Boiler flame keeps going out

[Haleems]

But seriously mate, I am totally confused. BG said the boiler was useless, and dangerous and I shouldnt use it. The potterton engineer said it is fine and safe to use, and it has been working fine since yesterday. The potterton engineer has promised to put new fan in once I get the flue fixed. But the problem is I dont know what the problem is!! Can condensed water cause a problem like this? My flue is about 16-18 feet long and looks in pretty good shape. But at the first elbow joint, I can see traces of an old leak. There are brown marks there. But they pre-date my stay in this house. How can I check if condesed water is the problem? I am sure there is some condensation at the top end of the flue as I saw a few drops falling off last evening, and that has left a damp spot in the loft insulation.

Regards

 

[kevplumb]

right this is advice only you need to get somebody reg to take the elbow off and replace it with a tee with a drain in the bottom you have condensation in the flue is it twinwall or single could be your problem

 

[Haleems]

Thanks mate, by the way would it be better to get the tee installed at the bend in the loft or nearer to the boiler( about 60 cm) where hte first bend is,
Regards

 

[Haleems]

Thanks mate, by the way would it be better to get the tee installed at the bend in the loft or nearer to the boiler( about 60 cm) where the first bend is,
Regards

 

[John259]

I have the same problem. Heateam (Potterton) have so far had three failed attempts to fix it. They and the installer agree that it is definitely condensation. I think it might be caused by the lower flue gas temperature with modern boilers. Condensation running down the inside of chimneys is dilute acid and highly corrosive. Because the condensation falls on the fan assembly instead of a heat exchanger it causes problems. The fan assembly and especially the venturi tube become corroded, so the air pressure switch doesn't operate, so the boiler runs the fan but doesn't attempt to light the gas, or only lights it for a few seconds.

All modern domestic boilers must have fans by law I'm told. So they are highly unreliable and have short lifetimes. This is called progress. Heateam advised leaving the boiler on 24 hours a day throughout the year to keep the chimney temperature up. So much for saving on the gas bill with a high efficiency boiler. I am NOT impressed.

They now say the chimney liner must be insulated at an estimated cost of 300 pounds (UK) plus VAT.

Is that a sensible solution or not? Is it a reasonable cost estimate? Would the T option be better/cheaper?

This is a nightmare. The old boiler ran for 17 years with no problems.

Much thanks in advance for any advice.

John

 

[Agile]

John, how much it would cost will depend entirely on the situation. Perhaps the lower part is opens and allowing cooling of the liner.

All in all not very satisfactory advice.

Tony