Clattering boiler

RigidRaider · 9 Aug 2006

Greetings! This is my first post on here.

The water in our gas boiler makes a bubbling/clattering sound while the burner is lit.

Does this mean it's close to boiling? Is it a problem? If it is, how can I prevent it? We have Fernox in the heating (and therefore presumably in the primary hot water circuit?) although recent decorating work on a couple of rooms with rads off could mean it's getting a bit dilute by now.

The pump is in good health, by the way, with no noise or cavitation sounds.

Agile · 9 Aug 2006

What make and model of boiler do you have?

What are the temperatures of the flow and return on the boiler.

With a cast iron heat exchanger its normally caused by a scaled up or sludged up boiler!

Tony

RigidRaider · 9 Aug 2006

Thanks. Can't tell you the make/model but I do know the exchanger is cast iron, is about 17 years old and is beginning to leak along the seams.

Would a temperature check be worth doing? How would the resulting figures enable me to make a judgement? There will always be a difference but what's an expected difference for a new boiler or should I ask the manufacturer?

Agile · 9 Aug 2006

If the heat exchanger is leaking then that is classified as Immediately Dangerous and should not be used!

The temperatures are unlikely to tell you anything!

They might mean something to me though!

Tony

RigidRaider · 9 Aug 2006

Blimey!

It's not exactly leaking, there are signs of weeping along the joints between the sections. My neighbour, a retired plumber, has assured me that there is no need to change it yet. Mind you my neighbour is pretty old and is the kind of plumber who checks for leaking gaspipes by running a lighted match along the pipe!

That said, during windy weather a couple of months ago it blew out then, according to my wife, produced a loud bang and a cloud of smoke. Neighbour came in and got it going again (I was overseas).

Should we be worried?

Agile · 9 Aug 2006

RigidRaider said:
produced a loud bang and a cloud of smoke.

Should we be worried?

I think that I might be!

The ID classification arises if water is dripping onto the gas burner or looks as if its likely to do so soon!

Any "loud bang" would bother me! I would want another CORGI person to inspect it if I was not available.

Tony

RigidRaider · 9 Aug 2006

Hmmm. My neighbour is fairly contemptuous of Corgi registration.

As you might expect of someone his age.

JohnD · 9 Aug 2006

Arrrrr!! New-fangled North Sea Gas! Coal gas was good enough in my day!

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Clattering boiler

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