Boiler Door Opened (By Itself!) And Won't Shut??!!

[Justin Bodley]

Hi!
So I went into the loft earlier today and saw this!! How??? Why??? It locates at the top with spring loaded latches! How on earth could this happen? I am literally scratching my head! Also, I can't close it as it catches on the control unit?? Have tried to wiggle and jiggle it but the control unit is around 10mm out of place to the hole in the door?? I have messaged the guy who fitted the boiler originally to see if he can come out and take a look. Bad timing obviously so it wont be for a few days. Anyone else had this? It's a Glow Worm boiler. Will it be OK like this for now? Not even sure how long it has been like this. It would have made a nice loud bang too as it hit an old table with crap on it. Before you ask...... no our house isn't haunted lol!

 

[RandomGrinch]

. Will it be OK like this for now?

I'm not a gas engineer, but I believe I can say that the boiler is unsafe to use, without the cover in place.
The cover has seals all the way around and forms part of the room-sealing of the boiler.
Without the cover in place, there is the possibility that the products of combustion could end up in your loft space.
If you can find a way to fit the cover, it will need checking by an RGI before reuse.
The boiler installation manual would normally have instructions for the covers removal.

But given the unusual circumstances involved, I think I would want the boiler inspected, before I turned I back on.

To the RGI's, could a strong gust of wind into the flue blow the cover off?

 

[CBW]

@RandomGrinch - doubt a gust of wind would do it. If not fitted correctly, could be explosive ignition. @Justin Bodley - I agree with RG that it shouldn’t be used, looks like it connects to the 2 metal rods poking out the top, and then engaged at the bottom.

 

[RandomGrinch]

doubt a gust of wind would do it. If not fitted correctly, could be explosive ignition

Thanks Chris, I'm glad there is an RGI we can get hold of this time on Christmas Eve!

 

[Mottie]

Is it like this one - shows taking it off at 5:15. Could it have not been located on the pegs in the first place?

 

[Justin Passing]

Betacom, not Flexicom?
The gust of wind would have had to undo a couple of screws at the bottom....

I'd guess it might have been working like that for a long time.
The boiler is supposed to get its fresh air from outside, not your loft plus the outside, which it is now.

If the fitter didn't latch the pegs at the top maybe it fell down but something would be bent if the T20ish screws had been fitted in the bottom, which you would have noticed. If they weren't, report the installer to Gas Safe.

It's distorted too if it appears not to go back together , so +1 reason for any rgi telling you not to use it.

Merry Christmas

 

[ianmcd]

It locates at the top with spring loaded latches!

No it doesnt it hooks onto those two pegs then is screwed under the bottom, it hasnt been refitted properly and should not be used like that it is dangerouse

 

[CBW]

Maybe it was an Italian Job?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The top of the cover hooks onto those pegs sticking up, then two screws are inserted under the base of the cover. Who ever was last in there, failed to hook the top onto the pegs properly, so likely the cover fell open soon after he left. The cover bottom flange, still attached by the two screws, will be quite bent, as a result.

The latches at the top, are not 'spring-loaded', rather they are bent up at the rear, to make them easier to latch in place.

 

[opps]

I am not a plumber--

I agree that it is not safe given that the electrical connections are currently exposed, but provided that the seals on the combustion chamber/flue are intact, is it essential that it resolved immediately? It is in the loft, it may be the case the the cover has been hanging down for a long time.

Again, I am not a Gas Safe plumber, looking at the seals on the cover, I would not expect them to offer much in the way of protection from fire or carbon monoxide.

In no way I am recommending that the OP leaves it that way for weeks, but it might help the OP, me and others if a RGI could explain the potential dangers in greater detail.

 

[MNW67]

I am not a plumber or gas engineer, either. But I would hope that the cover seal does work effectively and is there for a purpose. As far as I can see, although the combustion chamber door is sealed, it looks like it is still open to the inside of the boiler through the air intake pipe. So I would imagine there is a theoretical risk, if something goes wrong, that dangerous gases could be discharged into the inside of the boiler.

 

[Mottie]

Could it have not been located on the pegs in the first place?

it hasnt been refitted properly

Who ever was last in there, failed to hook the top onto the pegs properly,

Seems the most likeliest cause.

 

[foxhole]

You won’t hook it back without removing the screws at the base .
Then straighten any tabs which have been bent .

 

[ianmcd]

I am not a plumber--

I agree that it is not safe given that the electrical connections are currently exposed, but provided that the seals on the combustion chamber/flue are intact, is it essential that it resolved immediately? It is in the loft, it may be the case the the cover has been hanging down for a long time.

Again, I am not a Gas Safe plumber, looking at the seals on the cover, I would not expect them to offer much in the way of protection from fire or carbon monoxide.

In no way I am recommending that the OP leaves it that way for weeks, but it might help the OP, me and others if a RGI could explain the potential dangers in greater detail.

When boilers are designed, these days they have to be what is called negative pressure, in that the fan pushes the exhaust fumes out of the flue, causing a negative pressure inside the combustion chamber, this causes the boiler to pull in air for combustion from outside to complete the combustion process, with the cover removed the boiler will draw combustion air from the room rather that via the flue and the products which may have high levels of carbon monoxide can also escape into the same room, that boiler can not safely be operated with the combustion cover removed

 

[DP]

OP, for the time being remove the two screws that are holding the cover in place
Hook the cover onto the pegs at the top securely
Then refit screws you removed above