It's Ideal again!

islandlad · 27 Mar 2009

Hi Everyone,
I'm a complete newbie, so be gentle with me please!
I had an Ideal Isar 24 (Oh dear) installed by Warmfront some 18 months ago. It now seems to be humming, sounds like an aircraft that is stuck in a time warp. It is intermittent, and the hum can last for up to 15secs, but that comes and goes, sometimes gets louder and resonates throughout the bung. It will start wen there is no CH on, usually in the dead of night. It can go on like this for up to 6hrs. I phoned Ideal (who arn't!) and they inform me that it's not the boiler, it's the water that is coming in from the rising main, can this be correct? They won't come out to look at it or investigate the hum. It's supposedly covered until this July. I am at my wit's end,

I have had the water off/on, gas off/on, elec off/on, it still keeps going, anyone out there who can give me advice where this hum is coming from, how can Ipinpoint it? Till then, I will keep taking the tablets!! Thanks

gigz · 27 Mar 2009

Has it got a vertical flue (out through the roof) ? Sometimes if you've got a dodgy ballvalve (in the toilet say) this can make a noise that reverberates throughout the house so check this as well.

Paul Barker · 27 Mar 2009

sometimes pockets of air get stuck in pipework to showers and such, once water is run these resonate and just keep going. you have to purge it through. Cap off all deadlegs for a start.

However the fans on these boilers can be noisy replacing with the latest fan does the trick but i don't know when the changeover time was.

but i don't know if you ae talking about a hot water pipe resonance or a boiler resonance.

When i was Alpha service agent I would have been sent to such a job and if it wasn't the boiler would have advised you what to do.

Different manufacturers see these things differently. Alpha would pay me anyway their customer service is excellent.

Biasi used to make me bill the customer, and if i proved I did so but the customer didn't pay me they would pay me and suspend the guarantee, Then when customer rings with another fault they take card payment for my bill over phone before reinstating guarantee.

there are some Ideal staff post on here perhaps they can shed light on Ideals policy.

idealnumber1 · 27 Mar 2009

were do you live in buckinghamshire

hect · 27 Mar 2009

If this was indeed a boiler fault, then that noise is more likely due to a poor installation - ie flue seals - or it could be under gassed

swbjackson · 28 Mar 2009

Without listening to it it's not possible to be certain but it may be water hammer. Normal cause for this is worn washer in a float operated valve. Does the noise stop if you open a tap.

islandlad · 28 Mar 2009

Hi All,

Thanks for all your replies. I think I had a problem with water pressure, which was making that humming noise, the original installer told us to run the water pressure at 2 bar, when this should have been only 1 bar. We don't have a vertical flue, but have tried several of your ideas. So, hopefully if the "Hum" stays away for a week or so, we should be back to normal running. Thanks to all you guys for all your ideas. Praps now I can stop taking the tranquillisers!!!

idealnumber1 · 28 Mar 2009

so are you eating humble pie now,after all ideal technical told you the fault over the phone

heatingman · 28 Mar 2009

"I have had the water off/on, gas off/on, elec off/on, it still keeps going" and that is the sort of statement that the manufacturers tech helplines have to listen too when a householder is trying to blame a random noise on the boiler.
In past years I've been to a few jobs where customer screaming at call centre blaming boiler for noise.
1, Smoke alarm beeping in kitchen draw, when advised that BG might charge customer, they then tried saying engineers put alarm in draw.
2, Cassette tape in Hi-Fi at end of tape making ssh ssh noise, customer blaming trvs, went all dumb & blonde when identified noise, beforehand it was all Ms and assertive and demanding comp for lack of service standards

hect · 2 Apr 2009

mmmmm

Agile · 2 Apr 2009

When I worked for the BBC, I sometimes sat at lunch with the Head of Engineering Technical Services who was a pretty switched on fellow but he was getting on a little and I heard he died a few months ago so I can say this on here now.

One day he told me how he was hearing a low pitched hum at home and blamed it on nearby power transformers. I immediately jokingly suggested titinus.

A few weeks later, I asked him if he had discovered the source of the hum. He told me that his doctor had indeed diagnosed it as titinus!

Tony

shambolic · 3 Apr 2009

Admin can we please have thread title changed to OP thick as mince blame it on the boiler!
Ta

diynot

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.

Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

It's Ideal again!

idealnumber1

hect

idealnumber1

hect

Similar threads