Vaillant ecoTEC plus

[jackthom]

In my experience this sort of problem seems to be worse when the boiler has been completely switched off. Otherwise it apparently learns to reign back more quickly, during the full power run shortly after ignition, in systems where the full output can't be handled by the water flow available.

I don't think it's only the differential in temperature that triggers the S53 code but also the rate at which the flow temperature is increasing. If it goes up alarmingly fast the boiler assumes the worst.

 

[Agile]

Following advice here, I have reduced the power output from 30 kW (surprisingly high for a boiler supposed to have a maximum of 28 kW) to 24 kW. You do this as follows:

This seems to have reduced the incidence of S.53 state a lot, but I've still seen it once.

Do you really live in a seven bedroom detached house?

If you add the outputs of all your rads together that plus 2 kW is what your boiler max output power should be set to! For a three bed semi its about 12-13 kW !

Jack is right as those boilers expect the return temperature to start to rise after a few minutes. If there are particularly long runs to the heating or large volumes that can cause a problem. Probably opening the autobypass valve will solve that problem.

Based on the complaints on this forum when I have to point out that a gate valve ( lockshield ) is required on a cylinder coil to balance the cylinder against the heating, 80% of heating engineers are not aware of the benefit. This is in spite of the many I give advice to who, like a posting above, say that it has solved their problem.

Tony

 

[clivepage]

If you add the outputs of all your rads together that plus 2 kW is what your boiler max output power should be set to! For a three bed semi its about 12-13 kW !
Tony

Good point - I'll try reducing it further. At most we have about 9 radiators going at once.

The suggestion of a valve in the cylinder coil circuit is also good, I'm sure. Next time I have to drain the heating system for some other reason I might put one in. For the moment, it's working much better than it was.

 

[gas4you]

The suggestion of a valve in the cylinder coil circuit is also good, I'm sure. Next time I have to drain the heating system for some other reason I might put one in.

Not if it is a new fast recovery cylinder or a modern unvented cylinder such as the Unistor or a Megaflo.

These need full flow rates to acheive their fully stated fast re-heat times.

Just time them different to the ch times.

 

[budredz]

I know this is an old post but what was the outcome of your problems, i have had a vailant since 2007 (installed by british gas) and it has never worked properly, british gas have replaced just about everything and vailant have been out 3 times and neither company want to take responsability for the problems

 

[mickyg]

I know this is an old post but what was the outcome of your problems, i have had a vailant since 2007 (installed by british gas) and it has never worked properly, british gas have replaced just about everything and vailant have been out 3 times and neither company want to take responsability for the problems

start your own thread with details of the boiler model, the fault indications, problems and what has been done to resolve it and we'll help you.

 

[clivepage]

This thread is so old I've lost track of whether I started it. If I did, the problem was S.53 error codes on my Vaillant boiler. I solved it by two measures, first throttling back the boiler to produce only about 18 kW of power, and secondly using a radiator cleaner to flush out the gunge in the pipes. The latter did seem to make a useful difference - I guess over the years the scale and other stuff had built up.


So the S.53 code, had it had a sensible description in the manual, would have been telling me something useful, i.e. that the water flow was too small to support the boiler being on anything like full. Apart from the jargon-ridden manual, the boiler seems ok to me. Sorry for others who have had problems with them.

 

[SASroofer]

I'm having acompletew new system installed and my plumber has recommended the Vaillant EcoTEC Plus 831

Read through this thread and I'm now concerned as my plumber says this model is one of the best?

 

[mickyg]

I'm having acompletew new system installed and my plumber has recommended the Vaillant EcoTEC Plus 831

Read through this thread and I'm now concerned as my plumber says this model is one of the best?

this thread is not related to your boiler model. Also I should point out to anyone else reading this for refference. S53 errors are NOT boiler faults. They are the boiler telling you something is wrong with your system.

 

[SASroofer]

Ok, new thread started then.

 

[budredz]

British gas are coming back to replace the plate heat exchanger, the sensor for the water pressure, divertor valve and the main heat exchanger (the big round one in the boiler with the viewing glass) not bad that puts a total of:
plate heat exchanger x4
main heat exchanger x2
sensors various x3
circuit board x4
divertor valve x3
expansion vessel x3
pump x1
plus other bits and pieces

 

[mickyg]

British gas are coming back to replace the plate heat exchanger, the sensor for the water pressure, divertor valve and the main heat exchanger (the big round one in the boiler with the viewing glass) not bad that puts a total of:
plate heat exchanger x4
main heat exchanger x2
sensors various x3
circuit board x4
divertor valve x3
expansion vessel x3
pump x1
plus other bits and pieces

thats because either they never flushed the system properly or they have no idea what the problem is and just chucking parts at it. Either way your problem is BG incompetence not the boiler.

 

[budredz]

British gas are coming back to replace the plate heat exchanger, the sensor for the water pressure, divertor valve and the main heat exchanger (the big round one in the boiler with the viewing glass) not bad that puts a total of:
plate heat exchanger x4
main heat exchanger x2
sensors various x3
circuit board x4
divertor valve x3
expansion vessel x3
pump x1
plus other bits and pieces

thats because either they never flushed the system properly or they have no idea what the problem is and just chucking parts at it. Either way your problem is BG incompetence not the boiler.

could not agree more, the only thing is that when the boiler was installed i had all the rads new and from the boiler to the rads i replaced the copper pipe as it needed sorting out, then had it flushed so i'm a tad confused as to where the problem is situated, magnaclean is allways fairly clear

 

[mickyg]

ive never known a boiler get through so many parts. Im guessing the pcbs were due to the DV leaking and blowing it? In which case all the parts are related to corrosion. Whatevers happening your system is in bad health. Maybe a rogue radiator rotting internally? Somethings not right. Has the system been flushed through during all this? Could be acid cleanser left in system

 

[Bunnyman]

Sorry mate I agree with Micky this model is excellent an very reliable u need to dump British gas and get a specialist to repair it,, anyone fitting this amount of bits want shootin bloody embarrassment they should b looking for the cause by now