Potterton Flamingo 50 Combustion CHmaber Insulation

[Sally Arnold]

I have a Potterton Flamingo 50. Lovely work horse, only needing a thermocouple every 3 years or so. No trouble other than that.

However, about 5 years ago, a piece of insulation slipped down towards the burners and caused the flame to burn orange. My dad took the boiler apart and stuck it back up. Perfect operation until now.

Same thing happening. Have removed front and the piece of insulation is burnt to a cinder.

Called Interpart to find part No., but they only have listed back, sides and under insulation. Nothing above the burners where this bit lives (before it was cremated)

Is there supposed to be insulation here? Or just at the sides, rear and under the burners?

Dad is coming around to fit new bit (i.e., bodge in same shape inserted in same place) but should there be anything here at all?

Could someone years ago have put something there that shouldn't be there that I'm replacing unecessarily?

Any assistance/advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Sally Arnold]

Have just investigated further by getting a torch and having a careful look round. It's the bit of inulation on the front inside of the chamber, slanting up towards the top. SHould be there, even metal brackets to hold in place, so really think that Interpart don't really know the product because it's quite clearly a part that is meant to be there.

Will continue with making new bit out of the furnace insulation stuff from dad's work. Not really a bodge - probably of a higher standard than originally used!

Unless of course anyone can see a major problem with doing this.

NB - Have taped up the big vent thing outside to prevent crud from blowing in, and have been wearing a mask - just in case. I know the rope is asbestos, but not sure if the insulation is or not.

CHamber a bit blackened in places so will give a quick clean before re-assembly.

Any further thoughts would still be welcome!

Thanks!

 

[Terrywookfit]

NO doubt you will be suitably chastised for not using genuine parts !

 

[ollski]

You won't be able to get anyone to encourage you to do it and it won't be a legal / approved repair (insurance etc). Amazed potterton get any of the parts for this they are knocking on the door of 35 years old!
Have a feeling the insulation boards and the rope are asbestos, but it is a nice easy job to correctly dispose of the old rope seals and replace with new.

Its a big old monstrosity, old, ugly, noisy and inefficient....I know cause I got one too. My insulation panel fell on the burner aswell, case got so hot would have scalded you for life before it burnt the house down

 

[Sally Arnold]

The boiler is a lovely baby nappy contents brown with a sort of sludge cream top. Something tells me it's from the 70's/80's so probably a little beyond it's guarantee period. Part isn't even listed in potterton tech manual - so I suppose I can't be told off for replacing a part that according to them doesn't exist! (or something)!!

 

[Sally Arnold]

Thanks Ollski,

Yes, I recognise that it's a tad dodgy, but if I can't get the part, what can I do? Athough I'm sure that Potterton would be happy to suggest a nice new combi with lots of things to go wrong, for say £2.5k. Yes it is inefficient, BUT when you add the horrors financially that you hear of with modern boilers, £100 fan, £180 new pcb, £80 diaphram, etc etc, suddenly the inefficiency doesn't seem so bad. This old one may need a hug every so often, but is makes hot water and keeps the house nice and toasty!

 

[namsag]

Boiler definitely contains asbestos so damp it down with a water spray

 

[Sally Arnold]

Thank you Namsag - will do. And I'll double wrap and dispose of properly.

 

[Sally Arnold]

Hi,

Just an update to those that are interested - cut and inserted a new piece of insulation, fired up, burned yellow for a while (suspect that this was the carbon deposits left from taking out old bit), then burned a lovely yellow topped blue.

Can't remember what the insulation called (not asbestos though) but tested a piece on the seriously hot coal fire that was burning fiercely in living room. Left it in centre of fire for half an hour, then took out. Still whole and still white. Amazing!

Going to get some carbon monoxide alarms today for around house. Don't entirely trust the evil asbestos roap seal around the chamber access cover - so will replace if looking a bit nasty.

Thanks for all your advice and the speed it came through - much appreciated!

 

[doitall]

For the record

They made an Flamingo CF 50, BF50 and a Flamingo 2 CF 50

Part No for the CF 50 is rear 202091, front 202092, LH 202093, RH 202094, and a cover plate gasket 202095.

The 12mm rope was Ceramic twist not asbestos. and if memory serves me well the insulation panels were ceramic as well

 

[namsag]

DIA The original rope had asbestos in it for definite . About 8 years ago as part of a safety commitee within BG i had a letter from potterton confirming this and they contained asbestos up till about 1991.
Our local authority would not even change t/couples on them and renewed boiler.
Someone put a link on here to a site that listed hundreds of boilers etc that contained asbestos it made interesting reading

 

[doitall]

DIA The original rope had asbestos in it for definite . About 8 years ago as part of a safety commitee within BG i had a letter from potterton confirming this and they contained asbestos up till about 1991.
Our local authority would not even change t/couples on them and renewed boiler.
Someone put a link on here to a site that listed hundreds of boilers etc that contained asbestos it made interesting reading

I have records of these boiler from 1973 and they were Ceramic then

 

[ollski]

Someone put a link on here to a site that listed hundreds of boilers etc that contained asbestos it made interesting reading

God knows where it is now though. There always used to be a condensed version without the wau info on the corgi site in the archives.

Rope seals asbestos 100%, not sure about i.b. flamingo rs50b I'm thinking.

 

[namsag]

Will agree to disagree it may have said ceramic but they did infact contain asbestos if you do a search you might even find some safety notice on the net. As said had it from the horses mouth , why would they admit something like that if appliances did not contain it, the netaheat also has it

 

[doitall]

Will agree to disagree it may have said ceramic but they did infact contain asbestos if you do a search you might even find some safety notice on the net. As said had it from the horses mouth , why would they admit something like that if appliances did not contain it, the netaheat also has it

Whether it contains asbestos or not I have no way of telling, all I know is the part number and GC number both list it as 12mm x 1m ceramic twist rope