Worcester Bosch 240RSF Hot Water Prob

[Paul Barker]

I think the age of the boiler is against you. They'll riggle out of their commitment using small print and demanding you spend £500 on a powerflush. Not right away, just when you put in a claim which they won't honour.

Even Worcester don't like fixing the 240 anymore, even though it's a great boiler well worth keeping going as long as it doesn't sound like an aeroplane taking off.

Look take heart it has to be the diverter valve, a brand new correct part from Worcest is cheap compared to a £500 powerflush to keep British Gas responsible for it. They may not take responsibility for it at all.

I'm not the best to advise on old boilers, I'd like Tony or someone to offer an opinion but in my view if it isn't skaled up beyond repair it's worth all the likely new parts that will come up in the coming years.

If I had one I'd keep throwing parts at it to keep it alive. They don't make em like that any more.

 

[Graham81]

Thanks for the advice. In that case the next time I can get the misses to stop moaning about me stripping the boiler apart and having no water or heating, I'll have another blast.

One other question. I have thermostatic rad valves on all rads. What would happen if the rad valves were all set to off and the heating was switched on?

 

[Paul Barker]

Heating stat would kick in and pump would be unhappy, take one of the trv's off and control that room with a roomstat that controls the boiler or put an automatic bipass in the system.

 

[Graham81]

Well thats what I was wondering. Within the boiler there is a screw valve between the central heating flow and return pipe. This seems to be open, would this be the bypass???

 

[Paul Barker]

I wasn't aware of a bipass inside that boiler but I don't have any MI's for it and haven't worked on one for a year now (they are reliable). It is likely that is what it is.

 

[DP]

I would try some DS40 on the system. Do be warned this can reveal system weaknesses.

I do not think the diverter is defective, more likely system sediment.

Am working on a 240 installation plumbed in 10mm plastic for finals. Of the seven rads only two were heating and they were only tepid. Replumbed the finals. Now all heating but will be cleansing the system later after the new year.

I wonder if in this case the HW HE is so bunged up that the shuttle in the diverter is being forced open to allow primary water to flow to the rads. This was happening on the system I am working on.

WRT insurance I would put say £18.00 a month aside in a 'boiler account' Then I would seek out a good reliable engineer who gets to know your system and will carry out the task of repairs and service with efficiency and high standard. With large organsisations you can get a very good engineer and also one with 10 thumbs.

 

[Paul Barker]

What a good job you joined in DP, that could be it.

From my experience round here these big organisations coin in the money and take responisbilty for a system for 20 years but never sort out simple things like pumping over and making sure theres adequate ventilation all that time, then all of a sudden it becomes an emergency and customer has to shell out 300 TO 500 OF THEIR OWN money at best or they send a slaesman round at worst, because evyone knows that when you don't have adequate ventilation the solution is we sell you a new boiler.

What really gets my goat is how come for the last 20 years they didn't check ventilation. In an open flued appliance fluing and ventilation should be on your mind the whole time.

Unsafe situation procedures booklets should not be necessary. I wouldn't install an open flued appliance without the required ventilation, end of!

IF said big organisation did the installation they should provide the ventilation for FREE and pay compensation for possible harm caused to the ocupants over the last 20 years and I hope none of their kids ever got Bronciolitus.

 

[Graham81]

So DP you are suggesting (as I said earlier in this post) that the path through the secondary (water to water) heat exchange is so slugded up that the water is then taking the next easiest route which is to force open the heating shutter and flow into there???

Is DS40 some kind of central heating cleaner then? Whats the risks of using it?

 

[DarkPedals]

Hi,

When did you buy your DV from BES? I bought one for my Sime on 13th December and have the same problem as you - CH flow gets warm when running DHW. I've not stripped it yet though....

I'm just wondering whether we've both got new DVs from a suspect batch? Mine is the 17092 (BES part no.) valve for a Sime Super 90 - I presume your's is the 17098? Just a thought....

 

[Graham81]

Yeap my diverter is part number 17098 and I purchased it on the 05/12/05. I still have not sorted the problem, but the misses won't let me near the dam thing at the mo, and the water is getting colder every shower I take.

 

[kevplumb]

misses won't let me near the dam thing at the mo, and the water is getting colder every shower I take.

probably just as well

you will need the cold shower if she turns your tap off

 

[GILO]

What was anyones results in finding this problem? I too have bought a BES diverter valve for my worcester 9.24 electronic and the same thing is happening, the rads still heat up when the hot water is run!
Also, try not to touch the flow and return valves to isolate the system when taking the diverter valve off, it just makes them leak, with a trickle rather than a drip!

 

[ChrisR]

SInce the last comments I have come across another 240. Fault was the fan, but I noticed a newish shiny diverter valve. It was a yeear old and fitted by BG. HW seemed a little slow to start so I investigated. Found that the DV was "leaking" to the CH when the tap was first turned on, but then the flow to CH stopped and of course the HW got better.
Perhaps the dhwhe is high enough resistance to give the springs in the DV a hard time. Any increase in scale would obviously exacerbate.

 

[GILO]

ChrisR,
Does this mean you think the water pressure from the pump is strong enough to force open the valve because the heat exchanger is blocked? You mentioned the springs , but, aren't they there to re-open the valve to the rads and stop hot water getting into the dhwhe (is that direct hot water heat exchanger??)
I tested my new diverter valve by blowing into it and it resisted my blowing from different ports depending on which way the pin was, which suggests its working properly, I can blow through any port at any time on the old one.
I cant test it again untill the new flow and return valves arrive!