Ideal vogue maxc32 efficiency level

[Rob244]

I too have the same issue and just had a ridiculous explanation from the customer support number. He tried to tell me it's lower as it's summer. Im concerned this is a real issue and Ideal are trying to fob people off. Clearly a new boiler is supposed to be more than 13% efficient. Did anyone get a real answer from Ideal?

 

[John.g]

Have a read of this from page 41 onwards, if its a combi try switching on/off the preheat to see what effect, if any, this has on this relative efficiency, dont know why inputting the installer's name should impact on the efficiency though.

https://idealheating.com/uploads/documents/Vogue-Max-Combi-Installation-Servicing-222378-1_lowres-REDEUCED.pdf

 

[Chuck]

I agree with the consensus, that the number being displayed is not the 'efficiency' as usually defined, e.g. post #10.

I suspect that the number may represent something like the power output as a fraction of maximum. Either that or it's just a bug in the software that the mfr can't be bothered to fix.

If you're really keen to get to the bottom of this sort of issue, you can get a good estimates of the power and efficiency of a boiler by measuring the temperature of the POC a few inches (inside) the flue exit and the gas rate. You can independently check the output delivered to the water from the volumetric circulation rate and the difference betwee the flow and return temperatures. Another possibility is to see how long it takes to heat a cold tank of hot water.

 

[Shooter]

Hello.

Saw this thread and it seems a good place to post my issue.

Have Vogue Max Combi 40. Efficiency level shows as 22% and has for months. Just called support. They told me this was not the efficiency level my boiler is run at - that is something called super efficiency mode that runs in the background and I can’t see. In that case what is the efficiency level I see? Basically told there is no problem and that my level in background is 78%. Feels like total BS - said to get my engineer to call them to discuss further if I wanted to. Errr this was installed 18 months ago and my engineer isn’t on tap for me to image calls on my behalf.

Any ideas or pointers?

 

[Chuck]

Any ideas or pointers?

As you can see from the answers in this thread, we never got to the bottom of what that number meant, if anything. I'd ignore it if I were you. If you're worried about the 'efficiency' of your boil attach a thermometer to the return pipe and check it's below, about 50°C. If so, all is well.

 

[Shooter]

As you can see from the answers in this thread, we never got to the bottom of what that number meant, if anything. I'd ignore it if I were you. If you're worried about the 'efficiency' of your boil attach a thermometer to the return pipe and check it's below, about 50°C. If so, all is well.

Thanks , will do

Also support told me that as my central heating has not been on since May that my efficiency level would show as low anyway. Total BS as this was showing same in March and before.

When it was fist installed 18 months ago I recall it was 60%+ showing so something is clearly awry but Ideal are not interested.

 

[Chuck]

"Super efficiency" is marketing jargon. Ideal seem to have adopted it some years ago. They had an "SE" range of boilers for example. Recent Ideal boilers seem to operate in two modes "High efficiency" and "Super efficiency" and some models display the current mode on the display.

My best current guess is that your 22% is the fraction of time the boiler has spent in SE mode. It seems to be averaged over a fairly long time, possibly since manufacture or the last reset.

Exactly what Ideal mean by 'super efficiency' mode is not clear to me. There are a couple of plausible possibilities but I'm currently leaning towards "condensing", i.e. the return temperature is below some threshold such as 40°C and the system is working at optimimum efficiency.

Anyway, as I wrote above, if you want to know the efficiency of your boiler you need to monitor the return temperature and it can be calculated from that. Even if your return temperature is always above 55°C and your boiler never gets into condensing mode its actual efficiency will still be around 80% or more.

 

[AdamW77]

Just had a vogue max combi 32 installed and mine is reading 93% efficient

 

[John.g]

Just had a vogue max combi 32 installed and mine is reading 93% efficient

And thats before firing it up!!

 

[Grollo]

"Super efficiency" is marketing jargon. Ideal seem to have adopted it some years ago. They had an "SE" range of boilers for example. Recent Ideal boilers seem to operate in two modes "High efficiency" and "Super efficiency" and some models display the current mode on the display.

My best current guess is that your 22% is the fraction of time the boiler has spent in SE mode. It seems to be averaged over a fairly long time, possibly since manufacture or the last reset.

Exactly what Ideal mean by 'super efficiency' mode is not clear to me. There are a couple of plausible possibilities but I'm currently leaning towards "condensing", i.e. the return temperature is below some threshold such as 40°C and the system is working at optimimum efficiency.

Anyway, as I wrote above, if you want to know the efficiency of your boiler you need to monitor the return temperature and it can be calculated from that. Even if your return temperature is always above 55°C and your boiler never gets into condensing mode its actual efficiency will still be around 80% or more.

I think as you suggest this is a function related to time. I had a Logic Plus installed in September 2022. Scrolling through the menu the efficiency figure was ridiculously low. When installed the flow temp was set at 70 deg C and has been since Sept. Three days ago I started to experiment with a lower flow temperature. First 65 then 60 deg C. The house, a three bed Edwardian mid terrace, came up to temp in much the same time as previously.
My background is not plumbing but 40 years marine engineer at sea where you cover most subjects. Turning the temp up to max and down to min had no effect on the efficiency level. Temperatures changed as did the pump and fan speeds. Having been used to operating and checking records of plants I started logging, recording, my boiler, environment and house temperatures. The Super Efficiency figure appears to be increasing and in just over a three day period it started at 28 then 28/29, 29 regularly, and is now at 30%. Plan to keep monitoring and recording whilst keeping the same flow temp of 60 deg C. My return varies depending on how long the boiler has been running but evens out at 50 deg C. Having worked one time with pipeline designers I'm familiar with balancing very large cooling circuits. My house is far simpler and has been balanced so as all rads rise in temperature at much the same rate using the lock shield valves. I can feel a temperature change at the rads. 60 deg you cannot hold on to however 50 deg you can hold onto and count to about 5. Again years of machinery watch keeping experience.