Glow Worm Heat Exchanger leaking - will Fernox F4 work?

[Guzzles]

Hi All,

my mate has had problems with his Glow Worm Boiler. I'm unsure of the model number at this stage, but it is only about 5 years old. Initially the PCB blew up, which was replaced ok. What he did notice a little while later was water near the PCB. Its only a small leak/weap, but it gets onto the PCB. He has traced the leak to the Heat Exchanger, which costs £250 for the part.
Has anyone had experience of using something like Fernox F4 in this situation? - Did it work?

 

[nickso]

probably one of the xi range.

where is it leaking from exactly? these can leak condensate quite a lot. particularly from the drains at the bottom and the seal at the bottom front of the burner door. neither of which are expensive repairs.

 

[paulymc]

Hi nickso

Guzzles posted this on my behalf. To answer your questions:
The leak appears to be coming from the right hand side of the heat exchanger. I have removed the right hand section of heat insulation and water is running down onto the lower bracket that the heat exchanger sits on, about halfway along. The water is boiling away, because the bracket is hot. With the heat insulation in place the water drips off the front of the lower bracket and fulls up the shelf under the burner and then drips out of the boiler.
There is moisture on the inner part of the heat exchanger (where the fins are) but I suspect that this is the condensation that you refer to.
It is not leaking from the drain point.

You mention the xi range, is this a Fernox product?
I can't see any mention of this on the Fernox website.

Any more advice gratefully received.....

 

[mickyg]

Well as you still haven't told us the model of the boiler we will have to continue to guess!! I'm going to go for a Micron. If the heat exchanger is genuinely leaking then the only solution is to replace it. Chemicals will not cure a leaking heat exchanger.

 

[paulymc]

The missing information..............

It is a Glowworm MIcron 50FF.

I think the heat exchanger has a crack in it. Glowworm don't want to know anything about it!
Spoke to Fernox Technical they inform that chemicals will work, but not for very long due to the continuous expanding and contracting that the heat exchanger gets subjected to.

Can anybody recommend a good supplier of heat exchangers??

 

[mickyg]

you should get your RGI to source the spares as this is not a DIY job, or you I would think Gloworm could offer a fix price repair

 

[nickso]

The missing information..............

It is a Glowworm MIcron 50FF.

d'oh

 

[hav it]

Hi if there is a crack no pudding filler will work. Switch it off and get someone in who can carry out repair correctly.