We have a 2-year old Vitodens 333 Gas boiler which comes up with a fault F2. I believe its plate heat exchanger is blocked. We have enormous difficulties in finding an engineer to fix it. At best, the engineers promise to come and have a look at it, at worst they refuse point blank. Our water is hard and I believe that this is a design problem; to my knowledge Viessmann have replaced these units in Germany with a newer design. Can anybody give advice? We live in NW Leics.
Vitodens 333 problems
- Thread starter seppo
- Start date
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Look on he Viessmann web site for independent approved installers!
They also have retained Service Agents.
Your boiler should be under a three year guarantee I would have thought.
However you dont mention the installer! Its very possible the fitter did not properly clean the system. have you seent eh colour of the water?
Tony
They also have retained Service Agents.
Your boiler should be under a three year guarantee I would have thought.
However you dont mention the installer! Its very possible the fitter did not properly clean the system. have you seent eh colour of the water?
Tony
Many thanks for a very quick reply! We have gone through all the approved installers and a number of others which Viessmann UK have pointed out to us with no avail. Many promise to come and have a look, but never turn up The installer Therm Heating is not interested in servicing.
The same appears to apply to others, installing is probably more profitable than servicing.
I hope you are right with the 3 year warranty, I am preparing a letter to Viessmann UK. This F2 fault is the final drop, we spent nearly a year in finding somebody to do a regular service and now this.
The same appears to apply to others, installing is probably more profitable than servicing.
I hope you are right with the 3 year warranty, I am preparing a letter to Viessmann UK. This F2 fault is the final drop, we spent nearly a year in finding somebody to do a regular service and now this.
Is Dave Hickey one of those who have not been?
I do have to say that when soneone asks me "to come and have a look" then I am very likely NOT to even consider coming.
Thats because it implies the customer expects a free diagnosis of the problem and will then do it himself or get a brain dead plumber to do the work.
We ALWAYS charge for diagnostic work!
Tony
I do have to say that when soneone asks me "to come and have a look" then I am very likely NOT to even consider coming.
Thats because it implies the customer expects a free diagnosis of the problem and will then do it himself or get a brain dead plumber to do the work.
We ALWAYS charge for diagnostic work!
Tony
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Most installers will come back.
I can see no point in writing to Viessmann when a quick call to them to determine the status of the warranty will suffice.
Likewise they have a service team and you should be able to book a call.
The 333 has been replaced but that doesn't mean that the earlier unit was plagued with problems. Heat exchanger blockages are usually down to dirty primary side water, if the boiler was connected to an older system this is entirely plausible and would not suggest a manufacturer defect.
I would talk to Viessman first, in a new build you are unlikely to have a blocked HE.
I can see no point in writing to Viessmann when a quick call to them to determine the status of the warranty will suffice.
Likewise they have a service team and you should be able to book a call.
The 333 has been replaced but that doesn't mean that the earlier unit was plagued with problems. Heat exchanger blockages are usually down to dirty primary side water, if the boiler was connected to an older system this is entirely plausible and would not suggest a manufacturer defect.
I would talk to Viessman first, in a new build you are unlikely to have a blocked HE.
Sorry, I can’t help you, but maybe you can enlighten me. not trying to rub it in, just genuinely curious.
How did you get to the choice of your boiler?
I have heard several people rave about the quality and wonderful design, but they don’t seem to be particularly popular in my area, I have never even seen one.
I would have suggested the same as Tony, but you seem to have tried that already.
Have you asked viesmann if they can service the boiler for you? most manufacturers have their own team of engineers.
How did you get to the choice of your boiler?
I have heard several people rave about the quality and wonderful design, but they don’t seem to be particularly popular in my area, I have never even seen one.
I would have suggested the same as Tony, but you seem to have tried that already.
Have you asked viesmann if they can service the boiler for you? most manufacturers have their own team of engineers.
You are quick!!!
No, Dave Hickey does not ring bells... would you recommend me to contact him? When yes, I would be grateful for his details.
Charging or paying is not the issue, of course I would pay for diagnostics and repair. I paid for one, who came, looked at the boiler and said that he will get some spares and come back to us. That was half a year ago.
No, Dave Hickey does not ring bells... would you recommend me to contact him? When yes, I would be grateful for his details.
Charging or paying is not the issue, of course I would pay for diagnostics and repair. I paid for one, who came, looked at the boiler and said that he will get some spares and come back to us. That was half a year ago.
Dave is a very competent boiler engineer in your area!
In contrast to Simon, I would say that new build installations are very unlikely to have had the water properly treated in my experience.
The Benchmark Certificate is rarely completed.
Tony
In contrast to Simon, I would say that new build installations are very unlikely to have had the water properly treated in my experience.
The Benchmark Certificate is rarely completed.
Tony
I went for Vitodens as it provides (on paper) pressurised hot water from its 80 litre tank. It is very efficient, our house is nice and warm all the time. The problem with hard water is well documented in german forums, the plate heat exchanger is very prone to lime scale blockage. I just wish I knew that I knew that before. The new design 333-F WR3C has a different heat exchanger.
Why do you think HE is the unlikely source? The F2 fault means overheating. The problem arises when we draw hot water and 333 switches the radiator circuit off. Although the boiler cuts off at 68 C, the temperature rises above 100 degrees in the hot water heating circuit. To me, this means that water does not flow through the HE fast enough. Please correct me if I´m wrong.
Midland Boilercare does not appear under Viessmann approved list on Viessmann UK website!
You seem very fixed in your ideas!
I have only found just ONE plate HE blocked by limescale in the last FIVE years and that was one with a leaking tap! If the temperature controls are working properly then they are very unlikely to deposit lime scale!
In contrast I probably fix 50-100 every year with the primary side blocked because of a dirty system.
Tony
Sorry, did not mean offence....
As the fault develops every time exactly in the same way: the boiler switches off at 68 C, temperature keeps rising until the red light comes on after temperature rises above 100 C, I cannot see any other reason for the problem. Any alternative theories?
If your HW heat exchanger was blocked on the cold water inlet side you would get a significantly reduced flow rate from HW taps at all times. Is this the case?
On a static fill of radiator water on the primaries you would not have enough limescale in the system to get the unit blocked.
On a static fill of radiator water on the primaries you would not have enough limescale in the system to get the unit blocked.
No, the flow is OK as the HW is pressurised. Cold water flows into HW tank and keeps it under pressure. Radiator circuit works perfectly, the trouble starts when we draw hot water. All temperatures, sensors and the controller work normally,
I am prepared to be wrong on the lime scale HW, but I see so much evidence in German forums with Vitodens 333 lime scale. The plate HE is really a compact unit and I can well imagine it being the culprit.
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