Potterton Kingfisher RS50

[newcomers]

Hi,

a house that my dad rents out has a Potterton Kingfisher RS50 boiler in it, and over the past 2 weeks the neighbours have been complaining about the smell coming from the flue (balanced). I went round there just now, (this is the first balanced flue appliance I've worked on btw) and all seemed ok with the boiler (burner pressure, gas rating) but the flame, although blue, did seem a bit jumpy, but I thought this might be down to it being a balanced flue (just guessing now)

I went to the flue outside, and although I have no other balanced flue to compare it to, the smell was quite strong, even from a distance.

What I'd like to know is, is what would cause this, or is it normal to smell quite strong?

Are there any other tests I can do and what would be the best way to sort this out?

As always, thanks for your time guys

Carl

 

[Trance Nation]

If you can get a hold of a flue gas analyser that may help decide if its burning ok.

Possibly there is sum kinda incomplete combustion, tho not in the yellow flame sense as we know it. Maybe the chamber seals are inneffective, a lit match passed around any seals will confirm this. Is the flue rotted,etc.

I assume uve probably looked at most angles. A good strip down service mite be a good idea for further investigation.

 

[corgiman]

YES GET AN RGI in NOW

unless your are an RGI

and wheres is the landlord safety cert?????

dont play fast and loose with the tenants

 

[newcomers]

Landlords cert was done in November and was fine

I am corgi registered but like I said, have never delt with this boiler, nor this type of problem.

Think its best if we call someone who knows what to do

Thanks anyways

 

[scatmanjohn]

So, as a CORGI registered engineer what action have you taken,

You have a duty of care to take the appropriate action.

Sounds to be AR minimum, possibly ID.

I would be telling them not to use it until someone with some knowhow checks it out.

 

[chrishutt]

I would expect to find recycling of flue gases back into the combustion chamber due to a faulty flue, probably the flue duct coming apart. Don't rely on the previously issued LGSR as worth anything. Many are done on the basis of a most cursory inspection. I always check the flue duct, but I can't believe that many do.

 

[namsag]

Kingfishers had a serious shaling problem and need complete strip down to check. But is an absolute basic boiler. As Jim Royale would say corgi registered my Ar*e

 

[chrishutt]

Shaling? What's that?

 

[corgiman]

new one on me too chris

 

[namsag]

Excuse my gramma, should have put shale problem . The surface of the cast iron heat exchanger starts to flake off severely and block the heat exchanger up.

 

[chrishutt]

Shaling is apparently the right word for that sort of thing, but you don't say whether it's waterside or combustion side. And what are the flakes? Corroded cast iron?

 

[newcomers]

All day my dad has been trying to get hold of engineers to go and take a look at it, but no ones interested. He even got numbers of local engineers from potterton but still no luck. He called in transco and theyve shut it down.

Im going to go round there, strip it down, clean the burner thoroughly aswell as the rest of the boiler and see if that helps. If not, new boiler I suppose?

 

[namsag]

Combustion side and flakes are cast iron blocking the flue ways. Some older baxi 551`s also had it which is why they changed the four bolts holding the two parts of the heat exchange together from steeel to what looks like some sort of brass. As they where first to corrode and go as thin as a pencil lead

 

[newcomers]

Ok, have found out what the problem is!!

I took it all apart, took the front off of the combustion chamber and that stuff (I dont know what its called, but its that white crumbly stuff used to stop the metal getting hot, what is it called) had fallen off of the back of the chamber onto the burner. I have removed this but as it had crumbled, I will have to order a new one

Anyway, put the gas back on and I could hear loads of gas coming out of the gas valve somewhere. Eventually traced it to where the thermocouple screws into. Never seen this before, but the part that screws into the gas valve is completely loose and can be pushed all the way up into the valve.

SO aswell as ordering some of that white stuff (someone please tell me what its called) and a new gas valve, I will probably also order a new t/c just to be safe

With regards to that white stuff, how do I go about getting it stick against the metal? Also, is the t/c a standard t/c?

Thanks for your help guys

 

[newcomers]

Anyone?