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Kerosene smell in Hotpress

  • 16-01-2024 12:22PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,591 ✭✭✭


    Morning folks. Oil boiler is outside, but the last few days there's a smell of kerosene in the Hotpress.

    Had a fill a week ago, tank never went dry, can't see any obvious signs of leak in the hotpress itself.


    Any ideas or suggestions?



Comments

  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,634 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    Was there any overflow when filling? Look around the tank and tank connection.

    Does oil pipe go beneath the house to reach the boiler.

    Be sure you're not confusing it with an electrical smell from over heating wires.

    Empty the hot press and have a good look.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,591 ✭✭✭cletus


    Thanks for the response

    Hard to see if there was an overspill, everything is wet outside, but there's nothing obvious.

    This seems to have kerosene on the outside, either it spilled on it, or it's weeping

    IMG_20240116_135519.jpg


    The tank is at the bottom of the garden, the boiler is halfway way up, so no oil pipes near the house, really


    I've emptied the hotpress, it's really a kerosene smell.

    Could the fumes be coming in along the ducting taking the pipes into the house, if there's a leak at the boiler?

    IMG-20240116-WA0010.jpeg




  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,634 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    It could get into the ducting carrying the heating pipes from the boiler. That should be investigated.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,872 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    Seeing as no oil near the house, it could only be some kerosene getting on the hot pipes at burner and possibly coming in that way.

    You should see a leak at the burner if that is the case.

    Whatever you do, don't get the smart idea of putting in an insurance claim to rectify as they are duty bound to remove any or all contaminated soil and if that extended to neighbour, they will have to dig there too.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,591 ✭✭✭cletus


    Right, I've found my leak. This valve is weeping

    IMG_20240117_104558.jpg

    Tightening down the thumbscrew does not stop the weep



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,872 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    Just swap it out



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,591 ✭✭✭cletus


    Further to the above, I noticed that tightening it down actually lifted the threaded part.

    Removed the thumb screw, screwed the threaded piece down, currently no leak



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,634 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    Was it leaking enough to make its way along the heating pipes.

    It's a fire valve. Cheap enough.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,591 ✭✭✭cletus


    Is it as simple as shutting off the valve from the tank and disconnecting, or is this one of those times you'd recommend calling someone out



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,591 ✭✭✭cletus


    Constant drip, for who knows how long, so I'd say so



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  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,634 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    Don't take this wrong, but I'd guess you haven't done much of this type of work, so considering the huge implications of getting it wrong, I'd give my service guy a call. Tell him your wheel type fire valve is leaking so that he'll have what he need. Most of us carry those anyway.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,591 ✭✭✭cletus


    Not taking it the wrong way at all. I've done plenty of DIY stuff, car stuff, some electrical, some plumbing, but whenever you're faced with a new job, it's nice to find out the things you don't know that you don't know.

    Looks like like a straight forward valve replacement, but I'd prefer not to be elbow deep in the job and have someone say "you mean you didn't do [insert x here] first?"



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,634 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    The biggest problem is knowing how much to tighten those fittings. That is soft copper and can easily be overtightened.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 34,268 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    The valves are between fiver and a tener. If your comfortable doing other plumbing work you'll be fine with this.

    Shutoff obviously. Use a tray catch. Tighten but not over tighten. When done clean up and sensible thing is throw something under it like a mini painters tray for a few days and heating cycles to check for leaks and visual / paper towel check for leaks. And then done.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2 seosamh5


    Hopefully you will see this and answer. This happened to me. The boiler is off, found the leak in the burner outside in the garden. The smell got in via the conduit with a smell in my hotpress.

    How long did it take for the smell to leave the hotpress?

    ThaNk a mill



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,881 ✭✭✭KaneToad


    I had a small kerosene spill in a utility room, where the boiler sits. It is a very long lasting smell! I threw down baking soda and that seemed to help.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2 seosamh5


    Thanks, fumes from my kerosene boiler down the garden got into my up stairs hotpress via the conduit for the pipes, at least that seems the only explanation. Now I have those fumes smells in the hotpress and it's been 3 days with doors and windows open and the smell is still the same, very little smell when the hotpress door is closed then really hits when you open it.

    I was wondering how long I need to keep ventilating for, put in baking soda today to trap the odurs



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 34,268 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    With kerosene im sorry to say probably weeks if not months. It will die down if it was small enough. If it was coating everything for a good period of time. Then months, might even require repainting the walls.

    Its strong stuff even in minor quantities



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