Plumbing GENIUS required

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Whitby N Yorks
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Hi,

I have a fused brass inline fire valve (oil boiler) located outside the house in Yorkshire on a North facing wall.

When I turned the boiler on it filled the room with awful fumes and I discovered the fire valve has fused (closed itself), the solder around the valves spindle has melted. The only heat is from the Sun. This is the only explanation unless it was faulty. I bought it off EBAY £7.

It is difficult to explain the smell. It is a room sealed Danesmoor 15/19 but I guess it is not as "room sealed" as one might hope. Additionally there was no fuel getting to the boiler. I guess it was continually attempting to ignite non existent fuel and this caused the smell?.

Anyway, I managed to screw open the fire valve (makes no sense I know as if the valve had fused this would not be possible but there is a depression where the solder used to be) and the boiler works perfectly.

Mike
 
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A fusible head fire valve a £7 is about par. It is possible to break the solder by overtightening. Do you have a capillary fire valve? Do you have another fusible head valve inside the boiler? You really should have a remote capillary fire valve fitted.
If there was no fuel, it is hard to see where the smell came from, but as you have a room sealed boiler you shouldn't get any. Is the burner cover fitted properly?
 
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Yet again Benny boy you assumed, an oil boiler expert gives a proper opinion, but you assumed
 
Thanks for replies,

In fact I have 3 fire valves. One which I think you refer to as a capillary fitted 20 years ago when I installed the boiler, a sensor inside the boiler connected to a thin copper tube to a shut off valve (looks like an egg cup) outside the property and 2 of the £7 in line valves fitted 2 years ago, the other £7 valve is perfectly OK.. The valve that has failed for no apparent reason has not been touched for 2 years. Although it opened yesterday I am expecting the spring to overcome the bit of solder still in the head of the valve eventually and I will find it shut in due course. Do I replace it with another £7 valve or cough up for a better one at £45 and where do I find the £45 valves.

Mike
 
Have a look on Heating World of spares web site
fusible head ones on there also 10mm oil rated shut of valves if that's all you really need.
 
If you have a remote acting valve fitted already. Just swap it for a 1/4" lever valve as its only purpose will be for maintenance purposses.
 
Terry,

You are quite correct, all I need is a standard shut off valve/lever valve but when I looked for them 2 years ago they all had steel parts. That is why I bought the all brass fire valves. I have a major aversion to fitting something designed to fail.

Mike
 
As it is only used as an isolation valve, Lift up the pin and lock it with a twist of wire in the thread.
 

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