you plant a 4" piece of soil pipe when it's raining in the ground and see if you get a buckets worth out of it, you may have other issues withe the heat exchanger, not to mention that your boiler should be room sealed
Problem with flue and rain :(
- Thread starter Gemini45
- Start date
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In other words air tight, hope you didn't take the casing off
Need I say more, another Diy' er at a guess, call in a pro to sort it out stop mucking about
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A bucket of water is not " A FLOOD" 
For the OP your flu is the correct one with the correct parts.
I haven't knbown it on these but some flues like it for Potterton's do rot away internally causing very poor combustion performance. I can't see evidence of that but it is a pssoibility to be checked for by shining a torch down and making sure the inner pipe is intact throughout it's length and no staining or other evidence of the integrity of joint seals compromised.
The veins particularly on the sides in the outer consentric would duct rainwater back to boiler in a heavy rain fall if the flu is horizontal or sloaped backwards. During that era flus were intended to solap down towards the outside. Yours looks horisontal. If the mortar were knocked out and plaster knocked out on inside it might be possile to force the outer part down with a stone then re-seal inside and outside builders opening.
The water will get into the casework of the boiler which is sealed to room air but not perfectly. On many boilers of that era there are places where the room seal is imperfect which water will penetrate. The hope is that the boiler has not rotted sufficient for a serious break in room seal. A break in the integrity of the room seal is imediately dangerous although with a negative pressure boiler a minor weakness through which water would drain would not usually result in products of combustion into the room, rather room air into the boiler.
Your situation is more common than the replies on here have let on. Many flu designs of that era were very poor in this respect. Soemtimes the architecture of the house causes a large amount of rainwater to fall on it not just the free air rainfall which would collect in a 4" pipe. Check what may be dripping above the flue and re route it. You can build a hood as long as it is 300mm above the flu to duct the water either side of it.
A competent person conversant with these scenarios is the best person to check the casework ensure the flu leads water away from the boiler, it's seals and integrity of metalwork are adequate and any external shielding doesn't interfere with flu performance.
I haven't knbown it on these but some flues like it for Potterton's do rot away internally causing very poor combustion performance. I can't see evidence of that but it is a pssoibility to be checked for by shining a torch down and making sure the inner pipe is intact throughout it's length and no staining or other evidence of the integrity of joint seals compromised.
The veins particularly on the sides in the outer consentric would duct rainwater back to boiler in a heavy rain fall if the flu is horizontal or sloaped backwards. During that era flus were intended to solap down towards the outside. Yours looks horisontal. If the mortar were knocked out and plaster knocked out on inside it might be possile to force the outer part down with a stone then re-seal inside and outside builders opening.
The water will get into the casework of the boiler which is sealed to room air but not perfectly. On many boilers of that era there are places where the room seal is imperfect which water will penetrate. The hope is that the boiler has not rotted sufficient for a serious break in room seal. A break in the integrity of the room seal is imediately dangerous although with a negative pressure boiler a minor weakness through which water would drain would not usually result in products of combustion into the room, rather room air into the boiler.
Your situation is more common than the replies on here have let on. Many flu designs of that era were very poor in this respect. Soemtimes the architecture of the house causes a large amount of rainwater to fall on it not just the free air rainfall which would collect in a 4" pipe. Check what may be dripping above the flue and re route it. You can build a hood as long as it is 300mm above the flu to duct the water either side of it.
A competent person conversant with these scenarios is the best person to check the casework ensure the flu leads water away from the boiler, it's seals and integrity of metalwork are adequate and any external shielding doesn't interfere with flu performance.
thanks Paul Barker and others for your help
obiplumbkinobi i know what you are saying about getting someone in and I do intend that but at the moment I want to gain knowledge of what it could be so I dont get ripped off when they come round. whats wrong with that? is this not a DIY forum to ask for help isent it.
If you want to up your post count with unhelpful comments like A bucket of water is not " A FLOOD" could you please do it in another thread. although I did notice your help earlier in this thread.
thanks
obiplumbkinobi i know what you are saying about getting someone in and I do intend that but at the moment I want to gain knowledge of what it could be so I dont get ripped off when they come round. whats wrong with that? is this not a DIY forum to ask for help isent it.
If you want to up your post count with unhelpful comments like A bucket of water is not " A FLOOD" could you please do it in another thread. although I did notice your help earlier in this thread.
thanks
Its fine for you to ask for advice on your boiler problem.
However, the "casing" you removed which enabled you to look through the flue is a sealed combustion chamber which should only be opened by a gas registered engineer as they can leak carbon monoxide into the room if not properly fixed and tested.
Tony
However, the "casing" you removed which enabled you to look through the flue is a sealed combustion chamber which should only be opened by a gas registered engineer as they can leak carbon monoxide into the room if not properly fixed and tested.
Tony
If this water ingress was just on the one occasion at the end of June on a Saturday evening when the North Circular was blocked by flooding and the Northern line suspended for one and a half hours and further delayed by signal failures then that could be classed as an unusual occurance.
Even so I was not called to any boiler failures as a result of that extreme rainstorm that evening.
However, as already stated the flue seems to be incorrectly sloped and that should be corrected, normally by a gas registered engineer.
Tony
Even so I was not called to any boiler failures as a result of that extreme rainstorm that evening.
However, as already stated the flue seems to be incorrectly sloped and that should be corrected, normally by a gas registered engineer.
Tony
I'm not out to take a random poke, would it not be wise to call in a reputable, registered firm to look at it. You don't generally get a bucket of water through your boiler unless Noah has something to do with it.
You shouldn't be looking to fix it yourself regardless and without wanting to sound patronizing alot of DIYers do.... Clues in the site name, DIYnot.
If you have taken the chamber seal off e.g. the front casing then on your own head be it
I might add, what architectural parts of a house might cause that then, Doric columns? Smacks of a poorly installed boiler, nothing less
And finally most installers wont rip you off...If you do your homework and make sure the are registered and qualified.
There endth the lesson
You shouldn't be looking to fix it yourself regardless and without wanting to sound patronizing alot of DIYers do.... Clues in the site name, DIYnot.
If you have taken the chamber seal off e.g. the front casing then on your own head be it
I might add, what architectural parts of a house might cause that then, Doric columns? Smacks of a poorly installed boiler, nothing less
And finally most installers wont rip you off...If you do your homework and make sure the are registered and qualified.
There endth the lesson
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