is it normal to have a Light switch in an outdoor Metal kerosine boiler unit?

Andy From Sligo

Is it normal practice to put a normal white plastic 5a light switch (it could be a un-fused 20a switch I suppose too) in an outdoor metal kerosene oil boiler unit?

like this:



I would have thought a rubber weatherproof covered switch would have been more safe for outdoor ?

daughter has moved into a new rented house and took some photos to show me of inside of the boiler . am no qualified heating engineer but it looks a right state in there , oil pipes where the fabric has worn off the oil pipe(s) leaving rusty reinforcement metal braid thats in the pipe, insulation in the door of the module looks like most of it bitten off by rats, and what looks like a leak maybe coming from the water pressure relief valve:



to me it looks pretty rough inside the module and rust everywhere and looks like the boiler should be condemned to me even though its still firing up and heating up the radiators up fine.

she says she has a lovely landlord and that he would fix what needs fixing in it and they have a great relationship with the landlord, but i would have liked her to get someone with OFTEC to come out and give a check over and verdict and a quote on repair instead.

on a similar note are the OFTEC approved boiler engineers working and still doing callouts in this pandemic ?

DGOBS

A picture would tell a thousand words......

Andy From Sligo

DGOBS wrote: »

A picture would tell a thousand words......

i'd really love too but I better not .. her landlord might see it.

can you not picture it in your head?

Light switch right hand side

steaming leaky water on left hand side (looks like its coming from pressure relief valve)

Rusty oil incoming pipes

Rust down left hand side of boiler

Cobwebs. rat eaten insulation - strong smell of kerosene from flu .. almost neat kerosene smell. its not a condenser boiler anyway .

here's a diagram LOL




looks like a Firebird Heatpac 90 Oil Boiler to me . are they pretty old now?

mickdw

Whats the switch operating?

Andy From Sligo

mickdw wrote: »

Whats the switch operating?

turn on and off the boiler from the outside I presume - or cut power to the burner. I was saying to my daughters partner that seeing as there lot of steam in boiler from the relief valve leaking or whatever leaking not to touch that switch because it would be all condensated and be like touching a light switch with wet hands!

if it 5a I presume it just a single pole switch , if it a 20a un-fused then I suppose 2 pole - just thought there would have to be a waterproof one in there if any switch .

In our boiler which is a fairly recent one a grant condenser this is how you disconnect burner if in an emergency or an boiler engineer needs to disconnect it.

like this one in the pic but just a 3 pin black one (Live/Neutral/Earth)



and you just push in a plastic lug and split the connector to shut off the power to the RDB burner