S53 Code on Vaillant ECOTec plus 428- 28KW Boiler

[sooey]

I just wanted to let you know I am of the male persuasion

I hope this info will help you

Sounds like your 'in' there Tony.

 

[gas4you]

As for calling small cylinders "more efficient" thats only wording that a cylinder manufacturer would use as it has no basis in energy efficiency terms.

Tony, certainly not saying your views have no merit with a traditional cylinder, but the fact that a fast recovery cylinder comply's with best practice and a standard one doesn't, is proof enough in itself.

Didn't they teach you this on your energy efficiency course?

 

[Agile]

The official energy efficiency course, like many things put together by academics, was largely based on the idea that boilers were not modulating. Possibility because the academics were blinkered and only thinking at that moment about replacing a cylinder which is connected to an old non condensing boiler.

Whilst, not the OPs cylinder, but most of the unvented have a very short reheat time.

Before the compulsory course I went to a much better one at the BRE which was presented by Peter Thom.

Tony

 

[Agile]

Hi Dave & Tony

P.S. Tony - I see in your post above you said "she" I just wanted to let you know I am of the male persuasion

I hope this info will help you

Yaa Boss, sorry I thought you were a Maa! Can I get you some Bush Tea or are you hungry and want some biltong ?

If you close the cylinder coil gate valve and then open two and a half turns it will probably give you better heating without having any significant effect on the reheat time of the cylinder.

Another ( better ) setting for the valve would be to adjust it so that there is a 15° differential across the flow and return to the heating coil.

Tony

 

[mickyg]

Why fit one of these then stop it working to its max efficiency by fitting a valve to restrict the flow?

as i suggested i don't necessarily use it. Its handy for maintenance, and a little bit of balancing can be required if the the cylinder is under a high output boiler for example.

 

[gordonspants]

We have a Vaillant, and our install/service manual (note ours is a different model!) shows S53 as "delay mode due to lack of water in system (-20 mins)".
Yours might be different - google for vaillant manuals, or vaillant website may have download area if you don't have a manual.
Vaillant have an advice line on their website, which I used before we bought the boiler.

 

[brett007]

Hi Tony/gordonspants

Ya biltong will do . Thanks will set it like you suggested, still waiting for the plumber to get back to me, so will show him what you guys have suggested.

Gordonspants - thanks for the suggestion on the website and advice line, just to let you know I still have all the manuals and instructions for our boiler.

Any thoughts guys on my last post re the MV on the heating side with the lever not moving over, what are your thoughts

 

[winchester]

Your problem is familiar to me i.e luke warm rads, a cold house and the s53 error code. My (corgi registered) plumber was baffled so I did some research. I discovered that my boiler output was set at 4Kw! when the figure my house requires is from memory about 25Kw!!! If this is your problem simply press the i and + buttons together which should yield a d.0 in the display. Press i again and the = sign is displayed. Use the +/- buttons to adjust should this be necessary.

It worked for me so hopefully for you too.

 

[brett007]

Hi Winchester

To my knowledge it has been reset back to 28KW. I will double check this as someone said I should try dropping it to 24KW.

The system seems to run fine as long as the Hot water is on as well. As soon as the heating comes on by itself the s53 code comes up. That is what I am battling with
At least now I know how to change the rating without calling in the Plumber.
TKS

 

[Agile]

Boss, when you have eaten your boerewors ( all the way from Milton Keynes ) and had your Red Bush tea.....

do you know the total heat OUTPUT of your rads? Thats what your boiler should be set to equal.

You also need that gate valve on the cylinder heating coil.

Your humble heating kafir.

 

[brett007]

hi "humble heating K"^(^%$

V.Good!!! Borewors is going down well!!!! Sorry my ignorance is showing again - how do I find out the total heat output of all my rads, does this have something to do with BTU's & if so how do I work this out???

I read Winchester's post above, the boiler was set to 30KW (suprising for a 28KW boiler), I dropped it to 24KW and hey prestro - ME FINKS THE PROBLEM SHE IS GONE!!!!

I dont want to talk too soon AGAIN but this has never happened before - NO S53 code for 2 days now and everything is working. I have also opened that gate valve on the HW pipe going into the cylinder (between pump & cylinder) as you suggested.

Please can you let me know how to establih what the heat output is?

 

[brett007]

WINCHESTER YOU DEMON!!!!

I tried what you suggested and changed the KW rating - since doing that and everything else the guys suggested all seems ok now - NO S53 CODE FOR 2 DAYS NOW!!!.

I am just waiting on Agile to let me know how to work out what the out put should be for the heating to check if it is correct.

Thanks - My wife is now smiling!!! How is it you guys can make her smile & I can't!!! - Maybe I shoud become a plumber!!!

 

[Agile]

If you close the cylinder coil gate valve and then open two and a half turns it will probably give you better heating without having any significant effect on the reheat time of the cylinder.

Tony

If a single panel rad is 600 mm high and 1000 long you cab consider it to be 1 kW. No fins then 0.7 kW, double panel the 2 kW or 1.4 kW if no fins.

Its only rough and ready but quite accurate enough for adjusting the boiler output.

Today, being Friday, is traditionally a day for fish ! Perhaps you had a nice Kingklip ? Or some charcoal grilled talapia on your braai ?

Those who dont know what a braai is can see one at:-

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vq2SOmwzjUU

'ek shmaak vir 'n lekker ghetsby my bru'

Tony

 

[maxtorathome]

I have recently had a 438 vaillant eco tec boiler installed.

I will not bore you to death with the details but i also had huge problems with Poor flow and i love this code (vl-rl spread too big)

I have now resolved the problem by taking the following steps

I have 18 rads and a large tank on an open vent std "y" plan system.

When installed i had so many of these errors i lost count but after many hours of messing i have resolved this issue

Info.
The boiler was fitted in utility room about 8 Meters away from the 15,60 pump in spare room with hot water tank.

1. Moved cold water header tank closer to boiler and fitted second pump as per drawing in vaillant installation book.
2. Reduced KW rating from 38kw to 30kw

System started to work with no problems
Had issues with poor flow when hot water only kicked in.

Found reference to KW rating in vr65 Manual.
Logged into boiler settings and found the hot water was also set to 38kw
changed to 30kw also.

Both Hot water and heating now working without flow issues.

Like you I must have drained the system about 20 times over the first 3 weeks trying to get the flow problem resolved and i never found to date any flow issues at any points in the system, I have drain valves on all rads and the flow was strong at all radiators in both flow and return.


The key that resolved my issue was the hot water and heating full power rating.

Also for me moving the cold water tank closer to the boiler resolved air issues 100 %.

Regards

Richard

 

[simond]

It's possibly worth pointing out that a Y plan system using a domestic 3 port valve was never designed to be used on a 38Kw boiler- - - - because of the small passages for water flow.

Honeywell recommend a max boiler output of around 28Kw for a Y plan set up.