]

One vat of acid may be a different strength to another. Some flushing chemicals ARE better than others, some can be left in for a week, others only a few hours due to their agressiveness. Some remove scale, some remove magnetite deposits etc etc