Ideal Logic Max Heat flue dripping

[fixitflav]

Yup, I'd like to see that calculation too

Well I checked it for droplet diameter 3mm, radius 1.5mm, and calling pi/3 = 1, volume = 4*1.5^3mm^3. There are 1 million mm^3 in a litre, so volume per year = 4*1.5^3*60*24*365/10^6 = 7 litre. 4mm diameter comes to 16 litre/year so 11 isn't a bad guess IMO.

 

[polesapart]

4000 drips=1litre (random google )
30 drips/h 8 hr htg day 6months/year
=10.95l/annum
OK, rough and ready, but we're not talking cubic meters here.

 

[Lower]

Equates to 11 litres per year onto a surface that gets rained on anyhow.

Is this really worth the concern?

Yes, because if its condensate it'll be acidic and erode the sandstone its dripping on.

 

[ianmcd]

Never heard so much pish in my life, who measured the droplets ?

 

[ianmcd]

Absolutely.

That is why i'm asking on here rather than speaking with him directly. My mother ordered the boiler from him in the first place when the previous boiler was still working perfectly as he said it was 'getting a bit noisy' and was prickly when i spoke to him and queried why he'd quoted an Ideal as i didn't think they had the best reputation. Consequently, if i don't need to get directly involved and he fixes the problem, it will be the best outcome as my mother maintains a relationship with him for service and warranty in the future.

they are not the worst boilers, like everything else they need serviced properly, but most come with a long warranty so if your mum keeps it serviced she should be fine, the bad reputation comes from the government schemes throwing them at the wall, not the boilers fault

 

[Madrab]

Wow, how random ... Are we seriously supporting the suggestion of an approximate volume of water that may drip onto the ground from the end of a flue 'over a year' with a mathematic equation???

Unfortunately I do have to say that there are far too many variables to even suggest an approximate amount of fluid that could or would be deposited via drips from the end of a flue over a given period of time.

 

[Madrab]

Yes, because if its condensate it'll be acidic and erode the sandstone its dripping on

I have to agree and I believe that's a very relative concern.

Some of the boilers I go to haven't had their flues setup properly and there is a mixture of stained/eroded, dissolved stone, brick mortar or slab work where the condensate has eaten it away and it looks terrible. IMO there's no need for it and if it can be corrected before it becomes an issue, then no reason not to.

 

[Lower]

Heating engineer initially promised to help and said he was ordering parts.

I popped round to see my mother tonight and I could see the flue was still dripping and the engineer hadn’t done anything. I quizzed my mother about what he’d done, and she was quite embarrassed by the whole thing. He’s told her it’s not a problem, the condensate isn’t acidic, and he isn’t going to do anything.

There was a blob of clear silicone in the end of the flue which fell out when I touched it. looking down the flue you can see the exhaust flow pushing drop of condensate along the flue and not running back. The flue is very short and the outer flue is dead level.

I’ve attached a little video looking down the flue. It was 10 degrees outside so not particularly cold. Am I being reasonable in thinking that what’s fitted is not right?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/WH9i6V2gpkufixB78

 

[ianmcd]

He’s told her it’s not a problem, the condensate isn’t acidic

It is acidic and will cause damage to sandstone, maybe a call to Gas -safe will change his mind

 

[Madrab]

How far out from level is the flue??

If I remember rightly Ideal telescopic flues are meant to be installed level as they have a fall built into the flue . If it's a standard single piece flue then it should be angled back to the boiler to allow the condensate to run back. It must be well out if the condensate is actually making its way out the terminal end.

Boiler condensate is definitely acidic, around PH3-4. The burning of natural gas creates CO2 and some of that Carbon Dioxide dissolves into the water turning it slightly acidic (carbonic acid). It will slowly eat things, especially sandstone, mortar, roughcast, pebbledash etc.

 

[Lower]

The outer flue appears to be dead level. There is very little of it exposed to get a level on. The inner section definitely has a fall in the right direction, but you can see the exhaust flow pushing condensate drips up the incline until it drips off the end.

 

[Lower]

Spoke to the guy that fitted the boiler yesterday. Initially he spouted all sorts of rubbish about how the condensate isn’t acidic, that if he tilted the flue anymore rain would get in, and how all modern boiler flues drip. After digging into the detail of what he said for a while, he proposed fixing the problem by fitting a plume deflector kit which my mother is happy about as it moves the plume up and away from her back door.

As previously suggested, he can’t tilt the flue any more as it’s already at the top of the core drilled hole.....which I suspect is the real reason for the other excuses.