Vallaint Boiler "fog horn" noise

[chassy]

My Vaillaint ecoMAX boiler makes a loud "fog horn noise" for 10-20 seconds each time it fires up. Service engineer says might be vertical flue but not convinced. When he serviced boiler recently he said it's not fan or other internal parts that causes it. Anyone got any better ideas?

 

[oldplumber]

ive got a halstead in a flat i rent out that did the same for a while, having not been used for a couple of months, i think it was the pump jamming on some muck and it stopped after it was used again. We just talked very loud when tenants were looking at the flat!!!!!!!!!

 

[rachel123]

My Vaillant did this for 3 days then broke!

 

[chassy]

Thanks but dont think this explains my boiler noise. Maybe will get system powerflushed or maga cleaned and see if that helps.

 

[Transcoman]

Sounds like the combustion ratio to me, may well be over-gassing.

 

[fireblade]

I would agree with transcoman bad combustion flame lift on burner possible gas valve sticking

 

[newbie1]

as above call engineer to check with manometer and gas rate it as well doesnt sound right and any boom on start up is deff not right

 

[chassy]

Thank you will try get heating engineer to check this out. One question - should Vallaint service engineer have cheked this last week as I had told Vallaint of noise problem b/f he called to do annual service?

 

[newbie1]

catagorically yes

 

[chassy]

Thanks i feel a complaint letter coming on

 

[Transcoman]

...should Vallaint service engineer have cheked this last week as I had told Vallaint of noise problem b/f he called to do annual service?

Without a shadow of a doubt, but this would not be the first time that they failed to do this. Write and phone them, they are pretty good at following up and will generally send a different engineer a second time, particularly if you stress that you don't want the same one.

 

[chassy]

Thank you. I have written to Vallaint and await a reply. Usually i find them responsive to complaints but I must admit their service engineers leave a lot to be desired (think they us Glow Warm people) and tehy seem to do a very basic service check.

 

[Transcoman]

(think they us Glow Warm people) .

I can assure you that they don't and what's more it is probably best to determine that as a fact before suggesting it. Vaillant have their own engineers, Glow Worm have theirs.

I predominantly install GW boilers, Vaillant are a very close second largely due to costs; I have had reason to call out the Vaillant engineers three times in the last two years to a newly installed boiler which was still under warranty and each time they wrongly diagnosed the fault and had to get a second engineer to determine the cause - this despite the fact I told them on each occasion what the problem was (a faulty fan, a faulty diverter valve and a faulty heat exchanger). I have had to call a GW engineer out once in the last five years, the fault was confirmed in seconds and repaired and working again within 30 minutes.

That is why I fit so many GW and why I am also an accredited GW installer.

 

[CharterGAS]

co2 % is out - hence noise! only other problem would be blocked flue or flue running wrong way or run flat and condense holding in flue!

 

[chassy]

I don't understand the flue comment. It's a standard vertical flue through garage roof directly above the boiler. It was installed 3 months ago and doubt very much if blocked. There's plenty of steam when boiler is running so don't quite understand how that could be an issue. Are you saying flue is not working as it should?

 

[fireblade]

A seal from the inner flue to the outer flue can cause the noise because the boiler draws in co2 instead of oxygen and causes the flame to lift off the burner tube and make a noise

 

[oldie]

I had exactly the same problem, after a BG "engineer" came to replace a faulty fan we had this roaring noise that sounded like concorde taking off,and the flames being a good 3cm above the burner. Three DIFFERENT fitters later,and because they couldn't diagnose the problem, we had our boiler isolated for a week in the middle of winter the reason being "for our safety" The final "engineer" to arrive discovered that the original chap had fitted the flue/boiler seal incorrectly and it was allowing the exhaust fumes to be drawn backing the combustion chamber. Not exactly the safest instalation I have ever witnessed. You can rely on good Ol' BG can't you, they always warn about using cowboys

oldie

 

[Transcoman]

I had exactly the same problem, after a BG "engineer" came to replace a faulty fan we had this roaring noise that sounded like concorde taking off,and the flames being a good 3cm above the burner. Three DIFFERENT fitters later,and because they couldn't diagnose the problem, we had our boiler isolated for a week in the middle of winter the reason being "for our safety" The final "engineer" to arrive discovered that the original chap had fitted the flue/boiler seal incorrectly and it was allowing the exhaust fumes to be drawn backing the combustion chamber. Not exactly the safest instalation I have ever witnessed. You can rely on good Ol' BG can't you, they always warn about using cowboys

oldie

BG = Biggest Gaffs. When I was working for Transco, we often found that a smell of gas had been reported and we arrived it was because BG had frequently left the test nipple either off or loose on the appliance or meter.

 

[chassy]

Too many could bes and maybes for me. Who can actually diagnose this problem and get rid of noise?

 

[GreenArmy]

Too many could bes and maybes for me. Who can actually diagnose this problem and get rid of noise?

Not one person can diagnose this problem on an internet discussion forum, but several posters have offered advice on what it could be. All the guys that have offered advice would look at many things with this problem, including flue, gas/air ratio, gas valve ect ect... So to ask if anyone can ACTUALLY diagnose the problem on this site, then i would say no, not for definate. Please take all advice given and use that info to tackle the Vaillant engineer.

 

[LIFES A GAS]

I came across one very noisey Vaillant ecoMax pro 18e (system boiler), it turned out that the pcb had been set up for the pro 28e model (over gassed) but your noise could be something completely different. Did it make the noise when the Vaillant engineer tested it?. By the by, when it come to comparing engineers from different companies or manufactures you can find good & bad ones from most of them (yes even BG), some intermittant faults can test the best of us and diagnosing a fault on an internet forum is not always that easy either.
Martin

 

[chassy]

Re possible Flue problem. Its a black verticle flue above the boiler and thru the flat garage roof. Its about 3 feet length in total and there is adequate clearance all round. Seems pretty professional installation with proper penetration collar and a dome like termination sleeve/cap? and no blockages that I can see. Is there minimum length for air/flue ducts?Would extending it eliminate the noise each time boiler fires up??

 

[nowego]

Had same problem recently on Glowworm 30cx, spoke with technical and they advised adjust co2 level to 8.8% carried this out all working perfectly.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

I came across one very noisey Vaillant ecoMax pro 18e (system boiler), it turned out that the pcb had been set up for the pro 28e model (over gassed) but your noise could be something completely different. Did it make the noise when the Vaillant engineer tested it?. By the by, when it come to comparing engineers from different companies or manufactures you can find good & bad ones from most of them (yes even BG), some intermittant faults can test the best of us and diagnosing a fault on an internet forum is not always that easy either.
Martin

agree 100%

 

[chassy]

Ok so how do i adjust level. I will try anything at this stage to get a nights sleep.