Chuf Chuf Chuf noise from Potterton Kingfisher 2 boiler

[peter964rs]

Hi - our old house, now let out to tenants, has a Potterton Kingfisher 2 floor-mounted boiler. Old, but in good working condition according to the engineer who came to do the gas safety certificate about six months ago.

Our tenants just called us out to listen to it making a 'chuf chuf chuf' sound, which was faint but noticeable to us when we were there, and more noticable when the boiler is started from dead cold.

Any ideas welcome!

 

[Dan Robinson]

Scaled HEX

 

[gaswizzard]

You sure it's not a 'psssst psssst' type noise? , if so the Hex is leaking onto burners , common on these , you don't know how many times I pulled my own one to bits , the smell of fernox boiling gave the game away.

 

[doitall]

Chuf, chuf, chuf, is the auto air vent letting out air

 

[peter964rs]

Thanks - it's definitely a chuf chuf like a small steam engine. Psst Psst implies a leak (how my mind works?) which isn't what I'm hearing....

 

[gaswizzard]

Sure it's not a pssst pssst chuf chuf?

 

[peter964rs]

I need mo help please!

I called out a heating engineer and he diagnosed a leak inside the heat exchanger. He couldn't disassemble it, but felt like it was the sound of a leak dripping water onto something internal, and hot, a bit like dripping water into a hot frying pan - it immediately turns to steam.

His diagnosis is 'new boiler' because there are no spares available for a Potterton Kingfisher 2, specifically heat exchangers. This would be very unwelcome, as you might expect(!) and I need confirmation as that sounds believable, but not quite like the sound I heard last night, and surely someone somewhere must carry spares...?

Help!

 

[Dan Robinson]

You might find someone willing to strip the boiler apart and repair it - assuming it is a gasket rather than the metal rusted through.


Probably not worth it though.

 

[Agile]

Since a modern efficient replacement could probably be fitted for less the £2000 then I dont see how it could ever be worth trying to repair it.

It would take me perhaps half a day to take it apart and then I might well find its a cracked steel section which is unavailable and then its half a day wasted! Often parts are rusted solid anyway.

If leaking onto the burner then its classed as Immediately Dangerous and should be turned off!

Tony

 

[peter964rs]

The engineer said he could see no evidence of leaks and the flames of the burner are blue not yellow, so not dripping onto it. Also a new installation would require special pumps and new pipe work - £3200 plus Vat

 

[doitall]

The engineer said he could see no evidence of leaks and the flames of the burner are blue not yellow, so not dripping onto it. Also a new installation would require special pumps and new pipe work - £3200 plus Vat

Is that BG, you should get a grand knocked off at least.

Are we certain the Auto air vent isn't dripping.

 

[muggles]

It's quite believable that there are no spares for a Kingfisher, indeed I was working on one today that needed a new burner, and that wasn't available any more, so it's a new boiler there as well. I've checked the parts database for the heat exchanger and it's showing as obsolete. Yours might be repairable, really depends on exactly where the leak is coming from, but as Tony has already said it's going to take forever to strip it down and it might not be repairable when done.

Time to get some quotes for a replacement boiler.

 

[gaswizzard]

So it was a psst psst noise.

If the section/s haven't cracked (doubt it) then stripping the boiler and replaceing the O rings is not a problem , those original O rings were carp (to thin) , the O rings can be replaced and they don't have to be original part , getting someone to strip the boler down is another matter , used to drain down , strip boiler , re ring , fill & test in around an hour.

If potterton had used nipples between the sections (alignment)then a few more of these would still be in service.

 

[peter964rs]

Thanks to all for the input so far. Just a quick update - I have another engineer coming over tomorrow to confirm the problem is the heat exchanger. It does seem like there are parts for it - apparently it is very simple, there isn't much to go wrong, and unfortunately we've been cursed with the one part which isn't replaceable

 

[Agile]

I do hope you are paying all these engineers you keep on having round !