Thermal Stores (Boilermate)

[whenisayjump]

Hello,

In my house there's a potterton boiler and a Boilermate 3. We're having some issues with the BM and we'll hopefully at some point replace it (although, for now we'll probably just get it fixed).

I don't quite understand what it's doing. My belief is that the cold water runs through it and is heats the water and it comes out of the tap. Is the central heating heated by the Boilermate or by the potterton? If it's by the Boilermate am I right in thinking we wouldn't be able to replace the Boilermate with a simple tank?

Apologies for the somewhat simplistic understanding!

James

 

[TCCHeating]

Basically. With a boilermate. The boiler is connected directly to the thermal store.

The heating is run straight from the thermal store and the hot water is heated indirectly from the thermal store using a plate heat exchanger.

You can change this system to an indirect unvented cylinder system quite easily by converting the system into an S plan

 

[picasso]

@TCCHeating the boilermate 3 is open vented only, you cant change it to an unvented system.

 

[TCCHeating]

@TCCHeating the boilermate 3 is open vented only, you cant change it to an unvented system.

Why not?

I have before!

Of course you could replace it for a vented indirect cylinder but I would personally go for unvented

You've got everything you need there. Mains cold water. Hot water. Ch flow and return. Boiler flow and return.

Replace it for an unvented cylinder and do a bit of repiping and rewireing and bobs your uncle.

Only thing you don't have there is the prv pipework but normally this can be installed without too much trouble

 

[whenisayjump]

What's the PRV pipe work?

Also, thanks for the comments. An splan system is a new one on me, luckily YouTube has some explanations!

 

[picasso]

Misunderstanding "you can change this system to an indirect unvented system" I took to mean you wanted to pressurise the boilermate ! I take you mean change the cylinder ?

 

[whenisayjump]

Yeah, sorry! I meant to remove it at some point. I think for cost reasons we'll just get it fixed for now. We'd really like a combi boiler but it sounds like a huge undertaking from what I'm reading around the Internet!

 

[picasso]

You will be very disappointed with a combi after having a thermal store.

 

[TCCHeating]

Misunderstanding "you can change this system to an indirect unvented system" I took to mean you wanted to pressurise the boilermate !

Yeh. Sorry. Editited my post to make more sense!

We'd really like a combi boiler but it sounds like a huge undertaking from what I'm reading around the Internet!

much better to change to an unvented cylinder then to install a combi.

 

[whenisayjump]

Perhaps our TS is rubbish, but my parents house has a combi and it always seemed much better. Our boiler can't even fill a bath without running out of hot water

 

[picasso]

what temp are you running the boiler at ?

 

[whenisayjump]

The boiler is on max whatever temp that is. We've also noticed the rads getting hot when we've used up the hot water and the boiler replenishing itself. So a BM should be able to heat a full bath?

 

[TCCHeating]

So a BM should be able to heat a full bath?

Yes. It should unless you purchased your bath from hugh heffner!

You say boiler thermostat is set to max. Which it should be with a boilermate.

What model potterton boiler do you have? I wonder if it has been range rated too low maybe?

 

[whenisayjump]

A Suprima. Also, no, our bath is just a standard one, a pretty small standard one at that!