Stove not heating Rads

Gryzor

I recently had a Strattford EB16HEi Insert Boiler stove installed, and I've a problem with it, very little heat to rads

I'm gonna get the plumber back but wanted to get some advice\opinions here first.

It's a dormer with 11 rads downstairs. Even with the upstairs rads turned off, the downstairs rads vary from warm to barely lukewarm. The attached image gives the setup beside the stove.
There is a stat on the output of the stove set to ~50.
Both the cylinder and rads are on the same output from the stove
Plumber didn't cross connect the input and output pipes on the stove

Any ideas??

Dtp1979

Gryzor wrote: »

I recently had a Strattford EB16HEi Insert Boiler stove installed, and I've a problem with it, very little heat to rads

I'm gonna get the plumber back but wanted to get some advice\opinions here first.

It's a dormer with 11 rads downstairs. Even with the upstairs rads turned off, the downstairs rads vary from warm to barely lukewarm. The attached image gives the setup beside the stove.
There is a stat on the output of the stove set to ~50.
Both the cylinder and rads are on the same output from the stove
Plumber didn't cross connect the input and output pipes on the stove

Any ideas??

Can you take more pics please further back.

Gryzor

I've added another photo, it's a tight space so not that easy.

TBH last night I used a good amount of anthracite and managed to get a bit of heat to the rads but still not anything like I thought I'd get.

I had the upstairs turned off, so just downstairs rads running and even turned off some of them. For the first time, the return from the downstairs rads was lukewarm. Upto now that had been stone cold.

Dtp1979

Gryzor wrote: »

I've added another photo, it's a tight space so not that easy.

TBH last night I used a good amount of anthracite and managed to get a bit of heat to the rads but still not anything like I thought I'd get.

I had the upstairs turned off, so just downstairs rads running and even turned off some of them. For the first time, the return from the downstairs rads was lukewarm. Upto now that had been stone cold.

The pipework us dreadful to be honest. Someone that rough probably isn't gonna pipe it correctly. I'd get another plumber in to have a look

Gryzor

OK, thanks. He's back this evening to have a look anyway. I'll see what he says.

Regarding the pipes not being cross connected on the stove, is that a big deal?? The flow and return are both connected to the same side. My thinking here is that with them both connected to the same side, is that only some of the hot water in the jacket is being pushed out before the cold makes it's way up and out the flow pipe and trips the stat to turn off the pump. Maybe I'm way off on this??

Dtp1979

Gryzor wrote: »

OK, thanks. He's back this evening to have a look anyway. I'll see what he says.

Regarding the pipes not being cross connected on the stove, is that a big deal?? The flow and return are both connected to the same side. My thinking here is that with them both connected to the same side, is that only some of the hot water in the jacket is being pushed out before the cold makes it's way up and out the flow pipe and trips the stat to turn off the pump. Maybe I'm way off on this??

If the plumber didn't cross the pipes in the first place, then that pretty says it all about him. Obviously hasn't a clue what he's doing. Post your location here and maybe somebody can help you out or point you in the right direction

RubyGirl

Is the stove heating the water aswell? When we have the fire lit we turn the stat down to 0, this in turn will send the heat straight to the rad;s, before bed then we turn the stat up to 50 and we have plenty of hot water for showers in the morning. We have a stratford aswell and find it great.

Dtp1979

RubyGirl wrote: »

Is the stove heating the water aswell? When we have the fire lit we turn the stat down to 0, this in turn will send the heat straight to the rad;s, before bed then we turn the stat up to 50 and we have plenty of hot water for showers in the morning. We have a stratford aswell and find it great.

The stat is not supposed to be used this way and shouldn't be set below 55. If plumbed correctly and set at 55-60 then both hot water and rads will heat. You are also risking legionella by turning the stat down

crasy dash

Slightly off topic but the wiring is fairly rough as well you should get that looked at as well.

kerryplumber

Any updates on this,
Just a few things I spotted from your photo

There's qualpex on top of that 367 which looks like the primary return ( not that I agree with the balancing valve there anyway)

Should that return from cylinder not be on the other side of the pump

Where are the expansion and vent connected. Is it possible that the system is pitching

RubyGirl

Dtp1979 wrote: »

The stat is not supposed to be used this way and shouldn't be set below 55. If plumbed correctly and set at 55-60 then both hot water and rads will heat. You are also risking legionella by turning the stat down

No water won't go to rads if I don't move the stat. The stove will start hopping and making noises.
Will look into it more thanks for letting me know.

Dtp1979

RubyGirl wrote: »

No water won't go to rads if I don't move the stat. The stove will start hopping and making noises.
Will look into it more thanks for letting me know.

Absolutely do. Your stove should never make any noise whatsoever. If it bangs or gurgles then you have a serious and dangerous problem and don't use it until that's rectified

Gryzor

kerryplumber wrote: »

Any updates on this,
Just a few things I spotted from your photo

There's qualpex on top of that 367 which looks like the primary return ( not that I agree with the balancing valve there anyway)

Should that return from cylinder not be on the other side of the pump

Where are the expansion and vent connected. Is it possible that the system is pitching

Plumber arrived in last night and had another look, adjusted the stat to about 55, and choked off the return from the cylinder a bit.
Biggest thing though was he said we weren't putting down a big enough fire. It's a big firebox in that stove, so what I thought was big wasn't really big enough. And to be fair, it did produce results. He's gonna call back and balance the rads...

So, I'm alot happier today than I was yesterday regarding the stove performance.

Dtp1979

Gryzor wrote: »

Plumber arrived in last night and had another look, adjusted the stat to about 55, and choked off the return from the cylinder a bit.
Biggest thing though was he said we weren't putting down a big enough fire. It's a big firebox in that stove, so what I thought was big wasn't really big enough. And to be fair, it did produce results. He's gonna call back and balance the rads...

So, I'm alot happier today than I was yesterday regarding the stove performance.

It sounds to me like he adjusted the balance valve on the cylinder. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THERE BE ANY VALVE ON THE COIL OF THE CYLINDER ON THE SOLID FUEL SIDE.
For your own safety I'd get rid of this idiot and get in a plumber who knows what he's doing before someone in the house gets hurt from this.

Gryzor

Could you elaborate on the safety concerns please?

Dtp1979

Gryzor wrote: »

Could you elaborate on the safety concerns please?

A stove must operate on a gravity circuit. Gravity meaning no pump needed. By putting a valve on the gravity circuit you could potentially cut off the gravity circulation and possibly make a big BOOM in the process.
It's hard to see but your stove looks like it's piped by someone who hasn't a bulls notion of what they're doing. It looks like a fully pumped system from what I can make out.

gunners111

stratford insert stove poor performance

---

just fitted a stratford eb 16i insert stove very disappointed with heat to room and rads ,flexi flue has been fitted so think instalation was pretty good, room is not that big 14 x 11 ft taking ages to warm up and using loads of timber and turf, has anyone any ideas

cranefly

gunners111 wrote: »

stratford insert stove poor performance

---

just fitted a stratford eb 16i insert stove very disappointed with heat to room and rads ,flexi flue has been fitted so think instalation was pretty good, room is not that big 14 x 11 ft taking ages to warm up and using loads of timber and turf, has anyone any ideas

That is one big insert boiler stove, if you are only burning turf and wood then you are not doing that stove justice, wood and turf will not even get that stove up to half power, you should fill that stove up with smokeless coal, a full skuttle or coal bucket should do the trick, with a few peat briquettes on top, so that their is about 2 inches between the top of the coal and the top of the stove at the back of the stove.

Once it gets good and hot for the rads, just keep it going then with wood and peat if you want, stratford stoves are up their with the best stoves on the market, especially their inset boiler stoves, think of it like the boiler of a steam engine, they are made really for coal, my advice then is start of with a good big fire to heat the water, then its up to you how much heat you want out of it from their on. i speak from years of experience with an esse 350gs inset boiler stove.

gunners111

stratford insert stove poor performance

---

just fitted a stratford eb 16i insert stove very disappointed with heat to room and rads ,flexi flue has been fitted so think instalation was pretty good, room is not that big 14 x 11 ft taking ages to warm up and using loads of timber and turf, has anyone any ideas

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Dtp1979

gunners111 wrote: »

stratford insert stove poor performance

---

just fitted a stratford eb 16i insert stove very disappointed with heat to room and rads ,flexi flue has been fitted so think instalation was pretty good, room is not that big 14 x 11 ft taking ages to warm up and using loads of timber and turf, has anyone any ideas

gunners111 is online now Report Post

What?

gunners111

cranefly wrote: »

That is one big insert boiler stove, if you are only burning turf and wood then you are not doing that stove justice, wood and turf will not even get that stove up to half power, you should fill that stove up with smokeless coal, a full skuttle or coal bucket should do the trick, with a few peat briquettes on top, so that their is about 2 inches between the top of the coal and the top of the stove at the back of the stove.

Once it gets good and hot for the rads, just keep it going then with wood and peat if you want, stratford stoves are up their with the best stoves on the market, especially their inset boiler stoves, think of it like the boiler of a steam engine, they are made really for coal, my advice then is start of with a good big fire to heat the water, then its up to you how much heat you want out of it from their on. i speak from years of experience with an esse 350gs inset boiler stove.

thanks cranefly
do you think I might have a problem with up draught , I think I might be losing heat up the chimney I fitted a flexi flue and there is a whistling sound coming fom stove