Help with a Mynute 16e boiler!

Scubadevils

Hi, hope someone can help me with a boiler issue.

It's a Mynute 16e and we have had problems before where it was making a rattling sound - we got a plumber at the time and he said it was the pressure so he corrected that and showed me how to do it for future reference... adjusting a valve in our hot press till it got to about 1.5. I've had to do this maybe twice over the course of the winter just gone. Tonight though we had the heating on for a couple of hours but noticed the house was cold, checked the rads and all freezing... I took a look at the boiler and the pressure was just below 1 so I opened the valve in the hot press till it went to 1.5 - turned the heating back on and could see that it had fired through the little hole (excuse the lack of plumbing terminology!) but after about 30 secs it had stopped firing. If I switch off the heating and on again, it again fires but only last about 30 secs... it sounds like it's operational but just no flames! Any suggestions please? Oh and the thermostat is up sufficiently. Cheers.

Scubadevils

Just noticed there that it had fired again and stopped - not sure how often it fires generally speaking as don't normally have a need to monitor like this!

Dtp1979

Scubadevils wrote: »

Just noticed there that it had fired again and stopped - not sure how often it fires generally speaking as don't normally have a need to monitor like this!

Is there a flashing red light?

Scubadevils

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Is there a flashing red light?

No, no sign of any lights. I've noticed it fire a couple of times now since I posted, beginning to wonder is it a thermostat issue - we seem to have hot water and the immersion hasn't been on, not roasting hot but reasonably.

Scubadevils

Another thing I've just noticed - we have an attic conversion and I've noticed before that the rad up there can be on if the boiler is on (if we just wanted hot water) and thermostat set to zero, so no other rads are on in the house - I suspected that when the conversion was done that the attic rad wasn't connected to the thermostat. Just checked now and that rad is roasting hot!

Egass13

Scubadevils wrote: »

Another thing I've just noticed - we have an attic conversion and I've noticed before that the rad up there can be on if the boiler is on (if we just wanted hot water) and thermostat set to zero, so no other rads are on in the house - I suspected that when the conversion was done that the attic rad wasn't connected to the thermostat. Just checked now and that rad is roasting hot!

Zone valve to the heating circuit is shut I'd say . Possibly burnt out , attic rad is taken after the valve which is why it's heating . Post a pic of your hot press , valves etc

Scubadevils

Egass13 wrote: »

Zone valve to the heating circuit is shut I'd say . Possibly burnt out , attic rad is taken after the valve which is why it's heating . Post a pic of your hot press , valves etc

That doesn't sound good - I've taken a shot of the valve where I adjusted in the hot press, it's the black valve as per the first photo attached. The 2nd then is under the boiler, don't know if that's any use!

Egass13

Scubadevils wrote: »

That doesn't sound good - I've taken a shot of the valve where I adjusted in the hot press, it's the black valve as per the first photo attached. The 2nd then is under the boiler, don't know if that's any use!

No , you should have an actuator connected to the heating pipes , it will look like a box with a cable comin off it stuck to the pipe . Take pics of all valves in the hotpress around the water cylinder

Scubadevils

Egass13 wrote: »

No , you should have an actuator connected to the heating pipes , it will look like a box with a cable comin off it stuck to the pipe . Take pics of all valves in the hotpress around the water cylinder

Ok, I'll go look for that now

Scubadevils

OK, got a selection of shots - not 100% what to be snapping but got I think pretty much everything to include a box with cable coming from it.

Edit - 5 shots which is the max, I'll post the next 3 (which I think are less relevant in another post).

Scubadevils

And the next 3...

Cheers, really appreciate the assistance!

Egass13

Scubadevils wrote: »

And the next 3...

Cheers, really appreciate the assistance!

The blue box has a little brass lever , slide it across and lock it in place , this will manually override the valve and let heat go to the rads

Scubadevils

Egass13 wrote: »

The blue box has a little brass lever , slide it across and lock it in place , this will manually override the valve and let heat go to the rads

OK I just did that - it would only barely move though, I'd say at most a cm if even... I'd really have to force it to make it go any further?

Egass13

Scubadevils wrote: »

OK I just did that - it would only barely move though, I'd say at most a cm if even... I'd really have to force it to make it go any further?

That's ok , they can be quite stiff sometimes

DGOBS

If its jammed, the motor or spindle/gear has had it.

Just pull the entire blue box off (its on clips either side) and you will see the small spindle still on the pipework underneath, turn it by hand.

Also, now turn your room stat down to zero to turn off the blue box, and leave it on the ground, but do get someone out to replace it for you ASAP.

Scubadevils

Egass13 wrote: »

That's ok , they can be quite stiff sometimes

I managed to push it across further but not all the way, I could hear the tank in the hot press shutting off, or at least going silent.

Scubadevils

Egass13 wrote: »

That's ok , they can be quite stiff sometimes

OK heat is now coming to the rad in the kitchen, I can feel it at the base. Is it ok to leave it switched to the position you've described?

DGOBS wrote: »

If its jammed, the motor or spindle/gear has had it.

Just pull the entire blue box off (its on clips either side) and you will see the small spindle still on the pipework underneath, turn it by hand.

Also, now turn your room stat down to zero to turn off the blue box, and leave it on the ground, but do get someone out to replace it for you ASAP.

Do I still need to do this based on what I've just done?

I'm assuming I still need to get a plumber out, if it's safer etc I can live without heat for the weekend - or if any further damage likely, can do without any additional costs to life right now!

Egass13

Scubadevils wrote: »

OK heat is now coming to the rad in the kitchen, I can feel it at the base. Is it ok to leave it switched to the position you've described?



Do I still need to do this based on what I've just done?

I'm assuming I still need to get a plumber out, if it's safer etc I can live without heat for the weekend - or if any further damage likely, can do without any additional costs to life right now!

If you've locked it in and the rads are working then your ok short term , but get it replaced as soon as you can , at least you know the problem for when you call the plumber

Egass13

Scubadevils wrote: »

OK heat is now coming to the rad in the kitchen, I can feel it at the base. Is it ok to leave it switched to the position you've described?



Do I still need to do this based on what I've just done?

I'm assuming I still need to get a plumber out, if it's safer etc I can live without heat for the weekend - or if any further damage likely, can do without any additional costs to life right now!

If you've locked it in and the rads are working then your ok short term , but get it replaced as soon as you can , at least you know the problem for when you call the plumber

Scubadevils

Egass13 wrote: »

If you've locked it in and the rads are working then your ok short term , but get it replaced as soon as you can , at least you know the problem for when you call the plumber

OK great, thanks a million for your help, much appreciated. Oh, what is that box called?

Egass13

Scubadevils wrote: »

OK great, thanks a million for your help, much appreciated. Oh, what is that box called?

It's a zone valve , two port

Scubadevils

Egass13 wrote: »

It's a zone valve , two port

Great, thanks again... drop me a note if you're in the market for headphones or some other consumer electronic lines, that's my work area!

Scubadevils

I'm back

OK, yesterday morning we had no hot water even having switched on the immersion for well over 1 hour - I assumed this was due to flicking the switch on the zone valve, so I flicked it back again and had the heating on, this gave us some hot water and the heating was actually working fine again all day yesterday. This morning however our boiler started making the clattering sound that we had a couple of years ago, loud enough to wake us - pressure reading is just over 1 when cold, I switched on the heating again about 20 mins ago and rattling away again and the pressure has risen to almost 2. Any thoughts?!

Oh and I've switched that switch on the zone valve again as per Friday night.

Dtp1979

Scubadevils wrote: »

I'm back

OK, yesterday morning we had no hot water even having switched on the immersion for well over 1 hour - I assumed this was due to flicking the switch on the zone valve, so I flicked it back again and had the heating on, this gave us some hot water and the heating was actually working fine again all day yesterday. This morning however our boiler started making the clattering sound that we had a couple of years ago, loud enough to wake us - pressure reading is just over 1 when cold, I switched on the heating again about 20 mins ago and rattling away again and the pressure has risen to almost 2. Any thoughts?!

Oh and I've switched that switch on the zone valve again as per Friday night.

A clattering noise like the boiler is making popcorn?

Scubadevils

Dtp1979 wrote: »

A clattering noise like the boiler is making popcorn?

Yes exactly that. Pressure gone up now to about 2 and a quarter.

Scubadevils

Pressure now nearer 2.5 but all quiet now!

Edit - on the rattle again but pressure dropped to just above 2... not as loud as it has been though.

Dtp1979

Scubadevils wrote: »

Yes exactly that. Pressure gone up now to about 2 and a quarter.

Well I can tell you that if you go to the flue outside, popcorn will be flying out .
Only kidding.
Your heat exchanger is blocked I'd say. I'd reccomend a powerflush to hopefully unblock it and if not then a new heatexchanger.

Egass13

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Well I can tell you that if you go to the flue outside, popcorn will be flying out .
Only kidding.
Your heat exchanger is blocked I'd say. I'd reccomend a powerflush to hopefully unblock it and if not then a new heatexchanger.

Pump could be gone aswell , time for an rgi visit me thinks

Dtp1979

Egass13 wrote: »

Pump could be gone aswell , time for an rgi visit me thinks

Of course!

Scubadevils

Going to call a plumber in the morning! Is it best to be cold till then? :pac:

Dtp1979

Scubadevils wrote: »

Going to call a plumber in the morning! Is it best to be cold till then? :pac:

Ye leave it off till then. Make sure your plumber is RGI.