Vulcan Continental

[psk]

I came across this ancient piece of heavenly equipment three days ago.
I was called to fix it as it wouldnt switch on. i tested the gas valve and checked there was gas coming through upon inspection found that the ignition electrode was damaged and faulty. Rang most places including parts centre in vain.
Have you guys got an idea where i can get hold of this ignition electrode i might as well change the thermocouple and give the dinosaur a service.

cheers

 

[diamondgas]

Doesn't every corner shop have them on their shelves? "Swan Vesta's" I remember them as ..lol. Is the pilot similar to the old honywell set up?

 

[tamz]

So it must be a balanced flue if it has an ignition electrode! You may get away with an electrode off an ideal mexico or any other one that fits. It wouldn't have to be specific.

 

[diamondgas]

Good shout Tamz regards it being BF ... Wasn't it the continental that had the enameled case? Only one I rmember was OF to be honest!

 

[tamz]

Wasn't it the continental that had the enameled case?

I'm sure it did. I remember them more for the weight of them :lol:

Easiest boilers in the world to fix along with e types and mexicos and would last another 40 years probably.
Won't do much for the gas bills tho!

 

[diamondgas]

Totally agree Tamz regards ease of working, and the weight!

There's still some old appliances out there chugging along merely... lol

 

[stevetheplumber]

i remember these as well curved door looked like a 50s fridge i took one out last year 35 years old

 

[Pssst]

The Vulcan continental came in OF and BF versions ,both having piezo ignition. The pilot block was honeywell and the boiler came with a built in programmer as an option. The big thing with them was that the heat exchanger was a three section job which tended to develop slow leaks at the joints which would miraculously self heal when it fired up. If left cold,you ended up with a small lake in the base tray and the slow leak gradually rotted the combustion chamber. It was possible to re gasket them but the bolts were small diameter and often snapped off ..so requiring a drilling and tapping session! Vulcan used to do a HX exchange program. Rare now but you still spot the odd one.

 

[diamondgas]

Pssst ... ya showin ya age mate!! LOL .... I remember gasket jobs on M42's and even the spreader tee replacement on the e-type but the Dr Spark (Vulcan) ... I'm sure they must be pre conversion era yeh??? sheeeeeeeeeeesh!! LOL

 

[Deleted member 25704]

Many boilers manufactured before 1986 contain hazardous astbestos.

Although I can't confirm whether the vulcan has the hazardous type, I can confirm they contain rope type asbestoss seals to the combustion chamber.

I stopped openning these up about ten years ago, because of the risk to the householder.

 

[Kev the gas]

Doesn't every corner shop have them on their shelves? "Swan Vesta's" I remember them as ..lol.


Flue brush extension bent to any angle rqd,
2 x matches ,
dust sheet over the flue terminal !!

The good old days.

Kev.

 

[Pssst]

Pssst ... ya showin ya age mate!! LOL .... I remember gasket jobs on M42's and even the spreader tee replacement on the e-type but the Dr Spark (Vulcan) ... I'm sure they must be pre conversion era yeh??? sheeeeeeeeeeesh!! LOL

Hmmm..yes..i remember my first day as an apprentice helping my gasman lug a brand new Vulcan continental BF into the house as a new fix on a new system in a big house ! Must have been around 1980.

Mind you, i can also remember battering lead with lead dressers,wiped joints, C12 circs,economy valves on cylinders,weep line stats on circulators and Potterton FRS boilers..!

 

[Gulliver]

I realise this is an old thread but hopefully someone can offer advice/help.

My mother has a Vulcan Continental boiler, which I am certain was installed in the spring of 1979. It's still trucking, having had only one spare part in all that time - a pump in the early 90s.

I know my dad made a modification, he installed a relay which sticks out of the front control panel. This was something to do with ensuring the boiler can heat water when the central heating is off. Sadly dad is no longer with us though the boiler is still serviced by the son of the plumber who installed it back in 1979. As I understand it his father is still alive but retired, so it might well be possible to converse with the man who installed it originally.

Mum had it serviced today and was told that a "plate" is rusty and might signal the demise of the otherwise sound boiler in the next couple of years. I shall try to find out more but for the moment that is all I know.

Mum's not at all short of money but would prefer not to replace the Vulcan as it's given sterling service so does anyone know what our friendly plumber was describing to her? (She's totally technophobic and I am surprised she remembered the words "rust" and "plate"). And does anyone know of a likely source for spares?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Anton]

The only spare part you are likely to obtain for this appliance would be a universal thermocouple lead.
As for giving 'sterling service' you do know that for every £100 of gas you burn, at least £40 goes out of the flue as wasted heat ?
On safety and fuel efficiency considerations, I would persuade your Mum to bite the bullet and replace it. I might be wrong, but I'll hazard a guess that you or your Mum don't drive 35 year old cars.

 

[erpkid]

I often feel like an undertaker in these circumstances. No matter what an environmentally objectionable character the deceased or near deceased might have been you have to be gentle and show suitable veneration. Trot out the well loved "they don't make them like this any more " and "the new ones might be more efficient but they won't last as long"...etc. It is all part of the grieving process and can help the customer come to terms with a sizeable expense.

 

[mountainman]

I went to a job last week and the pump was a Commander S.

 

[Pssst]

I often feel like an undertaker in these circumstances. No matter what an environmentally objectionable character the deceased or near deceased might have been you have to be gentle and show suitable veneration. Trot out the well loved "they don't make them like this any more " and "the new ones might be more efficient but they won't last as long"...etc. It is all part of the grieving process and can help the customer come to terms with a sizeable expense.

Haha,,yes thats so funny.. i know what you mean and in fact i had a similar moment this morning at home when servicing my spacesaver 50 OF boiler !

 

[stevetheplumber]

Haha,,yes thats so funny.. i know what you mean and in fact i had a similar moment this morning at home when servicing my spacesaver 50 OF boiler !

you service your own boiler ?????? i only look at mine when it stops workingwhich isnt often with a vailant o/f

 

[DaveTidy]

Ah the old Hattersley Vulcan Continental......

I remember working on these where they had no case and were built into a steel frame unit that had a cosybug or elson type cyliner above them.

To light the pilot you had to remove a 1 inch plug next to the sight glass which had a metal bull ring in it so you could light the pilot with a curved taper. The Honeywell valve above it was the old 6 wire type that when replaced you had to join the boiler and pump wires together and swap common and 1 on the cylinder stat.

The thermocouple could be replaced with a Q309a universal with a vocab number of 390 038 and we had 24 minutes to get to the job and gain access with 36 minutes to strip and service the boiler as they didn't have telegans in them days.

I can remember all these things from 30 years ago. What I can't remember is what the hell I did yesterday, where my bloddy van keys are and what the hell I was going to the van for anyway.

I wish I was back in the 80's doing half a days work for 2 days pay, playing snooker all night and kicking a ball at the weekends........love them old boilers.

Anyone for oiling the diaphragm on an old relay valve this weekend?

 

[lame plumber]

Ah the old Hattersley Vulcan Continental......

I remember working on these where they had no case and were built into a steel frame unit that had a cosybug or elson type cyliner above them.

To light the pilot you had to remove a 1 inch plug next to the sight glass which had a metal bull ring in it so you could light the pilot with a curved taper. The Honeywell valve above it was the old 6 wire type that when replaced you had to join the boiler and pump wires together and swap common and 1 on the cylinder stat.

The thermocouple could be replaced with a Q309a universal with a vocab number of 390 038 and we had 24 minutes to get to the job and gain access with 36 minutes to strip and service the boiler as they didn't have telegans in them days.

I can remember all these things from 30 years ago. What I can't remember is what the hell I did yesterday, where my bloddy van keys are and what the hell I was going to the van for anyway.

I wish I was back in the 80's doing half a days work for 2 days pay, playing snooker all night and kicking a ball at the weekends........love them old boilers.

Anyone for oiling the diaphragm on an old relay valve this weekend?

where do you store your zimmer frame in your van Dave?

 

[DaveTidy]

Haven't got a van. Use my Raleigh Chopper with a basket on the front, you know, the one with the tassels coming out of the handles.......and if I find the bloke who put me zimmer in the scrap bag I'll kill him!

 

[Ermintrude]

Wow 80's

 

[DaveTidy]

1980's!

 

[Pssst]

Yes one of my big bangs was with a vulcan continental. I had stripped it and serviced it,giving the flue ways a good raddling with my christmas tree shaped flue brush. I had had the burner tray out in the back garden and washed it. All assembled and i think the customer distracted me with a cup of tea. Anyway i was bent down removing the 1" plug, match stuck in end of flue brush handle,lit pilot,reached up,stat on..click..his his..kaboom in my face as the gas flared out,unable to go through the wet burner..happy days..only did that once..err...except for the time i serviced a space saver and clicked the stat on having forgotten to put the main burner back in...yoyve got to be fearless to work on the gas you know...

 

[DaveTidy]

We used to get a lot of that on the old trident gas boilers. It was common knowledge that when you had to relight the pilot after the service the valve would let a bit of gas go.

Where did the gas go? Oh that would be straight to your mush and take an eyebrow out!

Used to go back to the depot the next day to the sound of, "Been up the Navy servicing Tridents" Yeeeep.......

 

[buttermere4]

Hi I have two of these beasts - they were in this house when I came and used to heat water and radiators in a 5 storey house. I only ever use the one for water and a few rads on the lower floors.

I'm now thinking / wanting to remove the one and probably the second too and putting in a modern combi boiler. Is there any mileage in trying to sell these ?are they worth anything do you think to anyone as spares or to use? These have been serviced about two years ago and chug along happily!

ANy advice please appreciated - thanks . JB

 

[tamz]

About a fiver each from the scrappie. Personally i'd sit them on the street and the fairies would disappear them in about half an hour

 

[lame plumber]

I just did that this pm with an ancient vaillant, popped it in the garden where I ripped it out in the local council estate, hoping it will be gone in the morning , however, didnt leave the replacement boiler in the flat or that would definitely be gone in the morning!!! gonna supaglue the new one onto the wall

 

[Gulliver]

I posted last year about my mother's Vulcan Continental being near the end of it's life. And the friendly plumber (son of the man who installed it) has pretty much declared it only good for another year.

My question is what's the best modern equivalent. She doesn't want a combi (sensible) and a neighbour has had something by Worcester Bosch, the plumber says this is a very good choice. But he's unable to fit it in the chimney/flue setup that the Vulcan is currently using. Necessitating the new boiler to go on the ruddy wall (not something mum wants, if it can be avoided)

Any ideas? I'm no expert with installations though I can service the Vulcan. We still have the installation instructions but I don't live very close to mum and she's a complete technophobe.

 

[firemant]

There is no "equivalent", and no boiler will fit nto ANY old flue.

Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and let the plumber (Hopefuly actuall a Registered Gas Installer) get on with it. Just ask him to fit the simplest controls possible. There are no medals for being a dinosaur.

What is your beef with a Combi? True, they are not the best for all situations, and totally wrong for some, but probaby the the most common complaint (hot water cycling between hot & cold) is often due to carp installtions without proper cleansing. IMO.

 

[Gulliver]

The main objections to a combi is that every such system we have seen gives poor hot water pressure. It's quite a big house with a couple of bathrooms and several hot water taps, and kitchen appliances that use hot water. I have quite a lot of friends with combi boilers and nobody actually seems to like them. They seem to require an awful lot of maintenance and spare parts compared to a more traditional solution.

Mum wants to keep the hot water tank in the airing cupboard, because she uses it for airing clothes and towels. In addition she's in an area with very hard water and others in the locality with combi boilers have had serious limescale problems with gas engineers from various companies simply refusing to repair them and suggesting a full replacement.

All in all....apart from the people selling combis...I cannot think of anyone who recommends them. Sorry to be so negative.

 

[Aquazone]

There is nothing wrong with combi boilers if they are in the right property, and fitted well.
Most of the complaints of lime scale are not actually limescale but sludge from a poorly cleaned system.

I live in a hard water area and every time I get a blocked plate heat exchanger it's the black gunk on the heating side that's causing the problem. This will affect a heat only boiler as well, so make sure they system is thoroughly cleaned before putting a new boiler in.

I would say though in your situation a combi wouldn't be ideal, as for more than 1 bathroom I think there are better options, like staying with the setup you have or a pressurised hot water tank.

 

[DaveTidy]

Been in the gas industry for 36 years and combi's are popular in the South. Have a combi at home which is an old Worcester 280 which has been there for over 20 years now with no scaling problems.
Had a new actuator and spark electrode with no other issues. Took the tanks out to give more space in the bedroom and taught the family how to run a bath properly.
Both my kids have moved out and have their own houses and moan about heating tanks up where as you don't get that with a combi.

Each boiler type has it's benefits.

Personally with two bathroom you could get a higher flow rate combi or if it's that big a house I'd personally opt for megaflows or equivalents,but that's just me.

 

[stevetheplumber]

a combi isnt the right boiler for you you need a heat only boiler if your present cylinder is gravity fed you will have to upgrade the system to fully pumped and you will need some trvs on the system
given the age of the system it will need cleaning
for older customers i always use a simple programmer and a rotary room stat as they are easier to understand
i would suggest an intergas boiler for its large rwaterways on such an old system

 

[Pssst]

Cant believe it,,went in a house today and found a vulcan continental fitted !! Was 99% certain it would be wet/rusty/goosed but clicked the front off and no,,it was in A1 condition, no rust,no wet, no rot.. though the red and white buttons on the Honeywell valve could have used a squirt.. Ah yes,they dont make 'em like they used to..