Sterling oil boiler and Drayton actuator help PLEASE

[Alison-79]

Hello I have just moved into a house with the above. I had a plumber come in to simply replace the existing pipes to run them under the new floor. We are experiencing numerous problems! There is only 3 pipes. Surely there should be 4.... Radiator out And then return, mains water and hot water? It looks like ones missing somehow?!?

I've followed the pipes and the there are 2 coming out the boiler. One to heat radiators and the other goes into the grundfos pump that leads to the actuator. I thought the second should be hot water out? So I followed the pipe I think is hot water out the 3 and that is attached directly to the actuator as does what I think is the return pipe.

can anyone please shed any light on this? The boiler won't stay fired up so I can't work out if it's a problem with the boiler firing up or the plumber has plumbed it back up wrong. It was working before with just the three pipes Before anyone asks! Can anyone confirm where the mains water should go into (pump or actuator) and what route the hot water out should be via actuator or out of boiler. Thanks

 

[Best]

Why are you trying to sort out what each pipe does? Surely you should get the plumber back who moved the pipework.
It sounds to me that you are confusing a combi boiler with a standard boiler perhaps.
Combi will have 2 heating pipes for rads & a mains pipe going in & a hot pipe out.
A standard boiler can have 2 or sometimes 3 or 4.
Questions that need answered are -
Have you got a hot tank somewhere in the house?
Is the oil boiler cutting off on its thermostat, or is it going to lockout on its control box?
i suspect there may be an airlock in the pipework or boiler at a guess.

 

[Alison-79]

Sorry this is all new to me and 4 bad plumbers later i want to try and understand it myself! The plumber is adamant he has simply replaced the existing pipes. I don't want him back! I followed the pipes out the actuator. One is central heating return.... Should this go into the actuator? The one on the right is the hot water pipe that goes to the hot water tank in the loft. I can't find online anywhere what pipes should be on the actuator.

thanks

 

[Alison-79]

Actuator help please

I do have another thread regarding this but please can someone confirm which pipes should go in/out of the actuator please. One on left is central heating flow in. Should this be central heating out? The one on right is hot water out up to loft. I think my plumbers put it on wrong way round. Thanks

 

[WHPES]

Post up some pictures. A picture says a thousand words! Pics of the boiler, cylinder and header tank arrangement.

I also suspect your boiler is antiquated and dates from the 1960s, as its over 40 years since Sterling boilers were last made as far as I remember.

Sounds to me like an airlock

Also you are correct there should be 4 pipes, but they may not all be in the same place - 1) Flow and 2) return from the boiler, 3) feed, and 4) expansion to the header tank. The expansion may rise from the cylinder pipework or somewhere else and be nowhere near the boiler.

 

[SimonG]

Calm down and start again.

Post a picture of the cursed actuator. 4 bad plumber? somebody's either been very unlucky or we'll see.

Sounds like a y plan and an air lock.

 

[Dotty]

I've merged your threads Alison, can you post a picture of your pipework please?

Details on how to post pics (because it's not obvious) are in this thread.

http://www.ukplumbersforums.co.uk/new-member-introductions/59145-how-get-started-ukpf.html

 

[Best]

Maybe when she said "Sterling Oil Boiler" in her title, it is actually a modern Bentone Sterling burner fitted to the boiler shell.

 

[Bunker]

As above. But it is usually like this:

Pipe from top of boiler goes through pump into bottom of actuator.
Pipe from side A of the actuator goes to the radiator circuit.
Pipe from side B of the actuator goes to the hot water cylinder (airing cupboard?).
Pipe at bottom of boiler is probably a common return, ie the return from the radiator circuit and linked into that is the return from the hot water cylinder.

You may have another pipe at the bottom of the boiler on the other side which could be the return from the hot water cylinder instead of it being joined into the radiator returns. Or it may be the fill etc.
As above, please post pics we will be happy to help.

Croppie, this is more a CH topic than oil, the fuel is irrelevant? ;-)

 

[WHPES]

There are boliers around with a "Sterling" badge on the front, but it's a while since I saw one. I think they are an earlier generation of the Thorn Panda.