Water in Boiler

[Scargill]

Hi all

Wonder if someone can help me

We have moved into a new house 2 years ago and last week our potterton boiler went wrong giving a fan error code. we got potterton out to look at it as still under warrantee.

there seemed to be alot of water in the sealed part of the boiler which had made the fan conk out. the engineer blamed it on water going in the flue into the boiler, which i thought strange as the boiler had been ok for 2 years.

I looked at the boiler a day later and there must of been half a cup of water in the boiler again.

Do you think the engineer is right? could that amount of water come back down the short flue in one day or is there another problem?

PS dont think it would be rain as flue is well sealed

 

[gas4you]

What potterton is it?

 

[Scargill]

Potterton promax system 24 HE plus

 

[gas4you]

Rain in the flue of this boiler shouldn't be able to get inside it if the flue is fitted correctly as the flue is designed, as with all HE boilers, to slope back so the condensate will run back into the boiler and out of the drain.

Sounds as though there could be a leak on the condensate pipe work.

I don't know these boilers very well so can only give general advice.

Hopefully one of the baxi/potterton engineers will come on later and pick this up

 

[Scargill]

Thanks for that info m8.

I just wanted to get some idea before I phoned them as I dont want to call them out then they charge me as it is not a boiler problem.

I thought it would be strange that all of a sudden the flue should leak water without being touched for 2 years.

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

Let me guess. Your flue vents to the right?

I had a similar problem with a Baxi platinum or was it a Potterton gold last year I had fitted everything right a year prior to this but it was a combination of adverse weather and someone pulling the outer flue collar forward to render the wall. This must have caused some bad aerodynamics or something because the unusually heavy driving rain got in and landed right on the fan.

Promax is near enough the same set up

 

[Scargill]

Im not sure it is the weather.

The flue for the boiler go's straight out the wall to the left as you face it.

And over two years the problem has occurred with no one every going near the boiler or flue.

The day after the engineer left I looked at the boiler and there must of been half a cup of water in the tray at the bottom of the sealed area. I find it hard to believe that that much water could be down to rain.

If it is the condensate pipe work does anyone have experience of what might all of a sudden cause a leak within the boiler.

 

[Scargill]

After looking today and finding lots more water in the boiler I decided to take the flue off and have a look.

I have noticed that there is a split in the plastic at the base of the fitting near were it screws on to the top of the boiler between the inner and outer parts of the flue.

So it might be that the water was dripping in though this will post tomorrow when I have part and it is fixed and tested.

 

[bengasman]

Impossible for rain to enter boiler via flue. Working yourself on the boiler can invalidate warantee