How to service Grant Vortex 36e, 36Kw keroscene combi boiler

[Leveret]

That's interesting. I would never have guessed! I sawed open my 2009-2017 nozzle to reveal......the spinner. It seemed to spin OK and was not loose in the housing.

 

[Johntheo5]

That's interesting. I would never have guessed! I sawed open my 2009-2017 nozzle to reveal......the spinner. It seemed to spin OK and was not loose in the housing.

Are you sure?, I thought the swirl chamber caused the oil to spin.

 

[Leveret]

Well, the tiny round cylinder thing inside the main body spins within the body. If you google 'boiler nozzle technology' it describes the different spray patterns that can be produced. However, as long as there is a pressurised spray of some sort coming out of the tiny hole of what is essentially a blow torch I can't see that there is much difference in efficiency. Certainly I have noticed no variation in fuel consumption before and after my infrequent nozzle replacement. The main advance in efficiency was introducing a pressurised fine spray. Our old Wilson Wallflame just poured oil onto a rapidly spinning disc located centrally on the floor of a sort of small water jacketed dustbin - when it hit the walls it ignited. No baffles or turbulators. Very inefficient. One could argue that as long as the tiny hole doesn't get too big with wear (anyone remember the tiny nozzle cleaner for paraffing primus stoves and blow torches?) the efficiency will be acceptable.

Incidentally, can anyone explain why my Grant Vortex Eco Utility 26-35 only leaks water during the two or three hours morning and evening when it's active?

 

[oilhead]

Where does it leak from? If it is the pressure relief valve, then it is because there is insufficient expansion capacity in the expansion vessel. If that is the case, then it either needs repressurising or replacing. If you depress the schrader valve and water comes out instead of air, then a new vessel will be required. If air comes out(which would need replacing) then there may be a blockage in the pipe between the boiler and the vessel.
These are points that should be checked in a regular service.

 

[Leveret]

Even with the top cover off I can't see where the leak comes from. It's not from the pressure release valve and there are no leaks from the two pipes into and out of the boiler. Nor from the condensate trap. The dial on the expansion vessel stays between 0.5 and 1bar - as it should. It just seems to ooze from underneath when it's actually firing, which is a puzzle. There's no leak during the day from 8am till 5pm when it's off. It's been like that for many weeks.

 

[Johntheo5]

That's interesting. I would never have guessed! I sawed open my 2009-2017 nozzle to reveal......the spinner. It seemed to spin OK and was not loose in the housing.

Danfoss don't seem to use them, what does the spinner look like, is it shaped like a mini fan impeller??.

 

[Leveret]

Tthe best description I can manage is a small metal spacer like the one on the far left of this ebay product....

Polished Aluminium SPACERS Standoff Washers M2 M2.5 M3 M4 M5 and M6 | eBay UK

M4 (ID=4.3mm, OD=8.0mm), lengths: 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 7.5mm, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, 12.5mm, 15mm, 17.5mm, 20mm, 12.5mm, 15mm, 17.5mm, 20mm, 25mm and 30mm. M2 (ID=2.4mm, OD=6.0mm), lengths: 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 7.5mm, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, 12.5mm, 15mm, 17.5mm and 20mm.

www.ebay.co.uk

.....the interior surface of which appears to have ridges, presumably making it spin when the fuel passes though it, thus making the fuel 'spin' ?!.

 

[Leveret]

Update.........yippee, I've found the leak! It was coming from a small corroded crack in the corrugated pipe at the elbow joint of the condensate outflow - see photo. (apologies for blurriness) I've yanked it a bit to make it more obvious. I only managed to find it by stripping off all the coverings and observing the whole thing after it had fired up. Sneaky little drips appeared after a few minutes. Phew - no new boiler.....yet.

 

[Johntheo5]

The big clue was in your post #20 "It just seems to ooze from underneath when it's actually firing, which is a puzzle. There's no leak during the day from 8am till 5pm when it's off. It's been like that for many weeks."

 

[Leveret]

Yes, quite so, and also the observation that although I had collected about three pints of water, the pressure gauge on the expansion tank hadn't shifted from its usual position between 0.5 and 1 bar. It was such a tiny leak from the back of the pipe, which is in such a difficult place to inspect, that it looked intact on initial inspection. Anyway, very satisfying for this amateur DIYer - easy to repair with a bit of scrap piping and some wonderful CT1 sealant, and removal of the unpleasant thought of a hefty four figure boiler replacement bill between now and xmas!