Calorifiers from Surecal. Important info

[stuhaynes]

This is not a whinge, so far

I recently bought a 55 litre calorifier from Surecal. Good price, came with everything, service excellent. So far...

We had a problem with the non return valve, hot water leeching back from the tank through the cold water tap so I emailed. Matt at Surecal was very helpful.

I sent all the pictures he asked for and during his investigation the pressure relief valve setting came up.

This is the important bit. I don't know if this applies to the entire range, but the 55 litre tank come with a 3 bar PRV, 43.5 PSI approx. My Johnson pump is rated at 42 PSI at 5GPM. The expansion tank I bought from them is preset to 38.5 PSI.

The effect of this is that the calorifier is bound to be always full, so serving no purpose. For anyone who doesn't know. The expansion tank should be set higher than pump pressure, but lower than the pressure relief valve pressure. With a pump pressure of 42PSI and pressure relief valve at 43.5 PSI there isn't a lot of room for the expansion tank to do its job.

Matt at Surecal is suggesting that my pump is too big for the system, which is ridiculous. I've asked them to provide a different PRV but so far they have said they will only do that if I pay them another £10, which I refuse to do.

Nowhere on Surecals site, that we've seen, specifies, or asks for either type, pressure or flow rate of pump.

Based on the service I've received so I'm sure that we will resolve this. If we don't, I'll let everyone know.

My advice to Surecal was to suggest that they ask for the pump pressure on the sales form and they reckon they are going to add this to their site.

In the meantime, if you're thinking of buying a calorifier from Surecal ( I would still reccomend them ) make a point of phoning them and telling them your pump pressure.

Does anyone, apart from Matt at Surecal, think that 42PSI @ 5GPM is too big. I'd be interested to know so that I can let them know.

Hope this is of help. Stu

 

[pvb]

Intriguing, Stu. I fitted a Surecal a year ago and I have the same problem of hot water getting into the cold circuit. As far as I was aware, there isn't a non-return valve fitted, and indeed I bought one the other day with a view to trying it.

 

[Blueboatman]

Recent Surecal c 30l, no probs.

But I had already replaced the 40psi pump with a 30psi unit -noticeably quieter ( almost silent effectively, nice at night), and presumably a useful saving in water when having a shower..
The overflow on the cylinder did drip initially when the immersion element was left 'on' in advertantly all night but doesn't now.

Not sure if any of that really helps you !

 

[stuhaynes]

Intriguing, Stu. I fitted a Surecal a year ago and I have the same problem of hot water getting into the cold circuit. As far as I was aware, there isn't a non-return valve fitted, and indeed I bought one the other day with a view to trying it.

Just an update. I've had an email from Matt at Surecal. He's going to send me a 4 bar PRV providing I send the 3 bar one back first. I'm not complaining because we're on the bank for a couple of weeks. It just strikes me as a bit rich when I trusted them with more the 350 of my English pounds, but I have to send the valve back first!

With reference tho the NRV. There is one fitted but they don't seem much good. Ours fails intermittantly. The advice from Matt is fit an inline one. I find this advice a bit nieve really, the one fitted should work. Probably Chinese cr*p. As it happens our local hardware shop has them for 2 quid each (probably also Chinese cr*p). Fits straight onto the plastic Hep20.

I retain my original opinion of Surecal. The product is very good value, generally does what it's supposed to with excellent delivery. Maybe the quality control should be more of an issue. All in all, I still reccomend them. Just seems a bit silly to fall down on stupid and basic stuff.

Stu

 

[Billjratt]

I just fitted a calorifier and am a bit confused by your posts on this thread.
Do you have a drinkingwater header tank with a blowoff valve, AND a pressure release valve on the tank both connected to the same circuit of water?
I have a pressure relief valve, as nornal - obviousy set to a higher pressure than the domestic pump. It's there to release steam if there's a boil-up...
There is an accumulator to buffer the pump and also to provide expansion/contraction during heating/cooling.
The header tank (had I been supplied with one!!) would have gone into the freshwater cooling circuit for the engine, not the domestic supply. It depends on whether the tank coil is higher than the engine header tank or not. If it's on a different circuit, it doesn't matter what the relationship of it's release pressure to the others is.
I don't see how hot water gets back to the cold tap circuit, as the accumulator/pump pressure is always the other way.
I did fit a non-return valve in the engine cooling pipes to the calorifier to stop the heat reverse-syphoning back into the engine.

 

[minquiers]

dont fit a cheap plastic non return valve, i fitted one on mine and it broke in half, and dumped 200 litres of water in the bilges, i am now going to fit a proper metal one and hope thats ok.