One For The Oil Boys!

[SimonG]

Went to an oil leak today on a Camray 5 combi. Was there in January, pump leaking, no new pump on van so repaired. So was expecting that my repair had failed, so made sure I had a pump before going.
Walked through the door and you could smell what I thought was oil. Opened it up and absolutely bone dry, no oil, no dampness absolutely nothing. Pulled the rdb burner again no oil. Burner back in and sparked it up. Ran for about 5 mins until went off on stat, still no oil leak. Then I notice smoke coming out of the top, not a lot but it stunk, smelt like burning glass fibre which smelt almost like oil. So pulled the side panel to find source of smoke. The smoke was coming from the bottom outside corner of the heat store from between the store and the insulation.

Can't get in anymore without pulling the boiler, anybody any ideas or suggestions?

 

[dontknowitall]

Posting here to show I've read it (in case you were wondering). I'm flummoxed by that one.

A foreign body (e.g. rag fallen on to hot pipe or circulating pump (if fitted) burning out? I'm sure you've looked for these things as well.

 

[SimonG]

Thats what I thought, but everything on this boiler is on the top. I was also considering that it was from the oil leak in January as I have just had the customer on the phone 'forgot to mention' that the boiler has not been used since the week after I repaired the oil leak. I was wondering if the insulation has soaked up the oil and is now being released with the heat now that they have switched the boiler back on. But I may be just clutching at straws.

 

[dontknowitall]

You'd recognise the oil fumes and we know they don't smell like burning glass fibre.

Part of the jacket or insulation burning? Probably not though!

 

[WHPES]

Is it not fumes escaping from the baffle cover seal / flue seal?

 

[SimonG]

Is it not fumes escaping from the baffle cover seal / flue seal?

Wish it was, but it's coming from the bottom of the boiler at the corner of the thermal store.

 

[Best]

Has the boiler a dry base? In other words, does it have base insulation? Obviously, critical.

 

[SimonG]

No insulation to base.

 

[kimbo]

I cant remember on these if the auto airvent is on that side or not, if it was leaking a small amount and running into the insulation that might give you the smell you describe?