What is this CH device?

Avoriaz

Our house was built in 2004 and has a Potterton Powermax boiler.

On the incoming mains near the boiler there is this device.





What is it and does it need any maintenance?


Is it a pressure limiting valve as the markings on it suggest or is it some sort of filter?


The grey plastic pipe on the left is the incoming mains and the grey plastic pipe going downwards on the right is the cold water feed to the boiler. The middle pipe goes upwards to an expansion vessel. The top pipe goes down to the just visible tundish and onwards to the outside.


It is marked Potterton Powermax, Inlet Control Group (C1370) Part Number 5106013


Max inlet pressure 16 bar
Outlet pressure preset 2.5 bar
Expansion valve preset 8.0 bar
Max op temp 30C


Thanks

Yorksboy

Never seen a PowerMax in use. Quite interesting reading if you google it.

Found this
http://www.acwilgar.co.uk/Boiler-Manual-PDF/Potterton/PowermaxHE_Installation_Service.pdf

Probably best to get a RGI to service the whole thing.

ValHaller

Download this pdf http://www.acwilgar.co.uk/Boiler-Manual-PDF/Potterton/PowermaxHE_Installation_Service.pdf and look at fig 4. bottom right hand corner. I don't have the time to get my head around it, but it looks like the item in question. Perhaps the rest of the text will begin to resolve it for you.

edit: beaten to it by Yorksboy

anotherbaldrick

What it says is Pressure Reducing Valve and strainer. It is to reduce the pressure in the system from mains pressure to a lower level so that there is less tap nozzle velocity

southcoastrgi

wow how spooky, i serviced one of these this morning, it's exactly as AB said (except it doesn't really have anything to do with the speed or force of water out of your taps, it's for the unvented cylinder), your boiler is a combined boiler & unvented cylinder & yes it should be serviced every year & the strainer removed (using the allen key that is in the pic) & cleaned, however you will need not only an RGI but one with the G3 cert as well, as the safety controls have to be tested

Avoriaz

Thanks everyone.

I did get Potterton in to repair and service it in January as the boiler had stopped working. It turned out to be an accumulation of debris in the condensate trap.

I'll get it serviced again next year.

Thanks again. :beer: