UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11
Default Boiler Exploding!!

Not really, but it sound like it and my wife is worried that it will
explode. So here's the story.

My central heating is powered by an Apollo Fanfare boiler which must be
nearly 20 years old. During the summer it worked OK - no noises apart
from an occasional slight rattle from the radiators when the pump
started up.

Now that the winter (??!) has come and it is on almost continuously, it
has started playing up. The symptom is a very loud explosive bang which
shakes the whole house. It only happens at odd times - no pattern as
far as I can see. Sometimes the system will run for several days
without anything happen and then twice in a day. It happened this
morning, a very loud bang followed quickly by two softer ones.

I have searched this group and others and the general view is that this
is caused by over-heating in the heat exchanger, possibly due to the
pump not working. The other possibility is that the boiler is not
igniting properly so there is a build up of gas in the boiler which the
ignites with a bang.

The pumps seems to be working properly as I can hear it when I hold a
screwdriver to the case and my ear. However the pump is wired for
overrun via a thermostat in the boiler so I thought this could be
faulty. How do I check that the pump is running when it should - apart
from standing over it for hours on end!

The gas exploding is another matter which I have no intention of
fiddling with! Though the pilot light does seem a bit small when viewed
throught the window, Is it possible to turn this up a bit?

Hints and suggestions are definitely welcome, particularly on fault
finding, as we don't relish the idea of a cold house on Christmas day!!

Thanks

  #2   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11,175
Default Boiler Exploding!!

In article . com,
"DavidW" writes:

The gas exploding is another matter which I have no intention of
fiddling with! Though the pilot light does seem a bit small when viewed


That can certainly be a cause, although I have no experience
of that boiler. If it's not catching the gas as soon as it
comes out of the main burner, an explosive mixture can build
up before it finds the pilot light.

throught the window, Is it possible to turn this up a bit?


If it's shrunk or changed shape, it needs cleaning. It could
well be an indication that the whole boiler needs a clean, as
if dirt is building up, it will probably be affecting the
main burners too. This is extremely important if that boiler
isn't room-sealed. The pilot probabably has a gas adjustment,
but you mustn't adjust it until after cleaning the pilot
jet/burner (and it probably won't be necessary then).

When it's alight, what to the main burner flames look like
(if you can see them)?

Hints and suggestions are definitely welcome, particularly on fault
finding, as we don't relish the idea of a cold house on Christmas day!!


--
Andrew Gabriel
  #3   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 43,017
Default Boiler Exploding!!

In article . com,
DavidW wrote:
The gas exploding is another matter which I have no intention of
fiddling with! Though the pilot light does seem a bit small when viewed
throught the window, Is it possible to turn this up a bit?


They get partially blocked with crud reducing the flame size. When was it
last serviced?

--
*I went to school to become a wit, only got halfway through.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
  #4   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,046
Default Boiler Exploding!!


"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article . com,
DavidW wrote:
The gas exploding is another matter which I have no intention of
fiddling with! Though the pilot light does seem a bit small when viewed
throught the window, Is it possible to turn this up a bit?


They get partially blocked with crud reducing the flame size. When was it
last serviced?


My God! This one never had his boiler serviced for 20 years and boasted
about it. He should eff off.

  #5   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11
Default Boiler Exploding!!

Doctor Drivel wrote:

My God! This one never had his boiler serviced for 20 years and boasted
about it. He should eff off.



Who said anything about not having it serviced for 20 years? I only
said that the boiler was 20 years old.

I only moved into the house last January and the previous owner had it
serviced before that, so it is just coming up to it's next service.
But have you tried getting a service just before Christmas?

Anyone got any suggestions on how I can check that the pump is always
running when it should?



  #6   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 141
Default Boiler Exploding!!

DavidW wrote:
Not really, but it sound like it and my wife is worried that it will
explode. So here's the story.

My central heating is powered by an Apollo Fanfare boiler which must be
nearly 20 years old. During the summer it worked OK - no noises apart
from an occasional slight rattle from the radiators when the pump
started up.

Now that the winter (??!) has come and it is on almost continuously, it
has started playing up. The symptom is a very loud explosive bang which
shakes the whole house. It only happens at odd times - no pattern as
far as I can see. Sometimes the system will run for several days
without anything happen and then twice in a day. It happened this
morning, a very loud bang followed quickly by two softer ones.

I have searched this group and others and the general view is that this
is caused by over-heating in the heat exchanger, possibly due to the
pump not working. The other possibility is that the boiler is not
igniting properly so there is a build up of gas in the boiler which the
ignites with a bang.

The pumps seems to be working properly as I can hear it when I hold a
screwdriver to the case and my ear. However the pump is wired for
overrun via a thermostat in the boiler so I thought this could be
faulty. How do I check that the pump is running when it should - apart
from standing over it for hours on end!


Had this in our last house, fixed by treating with boiler descaler.
However turning the pump up helped enormously, as did removing crud from
the F+E tank in the loft (bits of old insulation, sludge etc.) Ours was
worse when just the heating was on FWIW.

Chris


--
Spamtrap in use
To email replace 127.0.0.1 with btinternet dot com
  #7   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,046
Default Boiler Exploding!!


"DavidW" wrote in message
ps.com...
Doctor Drivel wrote:

My God! This one never had his boiler serviced for 20 years and boasted
about it. He should eff off.



Who said anything about not having it serviced for 20 years? I only
said that the boiler was 20 years old.


I'm on about the plantpot, not you.

  #8   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,046
Default Boiler Exploding!!


"Owain" wrote in message
...
DavidW wrote:
Doctor Drivel wrote:
My God! This one never had his boiler serviced for 20 years and boasted
about it. He should eff off.

Who said anything about not having it serviced for 20 years? I only
said that the boiler was 20 years old.


That's


This man is a Hibernian you know.

  #9   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 244
Default Boiler Exploding!!


"DavidW" wrote in message
ps.com...
Doctor Drivel wrote:

My God! This one never had his boiler serviced for 20 years and boasted
about it. He should eff off.



Who said anything about not having it serviced for 20 years? I only
said that the boiler was 20 years old.

I only moved into the house last January and the previous owner had it
serviced before that, so it is just coming up to it's next service.
But have you tried getting a service just before Christmas?


No this is d-i-y and we'd never be so stupid. Schedule your services before
the heating season begins.

Anyone got any suggestions on how I can check that the pump is always
running when it should?



  #10   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,466
Default Boiler Exploding!!

In message om, DavidW
writes
Doctor Drivel wrote:

My God! This one never had his boiler serviced for 20 years and boasted
about it. He should eff off.



Who said anything about not having it serviced for 20 years? I only
said that the boiler was 20 years old.


Ignore him it's our regular troll - every now and then he fails to take
his medication


I only moved into the house last January and the previous owner had it
serviced before that, so it is just coming up to it's next service.
But have you tried getting a service just before Christmas?

Anyone got any suggestions on how I can check that the pump is always
running when it should?


Depending on type, it will have a large chromed screw which you can undo
with a 50p coin or large screwdriver.

Hold a rag underneath the screw (as you are liable to get fluid leaking
out) and undo it - you should be able to see the shaft turning behind it



--
geoff


  #11   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,046
Default Boiler Exploding!!


"Owain" wrote in message
...
Doctor Drivel wrote:
This man is a Hibernian you know.


Heartless.


A heartless Hibernian.

  #12   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11
Default Boiler Exploding!!


Jim Alexander wrote:

No this is d-i-y and we'd never be so stupid. Schedule your services before
the heating season begins.

To be honest I was trying to avoid having it serviced as I was planning
to replace the boiler in the spring and did not want to pay for a
service and possibly a power flush, particularly as this would have to
be done again when the boiler was changed.

I have already checked the pump is free by removing the inspection
screw and turning the spindle. I can also hear the pump turning. What I
can't check is whether the pump is stopped when it should be running.
I can think of two possible reasons for this; a faulty over-run
thermostat or a semi-knackered pump.

I would change the pump stat, as it is cheap, if it wasn't for the
horror stories I have read about problems when you start opening up the
Apollo Fanfare (CO leaks etc)and, according to the installation/service
guide on PartsArena, you have to remove the inner cover to get at any
of the thermostats. Does any one know a way round this?

  #13   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,092
Default Boiler Exploding!!

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "DavidW"
saying something like:

My God! This one never had his boiler serviced for 20 years and boasted
about it. He should eff off.



Who said anything about not having it serviced for 20 years? I only
said that the boiler was 20 years old.


Never mind the rantings of Dangerous Dribble. He's all excited because
the 2007 catalogues have hit his desk.
--

Dave
  #14   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11
Default Boiler Exploding!!

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have a few more questions.

The photo at

http://i10.tinypic.com/4bggqhu.jpg

shows the inside of my airing cupboard with the main components
marked. The general layout is follows the installation manual for the
Apollo Fanfare, i.e. Combined feed/vent pipe and an auto airvent in the
primary to the HW Tank. In addition it has an Aerjec Air separator. I
can understand why this might be necessary, but dont' undersatand how
it can work with a combined feed/vent. Also it has not been installed
according to the instructions on the Circulating pumps web site, see

http://www.circulatingpumps.net/UpDocs/files/Aerjec.pdf.

So my question a

1. Is the airjec actually doing anything and if not why not?

2. Could it be the cause of my problem (banging explosions) or
contributing to it?


Lastly, here's a suggestion for Dr D:

Speak No Drivel!
Hear No Drivel!
See No Drivel

  #15   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 9,122
Default Boiler Exploding!!

On 2006-12-20 21:51:27 +0000, "DavidW" said:

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have a few more questions.

The photo at

http://i10.tinypic.com/4bggqhu.jpg

shows the inside of my airing cupboard with the main components
marked. The general layout is follows the installation manual for the
Apollo Fanfare, i.e. Combined feed/vent pipe and an auto airvent in the
primary to the HW Tank. In addition it has an Aerjec Air separator. I
can understand why this might be necessary, but dont' undersatand how
it can work with a combined feed/vent. Also it has not been installed
according to the instructions on the Circulating pumps web site, see

http://www.circulatingpumps.net/UpDocs/files/Aerjec.pdf.

So my question a

1. Is the airjec actually doing anything and if not why not?


To some extent, yes.

If air is entering the Aerjec from the boiler, some will tend to find its
way up the combined feed/vent pipe rather than the pump, but as you say,
it's not a good arrangement.

The two illustrations on the Circulating Pumps web site are the best
orientation,
but the one you have would also be OK with three modifications:

- Alter the feed/vent pipe at the loft tank so that it loops up over
the tank and makes a vent pipe only.

- Add a feed pipe (15mm is OK) from the bottom of the loft tank to the
side of the Aerjec where the pump is
now connected

- Connect the pump to the currently blocked off connection.

If you look at part 11334 on www.bes.ltd.uk you will see a diagram
showing this as a valid option.

However, since you would probably want to turn the device to put the
side pipe position next to the wall
to make a neater job, it may make more sense to rip the thing out and
install it on its side anyway (which is supposed to be a better
solution. Personally, I've used both and didn't see a difference
though.


2. Could it be the cause of my problem (banging explosions) or
contributing to it?


Is there a lot of sound of air etc. through the pump? If there
isn't, then probably not. However, I would still sort this one out as
a matter of having a clean installation.




  #16   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,046
Default Boiler Exploding!!


"Grimly Curmudgeon" wrote in message
...
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "DavidW"
saying something like:

My God! This one never had his boiler serviced for 20 years and boasted
about it. He should eff off.



Who said anything about not having it serviced for 20 years? I only
said that the boiler was 20 years old.


Never mind the rantings of Dangerous Dribble. He's all excited because
the 2007 catalogues have hit his desk.


I don't look at your foreign types of catalogues.

Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Exploding Shellac? JoeTaxpayer Woodworking 21 August 7th 05 02:40 AM
exploding mosfet John Atkins Electronics Repair 2 May 27th 05 07:42 PM
exploding MDF Jason Woodworking 52 April 16th 05 02:56 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:44 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 DIYbanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about DIY & home improvement"