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How to service a Refleks heater


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Help I am trying to set up a REFLEKS 61MSK STOVE regulator.

I read and done all the great photos of the service.

When it came to the regulator there was a link to

Harworth no luck link not available .. rang them up to be told they where dropped from reflex

and would not be able to help.

Tried lockgate no reply

is there a copy around anyone could send me ?

cant get hold of any instructions at all.

rang Reflex I would have to send it to Denmark to be repaired then wait for it to be posted back..

bit cold to sit around...

regards‏

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I've got a copy of the instructions for adjusting the Refleks control valve. I don't think I can put a PDF on the forum, so PM me with your email and I'll send you a copy.

 

It's a shame Harworth no longer support Refleks. The old style Toby Valve has been superseded so I suppose it may become more difficult to get spares. Mind you, apart from the filter, there's not much to go wrong.

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I believe Koukouvagia already has provided, above, an adequate description of adjusting the 'carburettor' . I thought I had the original www.refleks-olieovne.dk/ instructions but I cannot find them now.

 

If the adjustments have not been disturbed from new and the boiler is still running on on the same fuel, no adjustment should be necessary. If the 'carburettor' is scrupuously clean, especially the metering slot, and supplied with clean, air and water-free fuel from a suitable head it should function 'well-enough'.

 

N.B. if you do make adjustments it is essential to allow time for the flame to stabilise. Make small adjustments (¼ turn) and record the adjustments so you can easily return to the original setting. N.B. If you set the pilot flame too low it will extinguish, especially in adverse winds, but the boiler pot will continue to fill with fuel.

 

Operated within their original design constraints and operating/installation instructions Refleks stoves work well even with the short flue on a UK canal boat. Overfuel them, either by lighting with excess fuel in the burner pot or maladjusting the maximum setting and you could have a runaway stove glowing, frightenly, literally red hot!

 

From personal experience, I am not an expert; after shutting off the fuel I put a kettle of cold water on top of the stove to reduce the temperature more rapidily.

 

Alan

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Hi,

 

Regarding the boiler pot filling with oil if the fire goes out - this should not be the case as in the event of this flame failure the thermo-coupling should cut off the fuel supply ( assuming this safety feature is fitted).

 

The same applies to the 'over boil' safety device.

 

L

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  • 1 year later...

Just purchased a boat with same stove had not a clue about fixing it, got it working in the end! had a few plumbing bits that needed to be fixed (leaks etc) no dramas on that side of things im a plumber smile.png

Edited by Lady Cassandra
Removal of self-advertising link
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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi all, I'm new to boating and have bought a boat with a Refleks stove. There's a slight drip from the pipe coming through the skirting board and joining the stoves pipe work. I've tried tightening the joint but no good. Is there a replaceable olive in the joint? It must be very small if there is, the pipe work is tiny!

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Hi all, I'm new to boating and have bought a boat with a Refleks stove. There's a slight drip from the pipe coming through the skirting board and joining the stoves pipe work. I've tried tightening the joint but no good. Is there a replaceable olive in the joint? It must be very small if there is, the pipe work is tiny!

There should be an olive but you will struggle to remove it for replacement purposes. Hopefully there is a big of slack somewhere to give you sufficient to cut the old olive off and renew and remake the connection.

If insufficient slack is available you will have to "let a piece in" when making nut and olive joints remember not overtighten or you will get your leak back.

A bodge using PTFE tape wrapped around the olive can sometimes work.

Phil

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  • 3 months later...

Hi Koukouvagia,

 

Thanks a lot for this outstanding post. I'm still trying to understand everything. The whole boat jargon (specially in English instead of Dutch) is a bit new for me so google (and google translate) is my best friend at the moment although it doesn't understand much of boats either.

 

I wonder if Pic - 14 is completely right? It seems that C is only pointing at a pin that holds the cover, and that B and D (instead of B and C) are the the high fire and low adjusters. If that's the case, than what is the overflow level adjuster that you are talking about?

There are also two small holes left of the regulator knob that you didn't name. Do you know anything about them? I thought they are also part of the regulator adjustments but I'm not sure how.

 

Since I cleaned everything really decent I'm afraid my problems are also in regulator adjustments. Is it possible to get that instructions you were talking about before?

 

I'm also not sure when the flow of diesel into the burning pot is right. Before I cleaned it, almost nothing came in (which of course wasn't good). But right now it feels like it's way too much coming in, so that it's drowning itself...

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Since I cleaned everything really decent I'm afraid my problems are also in regulator adjustments. Is it possible to get that instructions you were talking about before?

 

I'm also not sure when the flow of diesel into the burning pot is right. Before I cleaned it, almost nothing came in (which of course wasn't good). But right now it feels like it's way too much coming in, so that it's drowning itself...

 

I need to take the cover off and check, but my boat has gone away for repairs, so I’m working from memory.

 

However, you only need to touch two adjustments: the Low Fire adjustment, which is the screw under the knob (A) and the High Fire adjustment B. Forget about the rest unless you have a problem with fuel overflowing.

 

The instructions I referred to are no longer online. However, this is how you adjust the High and Low Fire screws.

 

Let the stove burn for about half an hour before adjusting.

If the stove is adjusted correctly the catalyser will be glowing a dull red. If the flame is a dirty yellow rolling one, you need to increase the low fire. To increase the low fire screw the adjusting screw (A) out a quarter of a turn. Repeat until you get a blue flame.

 

Set the control knob to setting 4. When the flame burns with a blue flame, gradually turn up the control knob. If the yellow flame returns there is too much fuel entering the burner and the High Fire adjuster A needs turning down (i.e. turn it clockwise). Repeat this process, turning the screw in half turn increments until you get a blue flame. Turn the control knob up slowly. If the yellow flame returns repeat the adjustment with the High Fire adjuster.

 

Have you got a catalyser in your fire? These weren’t fitted to early models, but can be retro-fitted. They make a huge difference to the combustion. I doubt you’ll ever be able to get the required blue flame without one.

 

 

It's worth persevering. They are excellent stoves when working properly.

 

 

edited to get rid of the annoying emoticons when you type <bracket>,B, <bracket>.

Edited by koukouvagia
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  • 1 month later...

Fantastic article! Very helpful indeed.

 

Having trouble at the moment. Checked the filter - nice and clean. Couldn't actually remove the pipe from the regulator to the stove, but cunningly cleaned it out by removing the nut closest to the stove and stuffing twisted lengths of kitchen towel down it. I have a feeling that water is coming through, as the stove doesn't get up to any kind of decent heat and every few moments, there's a crackling noise. I'm hoping that this (photo) is a water trap and that by undoing and cleaning it, this may solve the problem. But I'm not sure that it is, in fact, a water trap. Can anyone help please?

 

post-26052-0-59300400-1482231582_thumb.jpg

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I have a feeling that water is coming through, as the stove doesn't get up to any kind of decent heat and every few moments, there's a crackling noise. I'm hoping that this (photo) is a water trap and that by undoing and cleaning it, this may solve the problem. But I'm not sure that it is, in fact, a water trap. Can anyone help please?

 

 

It looks like a fuel filter. I would certainly clean it out. The "crackling" you describe points to water in the diesel. Can you see wisps steam in the burner pot?

Do you have a separate diesel tank for the fire? If so I would drain it and fill with clean diesel.

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  • 1 year later...

Many apologies for resurrecting this post!  

A question for the OP, I have started to strip down and service an oldish 62M that I have acquired.  I find that on the bottom of the burner pot on the inside it appears as if the metal has been coated with some material that I can only think of as been some kind of fire cement.  The surface looking  like that of a dried paste having been spread.  Similarly on the bottom on the outside of the burner pot base is another form of dried paste which is only around the middle of the domed base.  Was material like this ever used or has it been 'bodged' possibly?.  I would doubt that the unit has ever been stripped as the outside rivets looked original though inside on the inner case / burner pot the fixings were self tappers!

The burner rings are both one piece units with the top one being quite light weight and not heavy as implied in your post as being cast iron.  The lower ring seems to be stainless!

I also seem to have a fixed baffle that sheilds the flue exit from the flame of the burner pot.  This seems to not be the same as your heater, do you have such a baffle?

I don't have a catalyser though may make one!  Does yours extend above the top burner ring ?  Roughly how long is it please?

Hope you can respond after so long a time!

 

regards

 

Confused

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18 hours ago, eanp said:

Many apologies for resurrecting this post!  

A question for the OP, I have started to strip down and service an oldish 62M that I have acquired.  I find that on the bottom of the burner pot on the inside it appears as if the metal has been coated with some material that I can only think of as been some kind of fire cement.  The surface looking  like that of a dried paste having been spread.  Similarly on the bottom on the outside of the burner pot base is another form of dried paste which is only around the middle of the domed base.  Was material like this ever used or has it been 'bodged' possibly?.  I would doubt that the unit has ever been stripped as the outside rivets looked original though inside on the inner case / burner pot the fixings were self tappers!

The burner rings are both one piece units with the top one being quite light weight and not heavy as implied in your post as being cast iron.  The lower ring seems to be stainless!

I also seem to have a fixed baffle that sheilds the flue exit from the flame of the burner pot.  This seems to not be the same as your heater, do you have such a baffle?

I don't have a catalyser though may make one!  Does yours extend above the top burner ring ?  Roughly how long is it please?

Hope you can respond after so long a time!

 

regards

 

Confused

1.  I suspect that the caked on concrete like layer is just the normal gunge that's got baked on over the years.  It can be really difficult to shift.

2. I don't recognise the baffle you mention.  By the way, I've taken out the thin stainless steel ring because it got in the way of lighting the stove.  

3.  Good luck with the DIY catalyser.  I had the same thought as you, but mine never worked very well so in the end I bought the proper (very expensive item).  The correct catalyser makes a huge difference.  The catalyser glows red and there is a quiet, blue flame.

321493694_20180601_143319(1).jpg.e040d4ccf4921eafae5be900c7456846.jpg

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  • 3 years later...
On 01/06/2018 at 14:55, koukouvagia said:

1.  I suspect that the caked on concrete like layer is just the normal gunge that's got baked on over the years.  It can be really difficult to shift.

2. I don't recognise the baffle you mention.  By the way, I've taken out the thin stainless steel ring because it got in the way of lighting the stove.  

3.  Good luck with the DIY catalyser.  I had the same thought as you, but mine never worked very well so in the end I bought the proper (very expensive item).  The correct catalyser makes a huge difference.  The catalyser glows red and there is a quiet, blue flame.

321493694_20180601_143319(1).jpg.e040d4ccf4921eafae5be900c7456846.jpg

 

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hi i had a lot of trouble with my reflek fire also . but i had lots of great advice from koukouvagia and others ,but still in the end i had to take the regulator to a fella near notts .were he set it for me .once you get the reflek fire going to how it should they are a great bit of kit ,i found it such a pain trying to adjust it myself i gave up in the end .good luck any way .

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Another question on this subject, if I may. I have a Kabola E5 boiler, which is almost identical in operation to a Refleks. It has worked perfectly for 25 years, with the usual maintenance of cleaning out the burner pot once in a while, and keeping the chimney clear. It is in a holiday boat, and as my engine gives me hot water, my Kabola doesn't get a great deal of use. I tried to light it recently and it wasn't happy. After switching on the fuel and adding meths to get it going, it would burn OK for 2 or 3 minutes, then the flame would reduce, start burning yellow and after 10 minutes or so it would go out. Turning the fuel control knob up to maximum would increase the burn time a little. I assumed that the problem is due to shortage of fuel. I dismantled the oil regulator, blew through the pipes, cleaned the filter and cleaned out quite a lot of sludge and reassembled it all. Result-----no difference. Does anyone have any suggestions, please, as I'm finding it very frustrating.

Edited by monkeyhanger
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The flow rate is insufficient. If you have thoroughly cleaned out all the pipework to the valve, you probably need to remove the top of the oil control valve and clean out the slot in the metering column, the spring loaded cylinder below the control knob. It is also worth checking the feed pipe from the valve to the burner pot.

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13 minutes ago, Ex Brummie said:

The flow rate is insufficient. If you have thoroughly cleaned out all the pipework to the valve, you probably need to remove the top of the oil control valve and clean out the slot in the metering column, the spring loaded cylinder below the control knob. It is also worth checking the feed pipe from the valve to the burner pot.

Thanks for that. I suspect that the slot in the oil control valve may be bunged up. When I took it all apart I didn't notice a slot, so I suspect it may be full of the same grey gunge that was in the bottom of the regulator reservoir. Hopefully I'll get back to the boat tomorrow to take it apart for the god knows how many-eth time.

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if you search back through the forum, Cuthound posted an illustrated instruction about this procedure. If it does not work, you can check and recalibrate the unit by disconnecting the out let pipe and with a container beneath it, start the flow and after a minute or so, collect the fuel for a 2 minutes and measure it. Divide it by two and you have the volume which should match the flow rate on the top plate label, usually 13cc/min. You can get a measure cheaply from a chemist, as used to measure medicine doses. 

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