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Alde comfort central heating boiler - not sure how to begin to use it?


fishee

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Hi, so I've had solid fuel stoves on my previous boats but have just bought a new 2nd hand boat that only has radiators attached to an Alde comfort gas boiler.  I've never used one before.  Alde have all the instruction manuals available on their website but I'm not sure if I can safely just fire her up or if I need to check the water levels in the system before I do that.  Will it all explode if there's not enough water?  Should I drain all the water from the radiators and refill them (on the radiators themselves or through the Alde boiler) before starting?  I don't want to damage anything.  Help! Thank you :)

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The metal front cover is easy to remove.  Slide it up about 1/2 an inch and it should pull towards you and come off.  You will see a white plastic tank with a screw on top which contains the pump.  Unscrew and lift carefully (unit switched off)  You should be able to see or feel a water level.  you might even see it without taking the top off if you use a torch.  If the bottle is full or 3/4 full of water its OK to start it up.

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Thanks, I could see an opaque tank at the top of the unit, didn't have a torch to hand and there's a bulkhead in front which doesn't allow alot of access or visibility but I will take a torch back and have a look at the level.

What if the liquid in the system has been there a long time, does it not require draining?

Not sure of the model number.  It says Alde Comfort on the unit but nothing else.

 

58 minutes ago, mross said:

What is the model number?  2920?

Do you know where I might find the model number?  All it says is Alde Comfort.

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Had this type of boiler on manybhore bosts and two shareboats.

As Mross says, use a torch to check levels. Another handy tip is to use a small, long necked beer bottle (Becks or similar) full of water to top up.  Using a jug usually results in more water going down the side of the tank than into it.

Also be very careful not to break the leads off to help pump motor when removing the pump to her top up the header tank.

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I'm not near my boat so I can't see where label is but you found the  plastic header tank.  I wouldn't drain anything until the weather improves in case we get another cold spell.  you should at least test it.  It would be a shame to empty and refill only to find it does not work.  Can you download the manual and see if it looks like yours?

http://www.alde.co.uk/downloads/alde_2920_user.pdf

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with the top unscrewed and the pump lifted up you should be able to just reach the surface of the water with your index finger (wash it afterwards) if not then top it up until you can.

without lighting the boiler find the thermostat (looks like a brown household thermostat) it will have a slide switch on it (usually up = on) switch it on and turn the temperature up, the pump should start up (expect a little gurgling if it hasn't run for a long while)

I can't remember the switch positions for the three switches apart from making sure the 12/220 one is set to 12 (sorry)

to light the boiler (from memory) turn the big knob clockwise (to the lightning symbol) and press down, you should hear a clicking from it trying to light it's pilot light, if it lights hold the button down for about 20 seconds and release slowly, you should now be able to turn it past the lightning symbol and the boiler should fire up fully (Mine runs more than hot enough at just past 1)

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18 minutes ago, mross said:

There are models that don't look like that!  Remember we don't have a model number from OP.

I'd put money on it being one of the tall 29xx versions, the smaller ones (32xx from memory) aren't too popular on boats, probably because even though you can hide the heater under a seat you still have to get the flue well up above the waterline.

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I've got one of these (29xx) as well - agree with Jess-- about the lighting procedure with a couple of reservations:

- the lighting procedure is turn the big black knob (assuming you've opened the flap that conceals it half way up the body of the Alde) anti-clockwise (looking from the top) until the lighting/lightning symbol is to the front.  Press down and hold the knob down.  The amber light should flash for a  bit and you will hear the clicking as it tries to light the pilot.  If it has not been lit for a while it may take a while for the gas to come through to the pilot and then light the pilot then heat the thermocouple/cut-off (you did turn the gas on, didn't you!!).  If you are double jointed / super flexible it is just about possible to do the above whilst lying on the floor and looking through the little window near the bottom, front.  You should see the spark then the pilot.  Once the pilot has settled and warmed things up you can let the black knob spring back up but be prepared to turn it further anti-clockwise to open the valve for the main gas feed to the main burner.  You may get a bit of a 'whump' as the main burner lights.  Now make sure your thermostat (somewhere in the body of the boat) is turned up high and the pump is switched on and running.

- You should now get hot water and heating - the thermostat should control it so that the main burner shuts down periodically (depending on ambient temperature / design of heating / use of water) but the pilot stays on and you may hear it relight / 'whump' periodically as it relights.

- to turn off, stand quietly near the boiler.  Turn the black knob back through the low numbers, past the lightning position to the off/solid white circle position (where it should stop).  Wait!  After 10-ish seconds you should hear a distinct click / boing / thud from near the floor as the system cools down and shuts off the safety on the main burner.  Now go and turn off the pump.

Congratulations - you are now an Alde expert!

  • Greenie 1
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21 minutes ago, Opener said:

I've got one of these (29xx) as well - agree with Jess-- about the lighting procedure with a couple of reservations:

- the lighting procedure is turn the big black knob (assuming you've opened the flap that conceals it half way up the body of the Alde) anti-clockwise (looking from the top) until the lighting/lightning symbol is to the front.  Press down and hold the knob down.  The amber light should flash for a  bit and you will hear the clicking as it tries to light the pilot.  If it has not been lit for a while it may take a while for the gas to come through to the pilot and then light the pilot then heat the thermocouple/cut-off (you did turn the gas on, didn't you!!).  If you are double jointed / super flexible it is just about possible to do the above whilst lying on the floor and looking through the little window near the bottom, front.  You should see the spark then the pilot.  Once the pilot has settled and warmed things up you can let the black knob spring back up but be prepared to turn it further anti-clockwise to open the valve for the main gas feed to the main burner.  You may get a bit of a 'whump' as the main burner lights.  Now make sure your thermostat (somewhere in the body of the boat) is turned up high and the pump is switched on and running.

- You should now get hot water and heating - the thermostat should control it so that the main burner shuts down periodically (depending on ambient temperature / design of heating / use of water) but the pilot stays on and you may hear it relight / 'whump' periodically as it relights.

- to turn off, stand quietly near the boiler.  Turn the black knob back through the low numbers, past the lightning position to the off/solid white circle position (where it should stop).  Wait!  After 10-ish seconds you should hear a distinct click / boing / thud from near the floor as the system cools down and shuts off the safety on the main burner.  Now go and turn off the pump.

Congratulations - you are now an Alde expert!

Spot on...

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