Gas boiler - closing the valves for the summer, turning off the heating

Question

I have a 24 kW Immergas Victrix boiler (single function) and for the summer I would like to heat only domestic water. Until now, when heating water for use, the water in the entire heating system was heated, which in the heat of 35 ° C will not be pleasant.
I hope the picture is transparent (sorry for the mess), and I will add that green marked closed valves ("X" means that all valves are closed when separated into radiators).
Is "closing the heating" thus correct?

Gas boiler - closing the valves for the summer, turning off the heating

sanfran · Accepted Answer

I remembered the task from the game Machinarium And in your case it is better not to turn the valves on the radiators, there will be no flow in the installation?

BUCKS · Accepted Answer

For me, for a 1-function boiler, you have too many pipes coming out of the boiler, and the dimensions do not indicate that it was supposed to be a boiler with an integrated storage tank.
The number of outputs is more suitable for a 2-function boiler.
The 1-function boiler needs a water heater with a coil, which I can't see in the photo.

Generally, heating which when using hot water is a mistake and indicates that the three-way valve is whacked and passes water into the heating circuit, which with flow water heating should manifest as a decrease in capacity for hot water, and if you have a tank with a coil, you lose more energy than in reality need.

I don't know if your closing is correct because I can't see everything and it is a chaotic installation for me.
Generally, the heating (boiler) water heats up on the boiler in the primary exchanger and continues to be directed to the radiators.
In the case of domestic hot water, the same heated boiler water at the 2-function boiler instead of to the radiators is directed to the plate heat exchanger built into the boiler via a 3-way valve. In this plate heat exchanger, cold tap water is heated and already heated it is directed to the tap.
With a single-function boiler, during the dhw heating, the boiler water instead of the plate heat exchanger goes to the coil built into the dhw tank, thanks to which the tap water accumulated in the tank is heated. In other words, a coil with hot water flowing in it is such an equivalent of a hot heating spiral from a traditional electric kettle.
The domestic hot water tank itself is usually near the boiler, it can be standing or hanging.
With these basics, you can analyze how hot boiler water should flow to heat only radiators or only hot water
At the moment, it looks like the 3-way valve needs to be replaced or possibly cleaned, closing valves manually is more to powder the corpse than solving the problem

kz61 · Accepted Answer

Assuming that the filter is well mounted, the flow directions are poorly marked.

BUCKS · Accepted Answer

In principle, the 3D valve is responsible for directing the boiler water into the central heating or hot water circuit and it depends on it whether heaters will also be heated during hot water heating. Nothing else comes to my mind, hence the conclusion that it is the fault of the 3D valve. In my opinion, this is not a fault that requires immediate replacement, so there is no risk that something additional will break. The downside of this state is waste of energy, i.e. increased gas consumption. Because heating hot water, some energy is wasted on heating radiators. Perhaps in winter every part of the energy went to heating hot water during heating However, in the near future it is worth ensuring that the boiler is 100% functional. I took a look at the instructions for the new Victrix EXA 24 and power supply what is the extreme right exit, and return what is the second counting from the right, which means that the author has mistaken directions.

Pat0Ryk · Answer

The effect will not be the same? At least for the winter, I unscrew everything in one place, you don't have to fly and check. There is also underfloor heating, for which there are no other valves than the ones from the photo. The 120 l container under the stove (this mess on it) is connected to the three-way valve built into the boiler. So it turns out that only the 3D valve could fall. I currently have other important expenses, so the boiler will be able to run as it is now (with the valves turned off), is the valve eligible for immediate replacement? A problem similar to this, so it must be 3D. Thanks for the help. link

Nasty Mosquito · Answer

Hello.
I probably have a faulty three-way valve because the boiler set only in the DHW mode also CONIe heats the boiler, etc.
Is it safe to shut off the CH supply completely with the valve under the boiler?
Of course as a temporary solution. It's season and we have a house full of vacationers and I would not want to rummage around the stove now ...
I just mean if this solution is 100% safe ...? Will there be any dangerous pressure ...?

I would be very grateful for a fairly quick statement of a professional.
Thanks in advance!

Regards

BUCKS · Answer

I am not a professional but only an amateur. By design, in a gas boiler for the needs of hot water, water is heated in the so-called small boiler water circuit and the boiler usually has a built-in expansion vessel for the central heating circuit, so if the rest outside the 3D valve is functional then there is no risk of pressure increase on the boiler. In the summer mode of the boiler operation it is an installation which is unnecessary for heating hot utility water, so in theory there is nothing to isolate the central heating installation from the boiler with shut-off valves on the supply and return.

sanfran · Answer

Still everything depends on the boiler.
In my software there is such stupid software that after turning off the hot water, the automation cools the exchanger by passing water from the radiators, regardless of the position of the function switch (CW or CW + CO).
Once I stupidly dug in, because when I changed the radiator, I drained the system and the hot water was not :-(

BUCKS · Answer

I do not know such a boiler, because the few that I saw live work according to the scheme I described above. But I do not rule out that there are some weirdos on the market and they have an unusual way of operating. In the boilers I wrote about, the boiler water in the boiler creates a vessel connected to the heating circuit, so draining the water from the radiators automatically drains the water from the boiler and immobilizes it if it falls below the critical level. It is for such cases that the above-mentioned shut-off valves are used, because the boiler is then cut off from the central heating installation, so it can heat domestic hot water, and you can disassemble the radiator without adversely affecting the boiler's operation for the needs of domestic hot water In the same way when servicing the boiler, as you have shut-off valves, you drain the water from the boiler itself, and in the installation that the water is intact, i.e. you minimize the effects of adding a new portion of fresh water with a new stone. The necessary condition is that the shut-off valves must be tight so that the pressure drop in the system does not have any effect on the pressure on the boiler and vice versa.

sanfran · Answer

Vokera Compact 28 I don't know if they are found in Poland, but they work so unfortunately.

Nasty Mosquito · Answer

Thank you for the response

My boiler is Wolf CGW 24/140 with a built-in tank and an expansion vessel.
I turned off the central heating valve yesterday under the stove but it crashes, which, surprisingly, has nothing to do with heating the water (clogged flue system, poor gas quality, defective ionization elec- tricity, blocked flue outflow)
I spoke to the lovable gentleman from Wolf and said that the 3D valve is whacked and the error that strangely appeared within 10 hours of turning off the CO has nothing to do.
Are the 3D valves standard or do I need to look specifically for Wolf, as is the case with other boilers?

BUCKS · Answer

From what I saw, they are popular on the islands but in Poland I have not come across such a brand. However, a quick glance at the user manual and I did not notice that it worked, but I did not read it, so I could skip this part. There is no universal valve, because basically every boiler manufacturer uses its solution dedicated to a specific model or a given family of its devices. Ask a Wolf service technician how much such a valve costs and the cost of replacement. If the whole thing is done to you by a service technician, if you have any problems, you will throw a complaint.

kz61 · Answer

The shut-off valves under the boiler should not be closed. Why create some crazy theories about this. It's not about pressure, but about temperature. There are boilers that, after DHW heating (usually a high parameter), lower the heating circuit temperature by means of central heating. But this is not important. It's about emergency situations. In the event of a hot water overheat, the boiler uses to get rid of excess heat. Stopping the burner and pump in this case will not prevent the temperature from rising (for a while longer) and the water boiler may turn into steam.

Nasty Mosquito · Answer

It is possible that this is where the error appeared, but why it indicates an ionization electrode (error crashes several times a day). The 3D valve costs PLN 650 up but I have to contact Wolf and ask if I can buy the valve itself or I need to buy a set in the picture.

BUCKS · Answer

And who creates insane theories. @nasty Mosquito he asked if he could quietly close the shut-off valves and whether it would have any effect on pressure. In my opinion, this will not have a negative impact and as a temporary solution to the problem can be. I do not know any, at least those that I know, I do not know that this option offered. The same applies to Wolf, who is affected by this problem. In addition, if we take water at a temperature of 55 degrees in the hot water tank on average, it is difficult for me to imagine that the gas boiler will turn into a steam boiler, even if the boiler water is 80/60. That's what the temperature sensors are for, which will turn off the burner at the right moment, and the pump mixes the boiler water a little more to cool the boiler. Extreme situations can always happen, but first of all the boiler electronics must offer such a variant of emergency cooling of the boiler water on the boiler, and secondly we are talking about a temporary situation for the time of failure and for this, among others you can use these valves. For me, making an affair of this is exaggerated and inadequate to the situation.

Gas boiler - closing the valves for the summer, turning off the heating

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