Loud vibrating noise from boiler

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27 Feb 2010
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Surrey
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Hi,

I have an Ideal Icos boiler around 3 years old and when it first fires up, whether it is from a cold start or just re-igniting after shutting down for an hour or so it makes a very loud vibrating noise. Sometimes it does it for a couple of seconds, sometimes it just keeps happening and the boiler doesn't light, and sometimes it doesn't happen at all.

We had the same problem soon after it was first installed and the installer said it was because the condenser trap was full, he emptied it and that fixed it. It has happened occasionally since but has been kept in check by empyting the condenser trap every service.

However, now it is happening all the time and I have had British Gas out a couple of times under homecare and they are saying that it is because there is sludge in the system which I don't believe (well I believe there is some sludge in the system but not that it is causing this). The system had sentinel x100 put in when the boiler was installed 3 years ago.

Anyway, I am thinking of getting Ideal to come and have a look (out of warranty). So my questions are, has anyone come across anything like this? Any ideas what it could be? ie could it be the sludge? and finally how much are Ideal likely to charge to come and take a look out of warranty?

Thanks very much, sorry for the long post.
 
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HI

if the noise is coming on ignition then it can many things.
1.combustion door seal loose
2.faulty gas valve
3.soot etc on the burner

if the noise is coming after boiler has ignited and it sounds like kettling then BG is right .
 
I've encountered this on a few ICOS ISAR boilers, it is usually a faulty gas control valve, but it is a job for a RGI, who should check the Ignitiopn, clean the burner and fan and check the burner box insulating pads first, but i'll bet they will end up replacing the Gas control. ;)
 
Thanks. I forgot to mention that the condenser pipe does not go straight out of the house, there are a couple of 45 degree angles in it, I have phoned Ideal and they say that may well be the issue as it would disrupt the airflow. The trouble is that the pipe is tiled in so would require a lot of work to redo it (I doubt the original installers will do it for free after this long) so I would like to know for sure that would be the problem before I do anything. Any thoughts?
 
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can you hear water bubbling from the flue when boiler is operational ?
this means that water flow is restricted from condensing pipe. otherwise
dont bother chasing pipe,elbows.problem is elsewhere.
 
Hi, nope can't hear any bubbling when operational. I am going to get British Gas out again as I can't get it to ignite at all now. Even if it is sludge I can't believe it would cause it not to ignite at all.
 
Right it seems that the problem is the condensing pipe. The trap keeps filling up which causes the noise. I am going to connect a pipe to the condensing outflow and run it into a bucket to ensure that it is definitely the pipe which is at fault. Does anyone know if it is safe to run the boiler with the cover and condensing trap off?
 
Sounds exactly like what is happeneing with our boiler. Were you able to clear out the trap yourself or do you have to have an engineer do it? Also did you get any further with Ideal in terms of complaints.
 
You should not even be opening the cover let alone operating it with it off.

Gas Safe consider a condensate pipe into a bucket is at risk.

Tony
 
Don't worry, got some Corgi plumbers out this morning and there was a blockage in the condesate pipe which they managed to shift.

Seems prone to Ideal boilers!
 
Looks like the problem in my boiler has come back, so more advice would be appreciated.

We had British Gas replace the gas control valve eventually and after that it only made the noise occasionally. Then during 2010 the original installers removed some unnecessary bends in the condense pipe. Since then there had been no problems throughout winter 2010\2011, but about a week ago the noise came back. British Gas came back out and once again drained about a pint of water out of the boiler.

He tried to blow down the condense pipe but said it was blocked. He suspects it may be because the condense fits into the sink waste that grease and the like from the sink it blocking the pipe. Does that sound feasible?

Since then, the problem hasn't come back, so it couldn't have been completly blocked though and I am at a bit of a loss of where to look now. The issue only seems to occur when the boiler is in use more (ie winter), although strangely it has happened a few times now when we have returned from a holiday so it hadn't been in use at all.

Any ideas? Cheers
 
PS.

Is there a way to clear the pipe? By using compressed air, or a 'sink unblocker' type product?
 
sounds like you need to get the condense discharge re-installed so it flows adequately and wont get blocked by rubbish from the sink.
 
Thanks. Is there anyway to unblock it if it happens again in the meantime?
 

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