Condenser Boiler amount of Smoke from Flue at start up?

Andy From Sligo · 04-01-2017 03:43PM #1

Hello - first of all please excuse my ignorance on this but I have never owned a Condenser boiler before, but we have moved into a house with a Grant Euroflame and when it starts up for the first time (like in the morning or if boiler has been off for a while) the amount of smoke that comes out of the flue is phenomenal, much more than other outdoor boiler units. - I have attached a video to this post. Also to me smells quite 'fumey' unless I am imagining it - like strong kerosene smell out of flue

One night at around 9pm someone who drove past the house rung on our doorbell and said they were driving past and see a load of smoke coming from the boiler and was concerned.

I though about condensation of the boiler, but then again I thought the condenser part works by separate chamber and exits through a seperate drain pipe and not through the flue.

Any Ideas? - are all these condenser boilers all like this?
Thanks.

aujopimur · 04-01-2017 04:27PM

That's not smoke, it's condensate, more noticeable in cold weather.

Tom44 · 04-01-2017 11:13PM

Andy,
Strong vapour is normal, but there should be NO smell if its tuned and running correctly.

Tom44 · 04-01-2017 11:17PM

Condensation vapour goes out the chimney.
Condensation liquid goes out the trap/drain.

Andy From Sligo · 04-01-2017 11:18PM

Tom44 wrote: »

Andy,
Strong vapour is normal, but there should be NO smell if its tuned and running correctly.

Thanks, strangeky enough I looked at the neighbours boiler and its doing doing exactly same, loads of white smoke when it starts
and strong smell of kerosene - both same boilers Grant Euroflame.

Tom44 · 05-01-2017 12:17AM

Strong smell of kero indicates it is over aired and not all the fuel is burning.
They need a service.

Under aired gives a smokey smell.

Bit more to it than that, but that bit of information might help.

Andy From Sligo · 05-01-2017 10:53AM

Tom44 wrote: »

Strong smell of kero indicates it is over aired and not all the fuel is burning.
They need a service.

Under aired gives a smokey smell.

Bit more to it than that, but that bit of information might help.

Thanks for that. If its any relevance the little dial for the air damper over to the right on the rdb2 burner itself is set to number 5

K.Flyer · 05-01-2017 11:48AM

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

Thanks for that. If its any relevance the little dial for the air damper over to the right on the rdb2 burner itself is set to number 5

Andy, i get it that you like to have a go at things yourself, but please do not srart adjusting things on this boiler. You MUST have the right test equipment set up, and know how to use and understand the readings from it.
Very small adjustments on these boilers can radically change how they operate.
If you are uncertain about the boiler please get a professional to check it, this is NOT something that you do by look or feel.

Andy From Sligo · 05-01-2017 11:57PM

K.Flyer wrote: »

Andy, i get it that you like to have a go at things yourself, but please do not srart adjusting things on this boiler. You MUST have the right test equipment set up, and know how to use and understand the readings from it.
Very small adjustments on these boilers can radically change how they operate.
If you are uncertain about the boiler please get a professional to check it, this is NOT something that you do by look or feel.

ah yeah of course - no, wouldnt dream of adjusting it myself, for a start I havent got the correct equipment (what is it a co2 tester or something and the adjustment tools) and secondly I wouldnt know what parameters to set it to even if I did have the equipment.

I am interested when these things are not working properly though or seem to be not working. Call it a cross between curiosity and frustration and being clued up on these kind of things and your nearly there

Course I will get a professional to tune it up

Tom44 · 06-01-2017 08:32AM

Don't let anybody near a boiler unless they have the right equipment.
Boilers cannot be serviced correctly without a combustion analyzer.

Here's what you should be looking for.

Condenser Boiler amount of Smoke from Flue at start up?

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