Ideal HE30 Boiler Leak Diagnosis

[acharnley]

Hi all,

Bought a property with a 'working' boiler. No issues other than a little weep which leads to pressure dropping over time. I'm reluctant to take parts out at this stage and was wondering if somebody with knowledge of this boiler an identify the leak from the pictures below.

It looks like it's either from the edge of the exchange or the pump but it's not wet on the forward facing parts. Underneath you can see where the water has been sitting (and rusting) away the plating. Indeed every so often a drop will come down from the lower pump in the middle. That's as much as I can see without taking things apart.

Many thanks! Andrew

http://www.igaro.com/misc/boiler/b1.jpg

http://www.igaro.com/misc/boiler/b2.jpg

http://www.igaro.com/misc/boiler/b3.jpg

 

[ollski]

Can usually just tighten up the leak on the pump with a 5mm allen key on the pump bolts on these wilos. Does look like the plated hx seals are leaking too, they are pretty useless as is everything else on the isar / icon / istor. I replace them with seals off a glowworm cxi personally, much more reliable.

 

[acharnley]

Thanks will try the bolts first. The HX seals, is it a big job?

 

[dilalio]

You could try a dose of leak sealer! See what happens before going deeper!

 

[Agile]

Typical of a boiler that has never been serviced!

One of the purposes of a service is to inspect and identify issues like that so that they can be identified and repaired before they cause further damage or that corrosion requires new parts to be fitted.

Tony

 

[acharnley]

It was serviced a year ago.

Can't see the actual leak, so I figure the heat plate will need removing.

 

[dilalio]

It was serviced a year ago.

By whom? The postman!

 

[acharnley]

A Gas Safe Registered Engineer, so says the sticker.

 

[ollski]

Yes its easy to replace them, just turn your water off and drain the taps then drain the pressure off the boiler. Remove the bottom plate and front cover, take control box out of the way and unplug connector (power isolated). Stick a bucket underneath and undo the 4mm allen screws underneath slowly while the remaining water drips in the bucket. lift the plated hx up and change the seals (hw sensor sticks up into hx about 1" rear right)

 

[acharnley]

Absolutely brilliant, sounds like it's going to be a busy morning!

Thanks!

Andrew

 

[acharnley]

Just to confirm, you say "lift the plated hx up", which is the copper looking piece to the left of the pump. I take it this has to be disconnected somehow (the four allen bolts are just for the pump head?)

 

[acharnley]

Ah re-read, so 4mm allen bolts underneath the heat exchanger, not the pump.

 

[acharnley]

On inspection, it appears to be leaking from everywhere! The two heat transfer seals are gone, and there's another leak somewhere up a height behind the boiler top bit.

 

[dilalio]

Back in Octoberish of this year, I noticed a leak from the hx of my old profile. After a failed attempt to stop it with leak sealer, I removed it and set it up in my workshop so I could pressurise it with a cap and cold main. I removed the plates, cleaned out as much gunk as I could with various tools, brushes jets of water etc. Then I resealed the plates with cleaned rubbers and an automotive liquid gasket on all surfaces... It still leaked... From a hairline crack, on the lip of one of the plate apertures...
I now have a new boiler

 

[Agile]

Some people will do anything to avoid buying a new boiler.

In some cases calling me to repair relics of yesteryear!