Use of fire cement

[essexsi]

Good afternoon chaps,

Another newbee question I'm afraid.

First of all can you use fire cement to seal the combustion chamber on a boiler when the rope seal is damaged/missing, for example on a Pott Kingfisher.

Secondly if allowed, is this deemed a temporary repair until the rope seal can be replaced or more permanent ie done again when servicing the boiler the next year.

Thanks as always si

 

[clf-gas]

fire cement

Needs replacing Si, spillage of POC's classing boiler as AR.

 

[HarrogateGas]

fire cement

Needs replacing Si, spillage of POC's classing boiler as AR.

At Risk??!!!

Try Immediatly dangerous.

 

[clf-gas]

Try Immediatly dangerous

Thats what i meant

 

[essexsi]

thanks for replies.

Do not disagree at all with your comments and obviously spilling POC's is an ID!
Just wondered if a repair with fire cement would be a practical or allowable action. Am I correct in thinking that it is allowed for repairs to flues and their joints but not for the actual boiler. Come to think of it I am pretty sure that I have seen fire cement used to make good around a flue terminal, is this allowed?

thank you si

 

[nickso]

its not for repairing broken flue components if thats what you mean. its a jointing compound but its brittle and needs frequent re-application.

using fire cement as a substitute for a case seal is AR. if its spilling its ID.

just get a new case seal, or a new boiler if you really want to do yourself a favour.

 

[essexsi]

thanks for your reply nickso.

This was just something I was thinking about. That if I came across a boiler with a missing/defective case seal I might be able to effect a temporary repair and keep the boiler going until I could get the replacement rope seal.

Thanks to you lot I now know that this is not the case.

If your going to do a job, do it properly!

Thanks for clearing that up.

Si

 

[nickso]

to be honest if you are in the trade you shouldnt really be caught without rope seal in the van anyway. depends what work you do i suppose. i personally wouldnt take apart anything i didnt think i could repair with the existing parts, or new parts that i had in the van or at home.


i generally find its often not the case seal that is the problem in the majority of crappy old boilers. sight glass seals and the seals between burner boxes and heat exchangers are often worse culprits that seem to be overlooked more. ive lost count of the times ive come across folk leaving things like that simply because its often difficult or time consuming to repair.

 

[essexsi]

Thanks for the reply nickso.

I agree with the remarks that you have made. Having not come across one with the RGI I go out with yet, could you please explain the repair of the sight glass seal and the joint between the burner box and H/E. Materials used etc. thanks!

The sight glasses that I have seen seem to be the slide in ones, but I have just been checking that they are intact. Is it the case that a missing or cracked sight glass is ID and needs to be replaced with the manufacturers own one.

Sorry for the questions but I am learning and would like to know the recommended way of doing things not the bodgett and scarper way !

Thankyou Si

 

[nickso]

a cracked sightglass is only AR unless its spilling...the same for anything else dodgy on the boiler really. most are easy to replace but get left a lot i find.

the repair of a seal between h/e and burner box is a bad one cos you generally have to remove the heat exchanger. in most cases i try to avoid doing it but some customers can be stubborn and want the junkpile fixed.....of course i cant fix it if i dont have the original manufacturers seals to do so.

 

[essexsi]

nickso you are a star.

thanks for your patience and your replies to a newbee. With helpful people like you and others on this site, it helps a person like me out no end.

cheers si