Help needed: Baxi Solo 3 PFL50-strong smell on ignition for first 10mins??

pathogan2008

February 2011
I have a Baxi Solo 3 PFL 50 (GC 41-075-22) gas boiler.
I had it serviced for the first time in November 2010 by a RGI.
It had been running absolutely perfectly for the past number of years (installed Nov 2003), but I wanted to be sure it was clean and ready for the winter.
The day after the service, I noticed the following problem:
A strong smell just after the boiler fires up, that lasts for 10 minutes, then clears once the boiler itself gets good and hot.
To me, this doesn't really smell like clean natural gas, but rather more like combusted dirty gas.
If the boiler has been off for a few hours and cools down, and comes back on, the smell returns for another 10 minutes as before before clearing etc.
I called back the RGI, and he said that all looked fine with the combustion box and everything that was cleaned in the service.
The problem of the strong smell at ignition persisted though, and he returned a number of times but could not find an obvious fault.
He resealed the gasket where the boiler meets the flue, but this has not cured the smell.
The flue through the wall appears to be perfect with no obvious path for the exhaust gas to come back in.
The RGI checked this using a smoke pellet.
Has anyone here come across this problem before? Is it common on Baxi power flue boilers of this age?
How do I fix this? I am not happy with this smell.
PH

*Update March 2011*
A number of people on this forum made suggestions about what might be wrong. Many thanks folks.
The seal on the combustion box was cited as a possible cause.
As predicted, the old orange rubber seal had hardened in places, and little pieces of it were stuck to the boiler casing, instead of staying on the door. So it needed replacement anyway.
I ordered a Baxi 237329 door seal kit from Heatmerchants. This is an improved design "rope" type seal and came with a tube of sealant.
The RGI fitted it and says that door and door seal are now perfect.
Unfortunately, this made no difference to the problem of the smell.:(
I want to fix this problem once and for all. I'm getting a new RGI to look at it.
What is the next most likely cause?
Could the side walls of the chamber on the boiler itself be faulty?
Any help greatly appreciated.

Micky Dolenz

Either call back original registered gas installer to rectify or let new RGI advise you.

knighted_1

ring baxi and get an approved service agent -one that has been trained on baxi specifically - you can ring 200 rgi's and they might never have encountered this problem

JohnnieK

Get your RGI to ring Baxi. The seals on the side pannels must be gone too. If it's not the flue it has to be around the combustion chamber.

Skidrow

Can a Baxi Solo 3 be repressurised?