Baxi solo 3 pfl range- vent

[Chris H]

newbie here, having always worked in new build installations. Working on older systems and fault finding is a working progress, i have just fitted a bathroom for a customer and have looked at a couple of other things for them. Including flushing the heating system, upon cleaning out the header tank i noticed there is no vent! Going by the manual it should have (as far as i can see). Customer was assured it did'nt need one and it's been running for 6 years. No other form of pressure relief i can see, can anyone shed light on this for me.
Regards.

 

[street elbow]

Chris,

This boiler can be installed in several ways,

1, conventional, with feed pipe and expansion pipe.

2, Low head with certain pipe measurements required,

3, sealed system with expansion vessel

4, "If conditions require" an extra low head with a min distance between bottom of F/E tank and top of heating system of 200mm you can have just a 22mm combined feed and expansion pipe.

I have seen this in various instruction books not just baxi, but not an instlation.

have a look in a baxi book and all will be explained,

David.

 

[Chris H]

Hello David,
Thank-you for your response, have read the manual and took it that the combined feed and expansion pipe would be ok only if there was a low head issue. There is'nt in this case, boiler being on ground floor, airing cupboard 1st floor and header tank in loft. There is no air seperater fitted on the feed either. Obviously the system has been working ok for sometime but i've not come across this before and i won't learn if i don't ask!

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

if its not pressurised it will need a vent,if the pump failed this boiler has the potential to explode

 

[Chris H]

Thanks Gas Man for your reply, obviously it could be a major concern and there is also a wiring fault on the boiler as the pump continually runs. So unless anyone else can come up with a logical reason or that the feed is satisfactory as a combined vent, we'll have to cut in a seperate vent.
Thanks again.

 

[danielp]

well surely it would just push up the cold feed anyway?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Thanks Gas Man for your reply, obviously it could be a major concern and there is also a wiring fault on the boiler as the pump continually runs. So unless anyone else can come up with a logical reason or that the feed is satisfactory as a combined vent, we'll have to cut in a seperate vent.
Thanks again.

the wireing fault is a pcb,pump overrun has failed, a common solo fault tip solo pcbs are on offer in most places

well surely it would just push up the cold feed anyway?

it will but it will be pushing against a solid wall of water,ie a full tank this could be all it takes to pop a joint or blow the boiler baxi burmuda vents have to go a specific distance above the f+e tank to avoid pumping over problems this also applys to most solos,i remember this well when the boilers were new

 

[stevetheplumber]

servowarm fitted all their boilers like this and they went on for years

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

best thing you can do is talk to baxi technical personly i would want to see a vent fitted,just because others have fitted it without dont make it right

 

[LIFES A GAS]

Re: Baxi Solo 3 PFL system boiler: The manual states page 8 (4.1) The appliance is suitable for fully pumped sealed systems only. The boiler has an expansion vessel & PRV built in, filling should be via a filling loop not a F & E tank.
Martin

 

[street elbow]

Lifes a gas,

Baxi do two ranges of the Solo PFL, Firstly the standard version for open vent systems, with various piping arangements depending on head of water available.

and the second range is, as you state is a "System" boiler for sealed systems.

The OP stated that he had "read the book" seen the boiler and the header tank so I think he has the standard version of the boiler not the "system" boiler.

David.

 

[LIFES A GAS]

Thanks David, I thought I was missing something!
Martin.

 

[Chris H]

Lifes a gas, It is'nt the 3 pfl 'system'. It is the 3 pfl 'range' it's a different boiler and can assure you there is no expansion vessel inside.

 

[LIFES A GAS]

Thats typical Poxi-Batterton, most manufactures would call it something different, they have Solo 3 pf system, Solo 3 pfl range and Solo 3 pfl system models, all with similar outputs. And then there’s the Baxi System 35/60 & 60/100 that looks like a combi (selector switch for HW or Heat & HW and no built in timer) whats that all about?? In my days a system boiler is for stored HW + heating while a combi is on demand HW + heating, simple really but guess I should not try to answer problems at 1:30 in the morning when I should be sending out zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz’s LOL
Martin