baxi boiler is allowing rain inside expert opinion required

biggee · 28 May 2007

Hi all i have a baxi solo pfl 50. It was installed by a CORGI engineer about 24 months ago. I have 2 problems 1 is more pressing than the other.

It was really rainy here in herts last night and when the boiler switched on to heat the water last night there was an electrical shorting sound and smoke coming from the pcb area. obviously i isolated it and inspected it further. Cover off and its wet inside, i checked(visually) the pipes and their cnnections, no probs there. It appears that water rain is coming through the flue on the wall the other side and leaking through the sponge between flue and boiler..... This has never happened in the rain before, any ideas?

At best PCB is knackered i guess, but i am loathe to get it replaced because it may rain again in the future!

ChrisR · 28 May 2007

Firstly, look at the flue carefully. Does it have anything like a leaking gutter above it, and does it slope slightly DOWN towards the outside?

biggee · 28 May 2007

no leaking gutter above as there is no gutter above, ir does appear to point slightly(very) upward.

ChrisR · 28 May 2007

Well the slope's enough to do it, in odd weather conditions.

Just 2b sure - it isn't a condensing boiler I haven't heard of is it? Cos they slope inwards. And a boiler fitted that recently by a pukka chappie in most places (England) would have had to have been condensing...

biggee · 28 May 2007

no its not an condensing boiler it was resited 2 years ago.

baxpoti · 28 May 2007

biggee said:
i am loathe to get it replaced because it may rain again in the future!

Highly probable!

Get the flue re-aligned, running down from the boiler

Agile · 28 May 2007

Is the flue sealed around the outside with cement as it should be?

If so its difficult to imagine how so much water could get in if there is no leaking gutter unless its sloping upwards quite significantly.

Tony

biggee · 18 Aug 2007

yes its sealed with cement, i replaced the PCB again and ther bloody rain has caused the same problem.

WTF!

megawatt · 18 Aug 2007

Do you have any windows fitted above the boiler?

Do you have any damp on the wall above the boiler or the room above?

It's not uncommon for badly fitted UPV windows to leak and the water runs down the inside of the cavity wall ... Hits the flue ... Runs along the flue (sloping towards the boiler) into the boiler and plays sparks with the electrics until it gives up the ghost

Key thing, as others have mentioned is ... Refit the flue sloping away from the boiler ... Problem solved in all cases.

biggee · 18 Aug 2007

def no leaks or probs above or to the side of flue exit point. engineer said not to re position flue (same one who installed it). Apart from that the dreaded overheat problem on the PCB still reoccurs 3rd pcb now.

Dan Robinson · 18 Aug 2007

engineer said not to re position flue (same one who installed it).

Why? If the flue is sloping back to the boiler water will get in.

biggee · 18 Aug 2007

why do they do that?

Dan Robinson · 18 Aug 2007

megawatt · 18 Aug 2007

Gravity is the concept the OP is struggling with I think

biggee · 18 Aug 2007

my fault entirely, i had posted another topic on the pcb overheat problem and got the two posts mixed up.

Why do the baxi solo pcb's develop the overheat light fault?

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baxi boiler is allowing rain inside expert opinion required

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