Boiler noise

[rublehousen]

Hi can anyone shed some light on my boiler problem please? when it starts up/ignites there is a droning noise (sounds like when you blow over the neck of a glass bottle). it does this for approx 3-5 seconds then fades away untill the boiler has turned off and then come back on for the next programmed duration. it started doing this very slightly a few weeks ago but is getting worse by making the droning noise louder/longer. the boiler is Glow Worm Flexicon 12 hx. its 2 and a half years old and had no problems so far. ive researched what i can and am i right in thinking its a combustion fault? is it the air to gas ratio thats too lean? can i adjust this bit by bit till the noise stops? or as i suspect, do i need an engineeer with a gas flue analyser to do it? im a fully qualified and competent mechanic so could tackle this if i dont NEEEEEEEEEED the analyser. otherwise i will get an engineer in to do it, but i want to be sure ive got the right information and the solution before someone tries pulling the wool over my eyes(heard lots of stories of expensive parts replacement not fixing the problem)
thanks for reading my post and any advice gratefully excepted.
Rob

 

[Dan Robinson]

You MMUUUUUUUSSSSSTTTT have a calibrated flue gas analyser and the knowledge to use it.

 

[Boilerman2]

I'm a fully Qualified Combustion Engineer - that don't mean I can wortk on Car Engines though!! You definately need a proffessional engineer with a FGA you cannot "Tinker" with the fuel/air settings as if it were a Mk2 Escort!!

 

[rublehousen]

I'm a fully Qualified Combustion Engineer - that don't mean I can wortk on Car Engines though!! You definately need a proffessional engineer with a FGA you cannot "Tinker" with the fuel/air settings as if it were a Mk2 Escort!!

funny you should say that.....i LOVE mk2 Escorts! my fave car of all time! ive had 5 and if i won the lottery it would be the first car i bought!!

but on another note, do you think it is the mixture/setting that is causing the noise? and approx how much would it cost for a engineer to come out and test/adjust it?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Almost certainly a gas/air problem. Should cost no more than an annual service assuming it is not caused by a component failure.

Somewhere between £60 and £90 depending on the company charges.

Cheaper is not always better though.

 

[rublehousen]

yeeeees ok....i hold my hands up...ive found all the info i need to adjust it, even all the tech specs and drawings for the valve, but i dont have the analyzer to read to CO or the equipment to check the pressures. and for any other novice reading this the set up procedure is not as straight forward as you think it shoud be. looks like i will have to pay a professional to do it. damn you central heating! you have won this time......

 

[Dan Robinson]

Good man.... The boiler cold probably do with a service anyway.


Let us know how you get on.


Oh, and it's the CO2 you need to have checked .