Water dripping from flue casing - Worcester Bosch Greenstar CDi

[Lottie]

Hi

On our Worcester Bosch Greenstar CDi boiler the flue emerges from the top, through a 90 degree bend and exits through the wall (at a v slight incline) about two feet away to one side. One section of the flue inside the house has 3 small pop rivets in it and water is dripping from the rivet at the bottom. I have collected 175ml from it in last 20 hours. This happens whether its raining or not. I could probably stop the rivet dripping but the water will then presumably run back into the boiler. Should there be water in the outer ring of the flue which I understood was the air intake? Should I worry about this and get it looked at or just put a blob of silicone or something on the rivet to stop the leak? The boiler was fitted in 2008 and this problem has only just started.

edit: There are only 2 rivets (I assumed one round the back but there isn't). Here is a picture (if I've managed to get it up...):

 

[GQuigley67]

get it checked by a gas safe registered engineer as soon as possible, if it is leaking condensate water then it will be leaking products of combustion also. Wouldn't use this boiler until seen to by an engineer it is dangerous where are you based ?

 

[gassafe]

Sounds like a job for a gas safe engineer! It may be that the internal part of the flue has come apart if its leaking that much condensate into the outer air intake!

Please keep us informed the outcome!

 

[tamz]

Something doesn't look right about the flue. The extension is not a worcester and is fitted the wrong way around. Best get it checked.

 

[Lottie]

Thanks for your advice. I'll get it checked out. And report back.

If it is leaking combustion gases, these are not apparent in any way. The leak only drips water whether the boiler is running or not - there does not appear to be any pressure behind it. We have a Honeywell Carbon Monoxide monitor (new 2010) in the boiler cupboard. Can they be relied upon to detect combustion products? Or would those only include CO if there was inadequate oxygen?

 

[tamz]

If the leak drips whether the boiler is running or not is it raining at the time? Rainwater can and does enter the flue system.
Get it checked anyway as the flue is definitely not fitted correctly.

 

[Lottie]

If the leak drips whether the boiler is running or not is it raining at the time? Rainwater can and does enter the flue system.
Get it checked anyway as the flue is definitely not fitted correctly.

It rained a lot yesterday - though the flue is very sheltered . It has not rained at all today (for once) and has made about 100ml since this morning (14hrs). I'm getting it checked out soonest.

 

[danielp]

that strap doesnt even look tight or screwed to the flue secondly it is the seal on the inner flue either not cut correctly, pulled out of fitting or perished away

 

[royston]

What do you mean when say very sheltered ???

 

[mfgs]

Worcester boilers dont use those clamps to join the flue. Something very dodgy going on there. Get it looked at as soon as you can and preferably not by the idiot that installed it.

 

[stani]

do you have a photo of the outside?

 

[tamz]

do you have a photo of the outside?

Was just thinking that as it looks like someone has stuck the full flue into an extension!

 

[stani]

exactly what I was thinking tamz, it looks like the standard flue option and then someone has just stuck a 100mm tube over it, which would explain, condensate dripping from the joint. definitely need a photo of the terminal

 

[tamz]

To start with i looked at it and thought something doesn't look right, why the extension stuck on wrong way around and i thought naw, they wouldn't be that stupid but looking at it again i think that is what they have done! Deary dear.........

 

[stani]

the more you look the more you can see this turning into a RIDDOR.

 

[noleaksihope]

surely not ! lol terminal inside an extension , nice 1 . get a pic for the good, the bad and the ugly page in gsr mag, you might win a prize

 

[stani]

I just hope Lottie is looking over these replies and realises the seriousness of the situation, and also manages to post an outcome

 

[Gray0689]

Now I really want to see more pics as looking I think you guys might be right
Total disgrace

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

the pics would be very interesting,i once id a ferroli because the flue was leaking condensate on further investigation it had rotted the back of the boiler away

 

[noleaksihope]

the part with the rivets doesn t look like a wb extension , looks like an old standard efficiency terminal. the part exiting the wall looks like a wb horz terminal , like to see a picture behind that clamp and whats connecting the flue ducts .

definately needs checked .

i v only had to riddor once. wasted half a shift when a tenant wouldn t let me cap her boiler. phone calls , forms , waiting on transco. some clown had fitted a vokera to low for the flue turret elbow , wasn t leaking poc's but drawing air from the room . wasnt sealing between boiler and elbow - might have been the half inch gap ! it had been duct taped up . nice for a r/s boiler.
the tenant had last 3 years cp12s so i could see why shy was peeved with her l/l and wanted to create as much hassle as possible.
service engineer who had issued the cp12s had been a late career changer , previously worked in an office. last man frees all , couldn t trace the installer 8-9 year old boiler , but i heard the s/e had another career change , taxis this time .

 

[stani]

I know you cant tell a lot from the photo but doesnt the flue look perfectly horizontal?

 

[danielp]

the second half looks like a flue extension dread to think what on the other side of the wall

 

[Lottie]

What do you mean when say very sheltered ???

I mean the rain came from the South West and the flue faces North East and even the brick wall it is installed in was not wetted on that side of the house because we have quite wide overhanging eaves. Rain was my first thought as I first noticed it on a wet day. But it has not rained for 2 days now and we are still collecting 150-175ml a day - a drop at a time.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

is there any way you could post a photo of the outside?

 

[stani]

Lottie, if you have gone through the replies you will see that this situation is serious enough for experienced proffesionals to tell you not to use the boiler until it has been checked by a GSR engineer

 

[Lottie]

Lottie, if you have gone through the replies you will see that this situation is serious enough for experienced proffesionals to tell you not to use the boiler until it has been checked by a GSR engineer

Thank you for that advice. May I ask you please to explain precisely what a GSR engineer is? Does that differ from anyone who advertises themselves as qualified to install and service gas boilers.

Re other points raised in the thread:

The flue is not horizontal. It slopes up from the boiler to the exit through the wall as I think I said originally.

Its a bit dark out there but this is what is on the outside (if this attempt to post pictures works). I removed the protection cage to photograph it.

 

[mfgs]

Its got the right terminal atleast. GSR is Gas Safe Registered. I strongly advise you to turn the boiler off until that flue has been checked out, its not been joined correctly and more than likely is leaking fumes.

 

[stani]

sorry Lottie
GSR gas safe registered engineer

 

[stani]

when the engineer does arrive try and get a photo of where the 2 pipes join if possible, then post on this thread

 

[royston]

Might be worth a quick look under the rubber gasket round the flue to see if its been sealed correctly.

 

[Blackcatgas]

A said it doesnt look like a WB flue? the pipe on the left looks like a different coulor, the pipe on the left looks like WB and the pipe on the right doesnt, have they just jammed in a extension from another boiler? dont reley on your co alarm, new flues for this boiler are cheap enough, still available and easy enough to fit.