Vaillant VRC470 wireless outdoor sensor faulty - use Glowworm sensor?

[Gerry450]

Thanks for all the posts in this thread.

Can I just ask if it is necessary to press the Boiler/Radio Receiver Learn button, set the VRC control centre into LEARN mode and then press the red button on the back of the VR20, or is it just necessary to do the boiler and sensor buttons.

After reading this thread, I have ordered a Glow-Worm sensor and am waiting for it to arrive with the heating a little more active than usual. The wife says the house is toasty... but grumbles when she can't get to sleep

Thanks for any suggestions.

I tried to get it to learn from the wall controller but it would not see it. I then went to the boiler and the red light was on so i pressed that and the button on the sensor and it connected. It's in a thread further up.

 

[David B/S.Coldfield]

Sorry, the reason I asked was a response from Vaillant Technical Support where I was instructed to use the controller and go into LEARN mode. She said:

"once you get the new VR20 you will need to go into page A1 and turn Learn Mode on for it to pair to the receiver."

I'm pretty sure I tried that first when I was replacing my previous sensor (when I first joined the forum in 2017). I couldn't get it to work and the British Gas engineer helped me to replace the radio receiver, controller and sensor, which I had bought as a set on eBay. They have been working now for three years but the first set lasted longer than that as it was installed when the old Ferroli boiler was replaced.

 

[David B/S.Coldfield]

Another update. I bought the Glow Worm sensor and kept it indoors by the front window for a few days to be sure the battery was charged. I have just paired it with the controller and boiler. I'm not sure whether setting Learn Mode ON at the controller (first), or pressing the Learn button on the boiler receiver (second) did it, because the red and green LEDs were flashing for a while. That has stopped now with just one green LED on the receiver. Maybe it was simply a bit slower to finish than I expected.

The controller says the outside temperature is dropping (from a start of 23 now 15), with signal strength 6 and 6, so it's looking good.

Thanks for all the assistance.

 

[RAY PERRINS]

Another update. I bought the Glow Worm sensor and kept it indoors by the front window for a few days to be sure the battery was charged. I have just paired it with the controller and boiler. I'm not sure whether setting Learn Mode ON at the controller (first), or pressing the Learn button on the boiler receiver (second) did it, because the red and green LEDs were flashing for a while. That has stopped now with just one green LED on the receiver. Maybe it was simply a bit slower to finish than I expected.

The controller says the outside temperature is dropping (from a start of 23 now 15), with signal strength 6 and 6, so it's looking good.

Thanks for all the assistance.

David

have you got the Glow Worm model or part number please.

 

[David B/S.Coldfield]

The description on the box is Glow.worm 0020093880, with a little picture and bar code. I bought it from City Plumbing. Their description is GLOW-WORM WIRELESS OUTDOOR SENSOR with the same part number and 717949, which I think is the online quick access code. The price was £47.93 including shipping and VAT. Delivery was very quick.

I hope that helps.

 

[MikeJS]

The description on the box is Glow.worm 0020093880, with a little picture and bar code. I bought it from City Plumbing. Their description is GLOW-WORM WIRELESS OUTDOOR SENSOR with the same part number and 717949, which I think is the online quick access code. The price was £47.93 including shipping and VAT. Delivery was very quick.

I hope that helps.

Such a great resource. My Vaillant outdoor sensor failed a few weeks ago. Called Vaillant and they quoted in excess of £300 to fix (evidently their warranty is only for the boiler and not the rest of the system!). Found a Vaillant sensor for £199! Bought the Glowworm sensor as described, also from City Plumbing. Left it by the window for a day to ensure it was charged. Took it to my boiler and pressed the button on the back to start pairing and pressed the button on the front of my Vaillant ecoTEC II plus system 637 and the light on the boiler flashed green then eventually stayed solid green. All working fine and swopped the new sensor for the old one.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Does anyone know the difference between the VR20 and VR21? When I get to the software versions screen on the VRC430f, it says the sensor version is VR21.

Maybe the time/date code receiver built-in, versus not built-in. The built-in version can automatically set the time/date in the boiler.

 

[David B/S.Coldfield]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not aware that the time is being set automatically but then, all I really care about is the external temperature!

 

[Søren Nielsen]

Here's a little trick to the vf21
I have had 3 replacements of this unit over the past 2 years.
I suspected that moist might be the cause of the failure on this unit, so I took the vf21 in the oven at 50°C for about an hour. Gave it 2 layers of clear coat. Back in the oven for 20 min.
Turned it on and it has been working ever since. Over a year now.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Here's a little trick to the vf21
I have had 3 replacements of this unit over the past 2 years.
I suspected that moist might be the cause of the failure on this unit, so I took the vf21 in the oven at 50°C for about an hour. Gave it 2 layers of clear coat. Back in the oven for 20 min.
Turned it on and it has been working ever since. Over a year now.

Thanks, but so far my VF21 is still on it's first set of batteries, still working fine.