Boiler Injector Deposits

[slr1981]

Hi,

Can anyone help me, cause i'm stuck in a strange place where everyone is blaming each other, and I cant get my problem resolved:

I've just had a new Biasi combi boiler installed (6 months ago), and it has failed twice now because the injectors become blocked with a white deposit as in the image below. This happened in Feb, and the boiler failed to light, but we noticed the boiler was making a strange noise bfore, and flames weren't consistant when looking through the window. My plpumber found the blocked injectors, cleaned them, and then it happened again a few weeks ago (March)

I've spoken with Biasi technical service, who say it must be something from the gas line (glycol typically) getting in. He also said this is the common problem and he would expect someone corgi to recognise this. When i asked my plumber, he said he's never seen anything like this before (plumber his whole life). AND this never happened with the old boiler, and it doensn't happen to my neighbours.

If anyone out there has seen this problem before, please can you shed some light as to what is happening? If it is the boiler, I want biasi to take reposnsibilty, if it is something else, I want to know to put somethign to stop this happening again (ideas for this would be helpful too).

Thanks

Untitled

• slr1981
• 30 Apr 2010
• 1

Si

 

[Agile]

We dont give advice on gas matters on this site but I will assume that you took that picture when an engineer had opened the boiler.

One might expect the problem would be caused by water in the gas pipe. That can happen in just one property. Its fairly rare though and would usually be identifyable by fast purging ( blowing out ) the gas supply. It would often be evidenced by pressure abnormalities which could be measured at the meter and boiler.

I have visited a fault just like yours and that was caused by an installation error with the flue. I would suspect that yours is being caused by the same problem.

However, it needs someone very experienced at inspecting boilers for installation errors as most would not be able to identify those type of problem.

In spite of you wanting to blame Biasi this problem is not going to be their fault. Its either the gas supply or the installation and there is nothing wrong with the boiler as supplied.

Tony

 

[slr1981]

Tony,

Firstly, yes this photo was taken when my gas safe engineer had opened the boiler. First time it happened he cleaned everything and fixed it without me there. 2nd time, I wanted to see what was going on; hence i took the oportunity to take some pics. I'm just a curious engineer (mechanical) trying to get to a place where my boiler works.

Thanks for this info on Biasi not being at fault; it's hard to tell who's telling the truth when everyone blames each other.

It's interesting to hear that flue instalation could be a problem. The same man who fixed it, installed it - and I trust his judgement / experiance. Maybe a second pair of eyes would be good anyway (I'm in south oxfordshire if anyone can recommend someone)

One thing i do notice is a very strong smell of gas when outside by the flue whenever it is firing; just started, and fully at temperature. This has given concern about the installation before, but i thought i might be paranoid.

The only other thing that might be of interest is I'm currently renovating the rest of my house. It has been quite dusty at times (including where the boiler is) but there isn't lots of building dust when its opened. More importantly, When I drilled a hole for a hob extract, the dust from this blew down wind to the boiler flue pipe, and some (a fair amount) would have gone into the flue. Could this have anything to do with it? My rational before was because the location of the problem (nozzles are inside the burner), this would not affect it, but i guess its a finely balanced system.

Si

 

[Agile]

Based on my experience of this problem is only created by water at the injectors.

That boiler does not light at all if the injector by the ignition electrode is blocked. That was how the fault that I attended came to light.

If other jets are blocked it will not light beyond the blocked injector. Unburnt gas is then discharged from the flue.

If you are strongly smelling gas from the flue then some jets are probably still blocked.

South Oxfordshire is difficult to envisage as counties are not shown on normal maps or visible when driving around. A town or village is recognisable though.

Tony

 

[slr1981]

sorry, Didcot