Vaillant latest 470f WC controller with latest ecotec 831 boiler

[stratobuddy]

This is my 4^th attempt at starting a thread and none have appeared. If they are being stopped by the moderator, can he please email me to explain the reason.

I recently had a new-style (post-April 2012) ecotec plus 831 fitted, then found that the previous room controllers would not work with the new models.

The non-weather compensating controller won't be available until about November, so I HAD to have the weather compensating controller 470f instead.

I've read all the comments about WC controllers on here, but the problems still continue.

Yesterday evening it was 15 deg outside, 18 inside, and I wanted 20 so I set this temperature on the controller.

The rads became barely luke warm (curve = 1.2) and the room temp hardly altered all night. Apparently they were all at a 32 deg flow temp, and had no chance of heating up the room.

Later I set the curve to the ridiculously high 4.0 (the maximum) and the rads then got warmer, but according to the curve would still only be about 45 deg.

After many hours, the room temp went up to about 19 deg, so never reached the demanded 20.

I am thinking about removing the outside sensor out of range of the receiver, hoping it will revert to a normal controller.

Do you think this will work? Any other ideas?

[stratobuddy]

In the 4 days since I first tried to post this thread, I have been doing various experiments.

Today the outside temp was 15, inside 19, I wanted 20. Set controller to 20, had the same problem of lukewarm rads.

Tried turning demanded temp to 30. This did make the rads hot, about 75 deg flow temp, so I got the house up to 20 OK but then had to remember to turn the controller back down to 20.

Since then, the system is working as it should ie rads lukewarm, burner fully modulated to a low flame, temp staying at 20.

This seems to be a workaround to get the room temp up, but shouldn't really be necessary IMO. The curve is still 4.0.

The only other solution is to put the outside sensor into the fridge!!!

I don't know what happens if it is out of range of the receiver, perhaps the boiler will revert to normal on/off control, any ideas?

[stratobuddy]

BTW, although I would still appreciate any advice, I have spent 2 weeks studying the 470f operator and installers manuals in great detail, and also the boiler manuals, and trying various experiments.

Therefore, if anyone else is fitting this system of 470f and latest ecotec 831 and is having problems I may now be able to help with any queries. I am not a plumber but an electrical/computer engineer.

[gtmspyder]

Hello Stratobuddy, appologies for this but it is all I have to address you by.

I too am having trouble getting any response to postings on here and it is most frustrating especially as they were rather long posts and I have no backup's to be able to repost.

I am on several different forums and this is the only one that insists on all posts being moderated for this inordinately long time, twenty four hours is normally the maximum and most are on screen either immediately or with an hour.

I can appreciate that if the forum organisers insist on every post being checked for content, a large input of posts will inundate them, and I am sure they are busy people, but it realy is poor form to have delays like this.

If a poster is desperate for an answer, perhaps without heat or hot water with a child in the house , it realy is not good enough to have to wait several days before the post appears before anyone can hope to answer, and if there answer also has a similar delay then the results are not good.

As the majority of plumbing/heating problems are urgent, then at least the question should be instantaneous on the screen.

I am sorry if all this seems carping, and as a new boy on here, I am wary of critiscising what is a very usefull forum, but having read through dozens of posts on here, I appreciate the quality of advice that is freely given by very busy people, but perhaps, a review of the procedures could be innitiated.

Kind regards to the moderators and all who post on here,

BrianT.
Tuesday, 7th Aug. 2012

[gtmspyder]

Wowee, I don't know if a moderator was reading that long post above while I was writing it, but it was on the forum within a minute of me posting, very good, may it continue.

Thank you sirs, kind regards,

BrianT.

[stratobuddy]

Now I can't post at all, I get the following message - - - - Post denied. New posts are limited by number of URLs it may contain and checked if it doesn't contain forbidden words.

There were no URL's. I tried altering the word KNOB to rotating control but it made no difference lol

[stratobuddy]

BTW I am also familiar with the pre-April 2012 ecotec 831 fitted with a non-WC 392f controller (the f means wireless).

The new 470f (which has one knob and 2 buttons) is much easier to use for the operator than the previous model 392f (which has 2 knobs that also push in).

The old boiler has 2 knobs for CH and DHW temps, but the controller OVERIDES these.

All the plumbers that quoted for my new boiler advised me AGAINST a Vaillant contoller as they said they were far too difficult for the user to use. I wanted one as I'd already spent weeks getting to grips with the 392f, but I have to agree, they were RIGHT.

BTW The new boiler has a graph showing boiler modulation, and another showing system pressure.

[stratobuddy]

Vaillant 470f pic.jpg
Photo of new Vaillant 470f WC controller

[stratobuddy]

Vaillant vrt-392.jpg

Previous 392f controller compatible with pre-April ecotec 831, NOT the latest model boiler (which still has the same name, they should have changed ithe boiler name IMO as it is quite different externally).

[stratobuddy]

NB Click to make pictures larger, to see the display.

[chris watkins]

Oo Wee, this is a two man only thread on two different subjects. O sh I have just spoilt it, now a three man thread.
Lets hope there aren't any children out there without heating or hot water they may have had to call out a plumber !!!!!!!!!!!!

[stevetheplumber]

call back who ever fitted the boiler would be my advice