Hi, i have a prob with the above, its at least 25 years old and ive just returned home after two months away swicthed it on and it fires up the pilot ok but the burners just get a slight surge of gas every few seconds? it wont fire up fully to heat the water any ideas???
potterton neataheat 16-22 bioler problems
- Thread starter gemshan1
- Start date
Plenty of asbestos in this one and i doubt you can get new casing seals which normally fall apart. plus two mercury switches.
I was told 15 years ago not to service these boilers and report them to the council for replacement.
Might be time for a new boiler ?
I was told 15 years ago not to service these boilers and report them to the council for replacement.
Might be time for a new boiler ?
This is a special design which makes it even more dangerous if any DIYer were silly enough to open the combustion chamber.
Get an engineer who is familiar with repairing this model.
Be warned most will want to fit a new boiler for you by saying its not repairable and that parts are not available! Most are available.
Tony
Get an engineer who is familiar with repairing this model.
Be warned most will want to fit a new boiler for you by saying its not repairable and that parts are not available! Most are available.
Tony
This boiler is on the asbestos hazard list,Has a positive pressure fan which means high risk of escaping fumes,Is notorious for rusting,A lot of spare parts are obsolete.It's nearly 30 years old and it weighs a ton (cast iron)
Good luck
ps: there is a SECOND HAND gas valve on ebay for £180 (obsolete)
If it's the early mercury vapour valve, then you have little or no chance of a replacement. The case seal will not fall apart. Get a RGI (preferably a mature one) who has knowledge of these old girls and get him to service it properly and you may be able to get it running. NOT A DIY JOB. Beware, these can be dangerous if not assembled correctly and tested for safe operation.
I have installed & serviced these boilers and i can tell you that a lot of the seals do fall apart.I am not saying he has to replace the boiler but i am warning him of what might lay ahead.
A lot of these boilers have only had a safety check and have never been serviced properly because of the asbestos box inside the combustion chamber.I have stripped them down and the asbestos never bothered me because i grew up on cutting asbestos flues on old water heaters etc but nowadays because of health & safetyRGI's are told not to touch them.
A lot of these boilers have only had a safety check and have never been serviced properly because of the asbestos box inside the combustion chamber.I have stripped them down and the asbestos never bothered me because i grew up on cutting asbestos flues on old water heaters etc but nowadays because of health & safetyRGI's are told not to touch them.
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I would check the meter control valve(main cock) is fully on.
I say again, the case seal will not fall apart, it's silicone.(unless you butcher it) or someone has used silicon to seal it previously. I've seen that done. The front combustion cover rope seal was asbestos, but once disposed of it can be replaced with ceramic rope. No other seals need be disturbed to effect a service.
My friend managed to get two of the early type, at first the wrong size and then the correct one.
I pestered him NOT to try to repair it but he insisted. He probably has £2-3M of investments but does not like spending money.
His view is that as he has a chemistry PhD and is used to working with lab gases then he is quite capable of doing it. I have to admit I did give him a lot of help over the phone but kept on telling him he should not be doing it.
I did not hear from him for a day or two so left a message asking if he had blown himself up! His girlfriend thanked me for his concern!
Tony
You are right about the case seal (i was thinking about the asbestos rope that seals it to the wall) but once the case is removed there is not much you can do without disturbing asbestos.
The flue hood and the burner door has a rope seal.
Burner door seal is asbestos rope, but the flue hood seals are ceramic rope, how weird is that?
Don't quite know whats going on with this boiler but i re fitted the main cover and its been working ok all day?? Thanks for all the advice but i think i will leave well alone whilst its working, at least until summer is hear?!
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