Discuss Trianco Eurostar Oil Boiler Conundrum in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

Status
Not open for further replies.

WHPES

Plumbers Arms member
Plumber
Gas Engineer
Messages
4,835
I have the following problem:

Customer calls me out to say that the above boiler has started smoking heavily the last 2 days getting progressively worse. Has been running OK until then.

Boiler is dated 2004, non-condensing with balanced flue.

Opened up boiler and predictably full of soot. Scraped and brushed out (filled vac bag). Ran without balanced flue hose on and smoke pouring out of flue. Smoke pump reading 8-9

Checked oil pressure and air setting. Makers instructions state 7.5 bar. Was set on 9.5 bar. Air intake was set at 6.

Adjusted pump pressure down to 7.5 bar and wound air intake out to about 8.5 and tested. Eventually stabilised at 11.5% CO2 and 38 CO. with smoke 0-1

Tried to connect balanced flue intake back on and CO2 jumps to 12.5 and CO at 48. Flame keeps going out and trying to relight, which it does for about 10 to 30 seconds before going off again. Winding out the air intake further doesn't seem to make any difference to the CO2. Increasing the pump pressure only makes the flame trip out more often.

My hunch is that there is something up with the air intake duct as when you take it off again everything goes back to 11.5 and 38 respectively. However it's strange that the settings when I arrived were so different to the ones I made, especially if the boiler was working fine at that until recently.

Anyone any ideas what to do? Got me stumped. Could it be the fuel pump?
 
Last edited:
One of my customers has one of these and I left it with 12% CO2 on max air.

Every 2 minutes or so it goes to begin lock out then starts again.

I looked at the flue and pulled out cobwebs, leaves, etc to no avail. The baffles I replaced last year have already bent and cracked (despite on proper pressure, 12% and 0 smoke.)

I changed the pump as there seemed to be a oil leak from it.

Nearly a full day to service it and get the machine going.

I suggested they think about a new boiler next year or definitely the year after.

They said now.

So in the New Year a new one (Worcester?) will be installed.

I've seen one other Trianco and condemned that on my first visit. I'm sure these older ones were good back then but they don't seem to last as long as Grants, Worcesters or Warmflow.
 
Baffles are fine. Burner is a Minor 4tc. Boiler looks physically in good shape. It was fitted almost exactly 7 years ago.

Must admit I didn't have chance to take off the pump and look at the seals.
 
I have replaced a few of the flues on these recently, they have been drawing poc in. Remove air hose and stick fga in i'd bet the o2 level will drop.

New assemblies are round instead of square so some making good is required also.
 
Sounds like lack of air or too much oil, whichever way you want to look at it. First guess would be the balanced flue breaking down. But I would check the obvious first, assuming you have fitted a new nozzle - is it sealing properly? Can be leaking at threads when under pressure on minor burners. Check, as with all burners the complete air intake. Doubt if oil pump is causing problem. Minor burners are decent enough & should last many years. Probably the balanced flue.
 
Last edited:
Agree with best put a small amount of ptfe around nozzle to seal properly this should negate a faulty seal on nozzle, My bet would be the flue seals and it is recirculating its own gases, stick the flue analyser in the air intake when burner on and check reading. I have just changed flue seals on a grant they had gone hard and brittle I had the same problem likewise I have had a similar experience with a nozzle not sealing correctly.
 
The definitive answer - this type of flue (the square type) is prone to this common fault. Where it goes into the boiler there is a stainless steel elbow which is connected onto the boiler top and also the flue outlet with two silicone rubber gaskets. These particular gaskets have a tendency to degrade and disintegrate, thus allowing the flue gases to be drawn back into the boiler.

Part number is Trianco 221647 and you need 2 of them.
 
I will post some pics of how to do the repair on hints and tips
 
Did you post pics and tips on replacing the seals on a trianco eurostar balanced flue? I am at present wrestling with this cycling which goes away if I remove the air inlet hose, blanking off resulting hole to the flue. Any help would be much appreciated!
thanks creens
 
Did you post pics and tips on replacing the seals on a trianco eurostar balanced flue? I am at present wrestling with this cycling which goes away if I remove the air inlet hose, blanking off resulting hole to the flue. Any help would be much appreciated!
thanks creens
Is there enough combustion air in the room to leave as conventional?
 
Is there enough combustion air in the room to leave as conventional?

the boiler is in a dedicated room vented to the rest of the house. Noisy but appears to run ok. probably less efficient using cold air?
thanks creens
 
Work out the air needed for the output and you may need to add some air bricks (which the wife will cover up).
 
Work out the air needed for the output and you may need to add some air bricks (which the wife will cover up).

Thanks for the reply. Seems to be running OK. Will get it checked when engineer becomes available. I would still like to look at replacing the two O rings in the flue though if it's not too difficult.
 
It's not 'O' rings, it 2 x red rubber seals that go hard, shrink and crack letting combustion products escape. I have changed some on a flue, then about 6 months later the same problem occurred, so I ended up installing a new Grant.
Changing the gaskets was a half day job, then to do it again did not out way the savings they would make with a newer boiler, turns out they are very pleased with it as they have saved a lot of money in the few years of having the new boiler.
My suggestion, replace the boiler, Trianco's are naff.
 
It's not 'O' rings, it 2 x red rubber seals that go hard, shrink and crack letting combustion products escape. I have changed some on a flue, then about 6 months later the same problem occurred, so I ended up installing a new Grant.
Changing the gaskets was a half day job, then to do it again did not out way the savings they would make with a newer boiler, turns out they are very pleased with it as they have saved a lot of money in the few years of having the new boiler.
My suggestion, replace the boiler, Trianco's are naff.

Thanks for the comments MarkOil - stuck with the Trianco for present
 
Photos attached


P1050732.jpgP1050730.jpgP1050731.jpg




Photos 2 and 3 showing new gaskets in place before reassembly. Some earlier models used heat resistant silicone rather than gaskets so if thats the case, be prepared to get messy!
 

Attachments

  • P1050729.jpg
    P1050729.jpg
    53 KB · Views: 21
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Reply to Trianco Eurostar Oil Boiler Conundrum in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

Creating content since 2001. Untold Media.
Back
Top