black emissions from my radiators

[squeezie]

I have recently had a new boiler sytem installed and when turned up to hottest this winter I found that a black greasy emission residue was left on my walls and furniture and all above my radiators. Could anyone tell me what causes this to happen?

 

[ChrisR]

Well, dust in convection currents sticks to things to make marks, but usually only above rads. And greasy is a mystery to me.

 

[squeezie]

Thanks for that but all of my radiators are clean even down the backs and between the vents could it be anything to do with black oxide in old radiators?

 

[Nige F]

Not likely, if it was leaking out ,you would see it

 

[ChrisR]

Plumbers basically spend their time keeping wet stuff on the right side of the hard stuff. How could the water from your rads get into the walls?

Could it be a case of greasy maulers marks from the installers, which have now become dirty?

 

[JohnD]

...... and all above my radiators. ...

If it looks like a smoke stain on the walls running up from the rads and pooling on the ceiling, it will be dirt and dust from the air being carried up in the convection currents and sticking to the cooler sufaces (not to hot surfaces). It is very fine dirt, difficult to clean off and may feel greasy as it is so fine.

If anyone in the house smokes then the air will be full of fine particles of smoke and ash, which will be the source of most of the dirt.

Open fires also generate smoke, soot and dust in the room, so dusting and hoovering used to be more necessary.

If you were having building work done then there will also have been more dirt and dust in the air. Hoovering and wet mopping help remove it (more modern vacs often have an extra air filter for fine asthma particles, which also helps).

You can put narrow shelves above radiators which interrupt the airflow above them and reduce the staining.

 

[squeezie]

The house is immaculately clean, no open fires or any dusty surfaces. This is a real mystery. The only thing I can say is that the new boiler was put in and piped to old radiators. It was not flushed at all could this cause a problem? As for spontaneous human combustion DONT BE SILLY!!!!

 

[ChrisR]

It was not flushed at all could this cause a problem?

Yes but not this one!
Was the electrical work done properly - ie are the rads earthed? If not, you could get your problem.

 

[Nige F]

Rads not earthed how does that cause the problem?