Are the fumes from a combi boiler carbon monoxide?

[oilman]

It hasn't ruined my life, .........

Then it sounds like a "nuisance".

The niggle about these plumes, is that if you can see them, the boiler isn't condensing. If it was condensing, you wouldn't see a plume. This is what makes all those adverts about how much better it is to have condensing boilers, such a fraud.

 

[IJWS15]

The plumbers on ehre talk about no CO if the boiler is working correcctly.

As a chartered mechanical engineer who has studies combustion NOTHING is perfect in nature which is why you have a catalytic convertor in your car. Note - there is no catalytic convertor in a domestic boiler.

Any combustion will produce some CO. If the boiler is not working correctly it will produce more.

There are other posts on here about the same problem.

 

[namsag]

Oilman would you like to double check your statement

 

[oilman]

Seems more like a nuisance than a major health issue. or did you have something else in mind?

 

[namsag]

About when plumes are seen

 

[Agile]

There was a lad killed a few years ago from a faulty boiler next door pouring co into a covered alleyway directly under his bedroom. It found its way through the floor and poisoned the little lad. Transco, co alarm and a friendly little word with the neighbours.

It may be another situation but about 2-3 years ago there was a boy killed because a flue was discharging into a covered alleyway where the kids were playing.

In that case one end of the alley was closed off so the CO accumulated in the enclosed space. CORGI suddenly because very concerned about flues discharging into closed alleyways.

Tony

 

[oilman]

About when plumes are seen

No, wot I wrote is rite.

 

[doitall]

About when plumes are seen

No, wot I wrote is rite.

Would you like to triple check that Oilman

 

[doitall]

It hasn't ruined my life, but I've lived here 10 years without having to put up with steam clouds floating past. The owner is a developer who has just converted house next door into 4 x tiny flats, which I was against on the grounds of overcrowding and rubbishy housing, and having other peoples boiler plume interfering with my view does make me feel the presence of the ever compacting population around me. Plus, they made an ugly job of it - flue sticks out 18 inches from wall to clear the guttering about it. The installer talked of putting an upward elbow to take it to above gutter level, but of course he's gone now...

There are regulations in place, so why not post a couple of photo's.

 

[oilman]

Would you like to triple check that Oilman

Look, simple physics. If all the water vapour had condensed in the heat exchanger, it wouldn't be able to get to the flue terminal. Since it does get to the flue terminal, and later condenses outside, all the savings from condensing that the adverts claim, are not achieved.

 

[namsag]

I suggest you quadruple check it then.

 

[Aquaheat]

The plumbers on ehre talk about no CO if the boiler is working correcctly.

As a chartered mechanical engineer who has studies combustion NOTHING is perfect in nature which is why you have a catalytic convertor in your car. Note - there is no catalytic convertor in a domestic boiler.

Any combustion will produce some CO. If the boiler is not working correctly it will produce more.

Maybe you should consider studying a little more on combustion. When a boiler is correctly set up and working at its best then there is no CO produced.

After carrying out an installation or service an FGA is carried out and the CO ppm is almost always 0 if the appliance is set properly.

A catalytic converter is not required as there is nothing to convert!

If the appliance IS producing CO then it denotes a fault of some description.

 

[oilman]

After carrying out an installation or service an FGA is carried out and the CO ppm is almost always 0 if the appliance is set properly.

This conflicts with every single measurement I have made on boilers. They are oil boilers, and so the CO in the flue gases is generally lower than that from gas boilers. Oil boiler CO ranges from around 10ppm to very often 15 to 30ppm, and up to 150ppm in the worst cases. Only one I have seen is anyway near zero.

The fact is if you are measuring 0ppm you need your FGA checking.

IJWS15 is correct in his statement. You may be interested in sticking the probe in your mouth and measuring your exhaled breath. You will find that people do not have a perfect system either, and produce CO as well as CO2.

 

[ub7rm]

Carbon monoxide does not smell, that's why it is known as the silent killer..

That doesn't make a lick of sense...

 

[Aquaheat]

FGA works fine and is not long calibrated and serviced.

Boilers always show signs of CO on initial start up but after around 10 mins of running then all is settled down the readings are taken then.

I know that they will register CO from the mouth, espcially more as i'm a smoker!!

I would be interested in other engineers findings as i rely on the FGA alot now and if it is throwing back faulty results then it will need sorting ASAP.

It is a good one though so i can't see it?