Vaillant Ecotec Plus burner seals

[gas4you]

Hi all

Just thought I'd let you know of my find today. One of the new graphite seals that Vaillant are telling us to fit as replacements had melted where the join in the seal is. Just fell apart when I removed the burner for a service

These are supposed to last for 5 years. I will definitely be changing all seals every service now and ignoring Vaillant recommendations

 

[Gasguru]

All down to cost cutting...how much additional cost would it be to have a glass fiber rope inner seal with a backup high temp silicon seal. ...pennies extra.

 

[timmy74]

Hi all

Just thought I'd let you know of my find today. One of the new graphite seals that Vaillant are telling us to fit as replacements had melted where the join in the seal is. Just fell apart when I removed the burner for a service

These are supposed to last for 5 years. I will definitely be changing all seals every service now and ignoring Vaillant recommendations

just before i left BG we were told to change seals every two yrs or when they require changing ie if interrupted

 

[giblets]

I have a sneaky feeling that this is the subject of a recent Vaillant Safety Notice.

Does the MI not state that the seal has to be cahnged at every service?

EDIT: Yep, I was right:- http://www.vaillant.co.uk/Home/Products/Important_product_notice/

 

[mspandh]

Had a letter from Vaillant this morning about this and to notify them of any that I had fit, so repairs could be carried out.
Felt like phoning them up and saying I only fit decent boilers that being WB.

 

[gas4you]

Yes you did have to change seals every year at the service, but the scary point I was trying to get across that this was the NEW graphite seal that is being supplied as the replacement for the silicone rubber seal that is at the center of the melting air pipe issue.

These new graphite seals are designed, or supposedly we are told by Vaillant, to last 5 years if the burner is not removed and the co2 checked etc at every 'service'.

I have always been against this advice and still, even more so now, intend to replace the seal every service.

I still feel it is more of a problem with the setting up of the boiler during commissioning rather than a pure seal fault and I don't subscribe fully to the MI's about how to do this.

I also noted that the join in the seal, which had melted, had been placed at the top of the burner, whereas I always make a point of placing mine at the bottom, as I always thought of this as a weak point.

 

[Agile]

Graphite melts at 3652° !!!

I doubt even a vaillant gets that hot !

Perhaps its not really graphite?

Some I have seen are a composite with graphite on the outside and "something else in the centre" !

Tony

 

[gas4you]

Perhaps it is their name for it then, but the length of the join had melted and stuck to the metal in the seal groove. Had to carefully scape it out with flat screwdriver blade

 

[simond]

Vaillant are now instructing us not to open the HE every year and rely on a flue gas analysis to assess internal condition.

My guess is that this is because they do not know how many of the old seals are still on shelves across the country and do not want a graphite one being taken out and a new old type one (unwittingly) put back in.

Clearly, as long as whenever the burner is opened the graphite seal is replaced, there should be no problem. Our Vaillant customers always moan when we charge them for the seal kit on a service so perhaps if we don't open the HE they will be happier.

Personally, I'd rather pay for the kit and clean the boiler annually.

 

[ChrisR]

That contradicts what I was told yesterday by an itinerant Vaillant techie.
If the old type seal is in place they do NOT recommend leaving it regardless of fga or draught pressure. They are likely to leak and melt the air pipe.
You can tell whether the graphite seal has been fitted, as there should not only be the label on the front but also the nyloc nuts replacing the originals.

They tell you to test rather than routinely remove the endlplate because there's usually nothing doable inside. (Unlike WB heat exchangers which seem to be designed to erode away from day one.)

 

[gas4you]

I fully agree with you Simon and I shall be removing them every year. My worry is that the new seals are supposed to last 5 years without inspection and this one had only lasted 12 months. If I hadn't opened it I would not have known until I got the irate call from the customer with problems.

 

[simond]

Chris R

I think you may have misinterpreted my message. I was not advocating leaving the old type seal in situ, they are liable to fail causing damage.

I was merely saying that Vaillant cannot be sure how many CORGI registered business have the old seal kit still in their vans and on shelves etc. Obviously they are going to be worried that there is a danger that the new enhanced seal could be unwittingly replaced at a service (eg: in 2008) by someone who has the old part in stock, which, of course, will fit.

 

[gas4you]

You can tell whether the graphite seal has been fitted, as there should not only be the label on the front but also the nyloc nuts replacing the originals.

They tell you to test rather than routinely remove the endlplate because there's usually nothing doable inside. (Unlike WB heat exchangers which seem to be designed to erode away from day one.)

I disagree with Vaillant, not you Chris, in that i still think a visual inspection is need to check the burner, insulation and heat exchanger. I always clean heat exchanger thoroughly with stiff brush then flush out with water before I remove the condensate trap for cleaning. I also like to show a bit of emery to the spark electrodes as well.

The boiler I had this problem with had the new seal in it from new so therefore was not labelled up at manufacture, but did have the new nyloc nuts on.