Gas smell from boiler when it switches off.

[Agile]

The OP seems adamant that he smells gas in the room. But I have encountered several situations where people "think" they are smelling nat. gas but it then turns out it is something else. In one case an overheating fridge motor.

CO alarms activate on CO gas and not on nat. gas.

So there is still an unexplained CO alarm operation.


Do the visiting engineers agree there is a smell of gas? Even though their instruments cannot detect any?

 

[Restoration man]

I know it's awkward on a forum like this but it's Deffo gas.

The CO alarms have concluded by all as unexplained apart from me I think it has to have been something to do with the boiler. We've never had CO alarms go off in 5 years. Two went off at the start of all this gas smell issue!

No fridge in the room.

Visiting engineers came to a fresh boiler room one morning because wed left boiler off over night. They opened the boiler cover to be hit with a smell of gas. I smelt it 3 metres away as soon as the cover came off.

That day they cleaned the casing seal retested everything said it was safe and concluded the casing seal may have been passing!

But the casing shouldn't be pumped full of gas when the boiler is off surely?

Could this not just be a faulty electronic gas valve that isn't closing properly after the boiler has been switched off?

Thanks

 

[Jackrae]

Knowing nothing about the design of the control system my "guess" is that the post purge sequence is also permitting gas to be released. Since it is post-purge, there is no burn action.

 

[Restoration man]

The fan always runs for 4 minutes after the boiler has gone off. Does this sound right?

 

[PullerGas]

Double check all drains & condy pipe. Get them to replace the boiler gas valve, which they should've done anyway!!
Bonnyrigg OK, it's not FEP is it?
It is an Ideal Logic?

Get yourself down to Mango for the best curry in Scotland!!

 

[Restoration man]

It's an Ideal (that's a fukin laugh) Logic Heat 30. About 5 years old.

Glad you've suggested the gas valve it's the only thing I can see that logically can be allowing gas into the boiler when it's off.

Ideal point blank refuse to discuss technical with me and my service engineers are reluctant to phone Ideal.

End result family has had heating for about 5 days in the last 5 weeks!

At least a Phal would keep me warm for a while!

 

[PullerGas]

It's an Ideal (that's a fukin laugh) Logic Heat 30. About 5 years old.

Glad you've suggested the gas valve it's the only thing I can see that logically can be allowing gas into the boiler when it's off.

Ideal point blank refuse to discuss technical with me and Richard Irvine my service engineers are reluctant to phone Ideal.

End result family has had heating for about 5 days in the last 5 weeks!

At least a Phal would keep me warm for a while!

Eh??!! They're reluctant to speak to Ideal's Tech Dept.???!!! What, do they think it's below them to speak to a manufacturer?

Has anyone sampled the air in the room with a Gas Sniffer??

Guess you'll be trying to get Compo out of you're service engineer, for not keeping their part of the service contract??

 

[Restoration man]

I called Ideal today and explained our situation they refused to let me speak to anyone technical but reported our issue to the SGN as they are duty bound.

So SGN have been out again about an hour ago. Tested everything ok again. Said again this is obviously an appliance fault. Again.

Away to phone service eng again. We don't have a service contract we just pay them annually to service the boiler.

 

[PullerGas]

I called Ideal today and explained our situation they refused to let me speak to anyone technical but reported our issue to the SGN as they are duty bound.

So SGN have been out again about an hour ago. Tested everything ok again. Said again this is obviously an appliance fault. Again.

Away to phone service eng again. We don't have a service contract we just pay them annually to service the boiler.

Well, why not ask them to replace the gas valve. It's your boiler.
Why have you not got another RGI in before now? Clearly your existing one is mince!!

 

[Agile]

But a leaking gas valve will produce a flow of gas which when it is leaking can be measured within the gas supply pipework.

But the gas network operators have very sensitive instruments which should be able to detect it. But you have not mentioned that.

Tony

 

[Restoration man]

Haven't got anyone else involved yet as service eng say I've racked up £300 of a bill with them.

Ideal say they can put and engineer out to fix it for a one off payment of £290. But if it's a slack compression fitting I'll still be £290.

Thought is I give service emgineer more time and then argue my total bill.

Regarding the gas valve it doesn't smell when the boiler is running and boiler tests have shown this.

It only stinks about 10 to 20 mins after its gone off. This happened once when the eng was here and they took the boiler cover off. Immediately used the sniffer round the boiler components but no reading. They agreed it was definitely gas though. Possibly enough for us to smell but dispersed in the room not enough for a reading?

I suppose it's all about timing their equipment needs to be on at the right time and when the gas smell happens.

They will probably have to come here set everything up and switch boiler off wait 20 mins hope we smell gas again and then monitor it.

The faults intermittent. It doesn't happen every time the boiler goes off but there is a pattern that it happens when the boiler has been on for a longish period about 4hrs. But doesn't happen if the boiler has only been on for about an hour.

 

[PullerGas]

Intermittent fault on the gas valve.

 

[PullerGas]

But a leaking gas valve will produce a flow of gas which when it is leaking can be measured within the gas supply pipework.

But the gas network operators have very sensitive instruments which should be able to detect it. But you have not mentioned that.

Tony

Tony, you've missed your Bus!!

 

[Restoration man]

Can they test the gas valve operation. Likes of a zone valve you can see it and hear it move.

Can you remove the gas valve from the pipework. Look down the bore and activate the clock and see a positive movement to determine if the valve is working?

 

[PullerGas]

Generally wouldn't fanny about & just replace it. They're non adjustable in these anyway.