Baxi Burmuda Inset 2 (50 / 4) - cracked heat exchange again

[relaxer7]

Hi All

Hope somebody can help me out here because i can't afford this to happen again or even worse buy a new boiler....

I have two problems here:

A) 3 years ago the heat exchange on my Baxi Bermuda Inset 2 (50 / 4) back boiler craked and leaked all over the front room floor. I got this replaced and just put this down to it being six years old and full of limescale (I live in a hard water area). Yesterday the same thing happened.... but why? The boiler has been cluncking and banging a lot over winter - does this mean it's been over heating and the internal thermostat is faulty causing the heat exchange to crack? OR is it limescale?

B) I now can't get a replacement part whinch £200 last time Does anyone know if there is a new part I can use or an alternative? Could i get it reconditioned?

Thanks very much
Rich

 

[DP]

Descale the system and ensure boiler shows 11 degrees difference between flow and return pipes. Fitting a scale reducer might be the answer- posters from lime scale area will correct me if I am wrong

 

[gas4you]

Was the heating system flushed properly when the new HE was fitted? It should have been.

Fitting a new HE requires the same cleaning that a new boiler installation does, after all, the HE is the same in a new boiler or just an HE.

You could try Baxi for a faulty HE, but they will ask for water tests etc to be done before replacing FOC.

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

I reckon you must be in or near Hartlepool. I'm in Boro and do have some CI heat exchangers kicking about and will check up to see if I have the one you need. A part number might be helpful if you have one.

Its very unusual for one of these to crack in my experience so I assume there must be something else going on of a serious nature. Is a primatic cylinder losing its seal or has someone fitted a direct cylinder instead of an indirect one?
Even in a hard water area a heat exchanger shouldnt get badly limed up unless your system has a serious leak

 

[Agile]

I agree with Slug.

There must be something very wrong with your system which you did not get identified when the HE was replaced before.

Unfortunately you are to blame because you carried on using the boiler when it was clearly faulty.

It might be lime scale but probably due to sludge. The system should have been power flushed and inhibitor added when the new HE was fitted. This water treatment costs about £350 ! But it can save you about £350 as you are going to find out.

Inhibitor prevents lime scale being deposited but it has to be in the system the first time it is filled.

Tony

 

[doitall]

Hi All


A) 3 years ago the heat exchange on my Baxi Bermuda Inset 2 (50 / 4) back boiler cracked and leaked all over the front room floor. I got this replaced and just put this down to it being six years old and full of limescale (I live in a hard water area). Yesterday the same thing happened.... but why? The boiler has been clunking and banging a lot over winter - does this mean it's been over heating and the internal thermostat is faulty causing the heat exchange to crack? OR is it limescale?

As Tony said your fault for using it.

Unfortunately you don't say anything about the system, is it fully pumped or gravity primaries.

The banging is lack of circulation, faulty pump for starters, no water for seconds, and faulty boiler stat for 3rds.

Had you addressed those three basic problems and cured them the boiler would not have split.

Somewhere along the line you could possibly add, tampering with the system like installing valves on primary pipes, and a host of DIY blunders.

 

[baxpoti]

The boiler has been cluncking and banging a lot over winter

Would you carry on driving your car if it was clunking and banging a lot?

 

[baxpoti]

You could try Baxi for a faulty HE, but they will ask for water tests etc to be done before replacing FOC.

I don't think so.

 

[doitall]

I don't think so either.

This is one Baxi that's virtually indestructible.

 

[Agile]

This is one Baxi that's virtually indestructible.

Unless you leave it clunking and banging over winter!

 

[gas4you]

I only posted that because my local parts supplier had a BBU HE sent back for leaking 6 months after it was fitted into the boiler.

Baxi said the water tests proved it was not their product.

 

[relaxer7]

thanks for all of the advice - some of which was helpful and some of which was patronising...

The problem has now been professionally diagnosed and fixed... The tank (indirect double feed coil Fortic F4) was badly limescaled up and forcing pressure back down into the bolier, this coupled with the fact the system was full of sludge and other cr@p forced the H/E to fail. A new heat exchange and water softner has been fitted and the sytem has been power flushed out descaled and inhibitor added. Tank and system are now full of nice clean soft water and should all be good.

I hope this helps anyone with similar problems - thanks

TOPIC CLOSED

 

[Agile]

A new heat exchange and water softner has been fitted and the sytem has been power flushed out descaled and inhibitor added.

Tank and system are now full of nice clean soft water and should all be good.

Well thats what should have been done in the beginning!

Its not stated if the Fortic cylinder has been replaces with a "proper" cylinder.

If not then I forsee the same problem within a couple of years again!

Tony