Neighours noisy back boiler

[claremc]

Hello, wondering if anyone might be able to help?
We've just moved into a new house - a semi detached - and the adjoining neighours back boiler sits in our chimey breast. It's ancient and is incredibly loud - every time their heating goes on (which is quite often as they are an elderley couple) a very loud banging and rumbling comes through the wall, upstairs and dowstairs. It's driving me around the twist and is starting to become a real problem, especially as it wakes us up at 5:30am.
I've spoken to the neighour who is very nice but simply said it was "nothig to worry about" and that it's noisy just because it's so old. He said once upon a time he did have someone out to look at it (this couple have lived there for a long time) who said he could "blow it out" whatever that means, but he clearly has never done anythig about it.
I can't exactly move in and then a few weeks later demad that this nice getleman forks out for a whole new boiler, but is there anythig at all that I could do to help reduce the noise? I dont mind paying for it, I just need to do something as I'm finding it quite upsetting!!

 

[45yearsagasman]

I assume it's gas fired? There are many instances of noise from back boilers, most of which are treatable. If it is simple Kettlling noise, the addition of system silencer chemicals can prove beneficial. You should get a second opinion from a heating engineer to properly determine the cause of the noise.

 

[Bosswhite]

Not sure you can do much about it, its on the neighbours property, its up to them if they want to sort it out,

You could pay for an Inspection by a Heating Engineer for them to see if its potentially dangerous to either properties, (whether they take it on is another matter.)

Maybe your local Council (Planning) could give you some help/advice if you believe it to be dangerous. I think I would have a word with the Council.

 

[Agile]

Firstly, your neighbour's back boiler will not be in YOUR chimney place!

It will be in his and therefore in part of his house.

It is difficult to guess exactly what the problem is from your vague description but could be water movement based rather than any combustion related problem.

He may have been advised to have a power flush. That's about £300-£600 and unlikely in most cases to solve the problem you are suggesting.

So what is in YOUR chimney place?

Best to get a competent boiler engineer to inspect at your cost and see what he says.

If you give your postcode we may be able to suggest someone that we know.

Tony

 

[claremc]

Hello, thanks for replies

It was the neighbour who said it sits in our chimney breast - its a very big chimney breast and he said technicaly it sits in ours, and if we had a back boiler it would sit in his. That might be completely wrong but just going off what he said.

The noise is getting really unbearable so we're going to speak to them tonight and see if we can suggest them having someone to come and look at it - it surely should not be making this much noise and doesnt sound safe at all. There's a heating engineer a few doors down so might see if he can come over.

I'll speak to the council too - I wouldnt have thought to speak to the planning department. Hard because we don't want to cause an old couple a load of stress but it's realy ridiculous and sounds so unsafe, for everyone! Are there rules about how long a boiler can stay in use for etc?

 

[garmcqui]

Sounds like a difficult situation.

Whatever you do, you need to keep the neighbours on side, as it's their property and there's nothing you can do to force them to sort it out.

Why not try recording the noises, so people on here can advise?

 

[Agile]

It sounds as if the fireplaces are in the shape of a capital letter "S" with each beside the other.

They can be 25 years old or older.

No requirement to replace them if they are still safe!

Tony

 

[FiremanT]

[quote="Agile";p="3174498"

He may have been advised to have a power flush. That's about £300-£600 and unlikely in most cases to solve the problem you are suggesting.

Tony[/quote]

Nonsense Tony. The first powerflush I did too overcome a specific problem, as opposed to cleaning a system when fitting a boiler, many years ago, was exactly this. The noise was unbearable for the customers. I didn't know for sure that it would totally remove the kettling, so agreed I would give a 50% discount if not totally happy. I was still worried that the PF was smoke and mirrors or snake oil, so was keen to try the technique "in anger". At the end of the job, which I take time over, we were sitting in his dining room which backed onto the boiler (living room), drinking coffee. From there we could hear his clock ticking in the living room.

He happily paid the full fee, and I went on to confidential sell P/flushing

 

[Agile]

Nonsense?

I would never aim to diagnose any heating problem from such a vague description!

Saying he hears it upstairs as well as downstairs does not make me think its is necessarily kettling.

If it was, then tipping a £20 can of Sentinel X200 would have a good chance of quieting it down without needing a £300-£600 powerflush.

Tony

 

[Dan Robinson]

You do it all the time Tony


As well as giving prices

 

[Agile]

Only at the property does anyone have a very good chance of being able to make a 100% correct diagnosis.

Tony

 

[FiremanT]

Nonsense?

I would never aim to diagnose any heating problem from such a vague description!

Saying he hears it upstairs as well as downstairs does not make me think its is necessarily kettling.

If it was, then tipping a £20 can of Sentinel X200 would have a good chance of quieting it down without needing a £300-£600 powerflush.

Tony

I didn't say a silencer shouldn't be the first try. YOU said that
a PF is unlikely to stop the noise. I believe if done properly it probably will

 

[Agile]

If it was kettling, and I don't think that is necessarily is, then that is usually as a result of lime scale compounds which are not greatly dissolved by the typical X400 or X800 often used for power flushing.

Power flushing is primarily a technique for removing sludge from radiators rather than removing lime scaling from boilers for which sulphonic acid is the best chemical.

Tony

 

[FiremanT]

If it was kettling, and I don't think that is necessarily is, then that is usually as a result of lime scale compounds which are not greatly dissolved by the typical X400 or X800 often used for power flushing.

Power flushing is primarily a technique for removing sludge from radiators rather than removing lime scaling from boilers for which sulphonic acid is the best chemical.

Tony

Quote from: ((maybe sentinel are lying or exaggerating?) I tend to use FX". anyway)

http://www.sentinelprotects.com/uk/...systems/sentinel-x800-jetflo-ultimate-cleaner

a unique formula with 3 different chemical technologies, to penetrate, attack and dissolve limescale, corrosion debris or installation debri