Oil Boiler Noise..

[harris01]

Apologies if this is not the right place to ask this, but it's my first time, so here goes....

I own a large bungalow, and am currently converting our kitchen to a kitchen diner, by combining it with the dining room. In the kitchen sits a Firebird S 85/115 Oil Boiler with conventional flu, connected into the chimney stack though the wall behind it. The boiler was originally surrounded by a brick built cupboard, but I knocked it down in a wild sledge hammer moment.

My problem is that the boiler is very noisy, and (re-)building a soundproof surround would impact the space we have created, as it is located in the middle of a wall. Ideally, it would be hidden undercounter, and quiet.

I am told by Firebird that converting the boiler to balanced flu would dramatically reduce the noise, but from what I have read, this could not use the chimney stack, so the boiler would need to be moved against an outside wall ?

So my questions...

1) Is it worth upgrading & moving the boiler and installing a new flu that is approx 6 - 7 years old ? I have had wildly varying, four figure quotes for this work..

2) Is there any way a balanced flu conversion could use the existing chimney stack ?

3) Will a balanced flu conversion really reduce the noise that much ?

4) If I have to pay for moving the boiler and installing a new flu through the roof, should I consider buying a replacement condensing boiler that might pay for itself over time though oil efficiency ?

Any comments would be warmly received !!

 

[gremlin16]

Where exactly is the noise coming from. It could be down to worn motor bearings, an easy fix.

 

[harris01]

Sorry - should have mentioned that !

Basically, it is a loud roaring sound - doesn't sound mechanical. Recently serviced, and the engineer didn't comment that it was abnormally loud.

 

[cjb1971]

if you move the boiler,it would be classed as a new instalation and a condensing boiler would need to be fitted to comply with building regs,youll probably find that you can just hear the burner more now that the wall has been removed.

 

[gremlin16]

I would suggest asking the service engineer to take a look just incase something has come ladrift.

Without acttually being there to hear the noise its difficult to diagnose.

 

[oilman]

if you move the boiler,it would be classed as a new instalation and a condensing boiler would need to be fitted to comply with building regs.

This is not the case. A boiler that exists at a site may be disconnected and reconnected, even at a different location on the site. It has to be a condensing boiler only if it is replaced, AND ist is not exempted by certain site constraints.