Ideal Icos boiler noise - scary!

[joppauk]

Hi all,

This is my first post here and I am hoping for some advice if possible. I have had British Gas out several times over the last 18 months to sort this fault - yet it continues.

The pump, circuit board, fan, gas valve have all been replaced along with some other things and I still continue to get this loud shuddering noise when the burner kicks in. Over the last 18 months it can stop doing it for a period weeks/month then come back for a few days then disappear again!

The most annoying part is that when BG come - the damn thing doesnt make the noise! So I videoed it and thought I would share with you guys and get some thoughts from you.

The noise comes from the centre of the boiler (where my hand is) and feels like pressure being released from somewhere - very frustrating and as I type this the boiler is off as since BG came out yesterday it has got worse and they are coming back today! I will let you know how I get on!!

Please help![youtube][/youtube]

 

[petit_pablo]

Gas pressure to the boiler, ignition electrode, dirty heat exchanger, build up of shale in the heat exchanger sump, faulty flue seal.

I would be checking all these.

Cracked/damaged burner

 

[joppauk]

Also, when the ignition kicks in there seems to be this loud whoosh - then the noise starts!

 

[Beerlover]

Always good to see an Icos at that angle, especially if it's outside waiting for the doasyoulikies to collect it

Could be a blocked condense pipe or the sump dull of rotting heat exchanger.

 

[mickyg]

your boiler is talking to you, in boiler language this roughly translates as "please put me down, I don't deserve to live, I can't go on like this"

 

[breadnbutter]

sounds like pumps running dry, turn boiler off,wait for engineers

 

[petit_pablo]

sounds like pumps running dry, turn boiler off,wait for engineers

Sounds gas related to me

 

[Agile]

Thats an interesting noise!

Also interesting that BG can change so many parts without identifying the real problem.

Sometimes a new set of eyes can help. How many different engineers have been to see it. Has a senior engineer seen it?

You can get BG to call an Ideal engineer if they dont find the fault within a reasonable time.

At the end of the day its only a boiler!

Tony

 

[joppauk]

Well BG engineer has been and it was one I havent seen before.

He was the first one to witness the noise himself and checked the flue to only find a big hole in the flue.

He advised its the clean and dirty gases mixing together (as readings where of the scale) and that the flame was jumping about.

New flue to be fitted on Monday!

 

[Agile]

The flue was my first thought.

But I then discounted that as the one thing that BG engineers do well is to use a flue gas analyser. In fact for a service its usually all that they do!

A seriously wrong FGA reading is an obvious indication that combustion conditions are incorrect and a faulty flue is a common cause of that when the gas valve settings are correct.

In fact its a terribly simple problem to identify as all you do is to check the content of the air intake using the FGA. I usually do that every time I use the FGA on a boiler as a check that the flue is correct.

Tony

 

[mickyg]

I have had British Gas out several times over the last 18 months

He was the first one to witness the noise himself and checked the flue to only find a big hole in the flue.

Can you see the hole yourself from outside? can you get a picture of it. If things are as you say then that, quite frankly is shocking

 

[breadnbutter]

sounds like pumps running dry, turn boiler off,wait for engineers

Sounds gas related to me

you was right, i was wrong

 

[Agile]

If the flue is accessible then I shine a torch down the flue to look inside as sometimes this reveals a seal out of place even though it may not at that time be leaking.

I often wonder why others dont do these additional checks.

But then I visit boilers as an independent and are not pressured to visit 8-10 installations every day. In fact I rarely go to more than 3 in a day even at busy times.

Tony

 

[joppauk]

To be honest every time a gas engineer has been here they have checked the readings that come out the flu and all are OK.

Remember every time a gas engineer has been here the bloody boiler has not made that noise! Today I thought was gonna be the same then it started up.

After hearing the noise, he then went to check the flue - he has been the first one to get a set of ladders and look into the flue and there was a hole.

So fingers crossed for Monday!!

 

[Agile]

Flue holes dont come and go!

Even if the boiler did not make the noise they would have still disturbed the combustion readings.

I now wonder if some of the engineers just poked their probe into the flue and did not even look at the readings ???