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Oil Boiler problem


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i have a boiler which is 10 or 15  yrs old (Zaegel Held) which i am told was a good one in its prime)

however now i find that the burner is cutting out after a few days - when i inspect the part that fires the fuel it is covered in sticky black gunge & small burnt carbonlike material.

cant justify a new  boiler as the house is for sale soon ,just need it to work thru the winter ,any suggestions please!!!!

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It is likely that the burner is worn out, by now. Provided the boiler itself is in reasonable condition, no leaks etc., then it may pay you to just fit a new burner. This could cost you as little as 250 Euro plus commissioning.

Oil Boilers need annual maintenance. There are 2 critical filters that need replacement, the injector needs replacement, the gaskets need checking and the combustion chamber needs de-coking. Amongst other things on the hydraulic side. On top of that, the burner MUST be checked/adjusted after the maintenance has been done. This MUST include all of the following: oil pressure setting by gauge, air flow setting to obtain the correct CO2 reading at the flue, verification of the flue draught by gauge, verification of the pump aspiration (suction) by gauge (to check that the supply AND pump strainers are free-flowing) and verification of the flue temperature. Anything less is useless.

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Opel,

I had my boiler serviced for the first time this autumn and couldn't believe the box of cack that came out of it. Hadn't bothered till now because it's only in use 4 or 5 months a year, summer included.

The guy who serviced it left a note to say that there was a slight leak in the boiler. Unfortunately I won't be seeing him for a few weeks and the boiler is up and running, so until then maybe you could help.

What, if any, are the implications of continuing to run the boiler ? Is it risky ?

Regards

Kevin

 

 

  

 

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Assuming it is a water leak - you may find it necessary to top the water pressure up. If this is frequent, there is a risk of increasing the rate of corrosion in the water network. Other than that, just make sure you always have some pressure and don't let it run dry.

In the inverse of my previous comment, you can buy a boiler without the burner and use your burner.

Did the guy mention where the leak was - was it the boiler heat exchanger?

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We had no hot water and heating once and called in the man who can.  He cleaned it and serviced it so we got a contract with him for E100 per year, for parts and labour and he comes twice a year or whenever there is an emergency, to clean.  Well worth it, just like an insurance policy.

It may be more than the french pay, but reasonable by our standards I think.

Georgina

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Opel,

Not sure where the leak is, I'll have to dig out the paperwork and see the precise term used.

Does such a best as a multi fuel boiler exist, one that came be wood powered but switch to oil if needed. If I'm going to have to replace the boiler I should start thinking ahead. I've got a 5000 litre (yes 5k) buried fuel tank, but at prices projected for the next couple of years, alternatives need to be considered

 

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Certainly heard of dual fuel oil/gas boilers and wood/coal burners, but not a wood/ oil boiler or burner,  I would think the latter would be pretty nigh impossible given the way that an oil/gas fired boiler works.

My C/H man tells me that the French are going to be investing heavily in bio fuels, already 5% per litre of road diesel is bio, they are looking to increase this percentage dramatically in heating fuel to keep heating oil prices down and preserve oil stocks.  The French have the resources to "grow" millions of litres of fuel, so expect to see a lot more sunflowers

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  • 3 weeks later...

Wood/oil boilers certainly do exist, and they are very common.  We have such a boiler, but we took it out of action when a problem developed in the oil burner side, and we replaced it with a new oil boiler.

If any one wants the old boiler they are welcome to it for free, just for taking away.  The wood burning side is only five years old and in good condition.  The oil burner side needs attention.  We live in the Northern Deux-Sevres near Bressuire.  Please send me an e-mail if anyone wants it.

Can anyone recommend how to find a properly qualified artisan to service the new boiler, as I was concerned to see that the boiler needs an annual service, and ours is two years old?  We cannot use the man who fitted it as he is a plumber, not a boiler specialist.

David

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