Stainless Steel Calorifier for Alde?

[reg]

I am thinking of buying the new Alde Compact 3010 but, as has been discussed before, the unit is constructed from aluminum and therefore cannot have any copper in the circuit. This means plastic plumbing and a Stainless Steel Calorifier

Has anyone any ideas on

Where I could purchase a stainless Steel calorifier

and, perhaps more importantly,

How much they would cost

 

Regards

[Dr Bradley]

Surely it's only direct contact between aluminium and copper that should be avoided. If a section of the feed pipe were in plastic, then onto copper, there should be no need to go to the expence of stainless steel.

[reg]

Surely it's only direct contact between aluminium and copper that should be avoided. If a section of the feed pipe were in plastic, then onto copper, there should be no need to go to the expence of stainless steel.

 

Thanks for the reply, although it would be nice to save some money I don't want to take the risk of not using stainless steel. If problems did occur, even if it took a few of years, the long term problems could prove to be even more expensive

Suppliers quote

"Note - Heat exchanger in boiler is constructed from aluminium, therefore

a stainless steel calorifier will be required. Speedfit or other similar plastic

plumbing fi tting should be used as copper is not compatible."

 

If the calorifiers are too expensive then it could be, for me, a show stopper.

 

Regards

[jeb]

I am thinking of buying the new Alde Compact 3010 but, as has been discussed before, the unit is constructed from aluminum and therefore cannot have any copper in the circuit. This means plastic plumbing and a Stainless Steel Calorifier

Has anyone any ideas on

Where I could purchase a stainless Steel calorifier

and, perhaps more importantly,

How much they would cost

 

Regards

 

Hi Reg

Aquafax do them. I bought a 60 ltr Inox compact , Cat No 9-93114B . Have not fitted it yet so cannot comment further. Take a look on there site and see what you think. The only point worth mentioning at the moment is that if you wish to install it vertically the manual states that it performs best with all the connections being at the bottom which means it would have to be at least 400mm above the floor in order to remove the electric heating element if need be. I am going to look into what performance is lost if I fit with the connections at the top. Hope this helps.

[reg]

Hi Reg

Aquafax do them. I bought a 60 ltr Inox compact , Cat No 9-93114B . Have not fitted it yet so cannot comment further. Take a look on there site and see what you think. The only point worth mentioning at the moment is that if you wish to install it vertically the manual states that it performs best with all the connections being at the bottom which means it would have to be at least 400mm above the floor in order to remove the electric heating element if need be. I am going to look into what performance is lost if I fit with the connections at the top. Hope this helps.

 

Many thanks, just what I was looking for, price not as bad as I though @£325 + vat which is cheaper than there 70L copper calorifier @£341+vat. I know the price of copper has gone up dramatically but is it now cheaper to use Stainless Steel now?

 

Link reference

http://www.aquafax.co.uk/html/product_details.asp?ID=21633

 

and the full range link

http://www.aquafax.co.uk/html/products_all.asp?ID=1316

[bottle]

Hi Reg

 

It may be worth contacting Gary (member of this forum) at Ledgard Bridge.

[reg]

Hi Reg

 

It may be worth contacting Gary (member of this forum) at Ledgard Bridge.

 

If all pans out I might be doing that with a big order soon, but keep it quite eh.........

[bottle]

If all pans out I might be doing that with a big order soon, but keep it quite eh.........

 

OK, mums the word.

[dor]

I've used the 60litre twin coil as detailed by Aquafax with my 3010.

 

You should be able to negotiate a significant discount off the Aquafax list price through a chandler (NOT Aquafax).

 

It is very efficient - heats up quickly and holds the heat well. Fits nicely on the swim under the floor.

 

Remember that floor mounted horizontal calorifiers are prone to losing heat by thermo-syphoning through the engine - can be styopped by fitting a flap valve.

[reg]

I've used the 60litre twin coil as detailed by Aquafax with my 3010.

 

You should be able to negotiate a significant discount off the Aquafax list price through a chandler (NOT Aquafax).

 

It is very efficient - heats up quickly and holds the heat well. Fits nicely on the swim under the floor.

 

Remember that floor mounted horizontal calorifiers are prone to losing heat by thermo-syphoning through the engine - can be styopped by fitting a flap valve.

 

Thanks for that info

though I had it all sussed now I've got to google flap valves

 

regards

[dor]

You will find flap valves in the aquafax catalogue. They have, as the name suggests, a flap in them and act as a non-return valve. Ordinary NRVs are sprung and can take quite a bit of force to open. OK in your pumped water system, but you want as little resistance as possible in your calorifier heatinmg circuit from the engine. You will need two 15mm compression to 1/2" BSP connectors, then standard 5/8" heater hose can be clamped on with jubilees. Make sure the flap valve is the right way up and can't turn.

 

You may not need one - just depends if your calorifer loses heat overnight. Many people wonder why their horizontal calorifiers seem to work so badly - this is the reason. Only needs to be a vewry slow circulation to lose a lot of heat overnight.

 

Aquafax part number, brass swing check valve (AKA flap valve) 1-71200

 

Incidently, the inox calorifier comes with a NRV/pressure relief valve included, fitted on the cold water supply. I discarded this and used a BSP T with a standard pressure relief valve on the hot out connection.

Edited October 2, 2007 by dor

[Gibbo]

Make sure the pipes to the coil go to below the level of the bottom of the calorifer just before they connect to the coil.

 

You don't need any valves if you do this. Simple really.

 

Gibbo

[dor]

go to below the level of the bottom of the calorifer

 

Not so simple when mounted on the floor!

[stuart]

Don't you just use an inhibitor cheimical in the water/liquid that pumps around the cal and alde boiler to stop the metal/chemical reaction occuring?

 

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.js...70&ts=02476

 

1Ltr Protects against internal corrosion and limescale formation to maintain system efficiency. Suitable for mixed metal systems. 1ltr treats up to 10 radiators. WRAS approved.

[Mr Leigh]

Hi

 

Aquafax, MarineMart and Alde supply a 40L twin coil stainless steel marine calorifier at a very good price. Because of its size it heats up very quickly and is more than sufficient for showering.

 

Inhibitor does not make any guarantee that it will stop corrosion. From experience it is best to play it safe and not mix the two metals. The cost of it not working is very high and it happens quickly ie within three to six months.

 

Hope this helps

 

[steelaway]

Suppliers quote

"Note - Heat exchanger in boiler is constructed from aluminium, therefore

a stainless steel calorifier will be required. Speedfit or other similar plastic

plumbing fi tting should be used as copper is not compatible."

 

If the calorifiers are too expensive then it could be, for me, a show stopper.

 

Regards

 

Which bit corrodes away - the calorifier or the boiler?

Many boats have webasto/eberspacher heaters with aluminium heat exchangers and copper calorifiers!

 

Alex

[MtB]

Suppliers quote

"Note - Heat exchanger in boiler is constructed from aluminium, therefore

a stainless steel calorifier will be required. Speedfit or other similar plastic

plumbing fi tting should be used as copper is not compatible."

 

I must say I'm puzzled by this. Many domestic central heating boilers have aluminium heat exchangers and these are routinely connected to copper pipework with no problems. Alde's use of the word "therefore" implies to me there is a logical reason not to use both aluminium and copper in a system. Maybe electrolysis is the problem but it would be nice if they explained properly.

 

Maybe the heat exchanger is very thin metal and electrolytic errosion removes aluminium from the HE and parks it on the copper. That's the only explanation I can think of.

 

Cheers, Mike

[Tony Brooks]

I must say I'm puzzled by this. Many domestic central heating boilers have aluminium heat exchangers and these are routinely connected to copper pipework with no problems. Alde's use of the word "therefore" implies to me there is a logical reason not to use both aluminium and copper in a system. Maybe electrolysis is the problem but it would be nice if they explained properly.

 

Maybe the heat exchanger is very thin metal and electrolytic errosion removes aluminium from the HE and parks it on the copper. That's the only explanation I can think of.

 

Cheers, Mike

 

 

The other explanations are covering their back, just in case, or a lack of understanding or research on the part of unspecified organisations, be it Alde, the diesel heater manufacturers with ally heat exchangers or the domestic boiler bods and so on.

 

I would love to get to the bottom of this because several apparently knowledgeable people on here have cast doubts over what Alde say.

[smileypete]

I must say I'm puzzled by this. Many domestic central heating boilers have aluminium heat exchangers and these are routinely connected to copper pipework with no problems. Alde's use of the word "therefore" implies to me there is a logical reason not to use both aluminium and copper in a system. Maybe electrolysis is the problem but it would be nice if they explained properly.

 

Domestic boiler heat exchangers are usually made from a 'silicon aluminium' alloy.

 

Pure aluminium can suffer severe pitting from copper ions causing 'deposition corrosion' (google).

 

Anyone with a new Alde (££££) fancy connecting it to a copper calorifier and being a guinea pig?

 

cheers,

Pete.