flue analysis ..is it servicing?

[CHILOR]

Hi all I have been installing boilers and now I'm out servicing different type of boilers. Please a co..co2 reading of 0.0004 to 0.0008 is seen as standard.
What about 0.0001 and above 0.0008.?
I got the Anton table guide ...does it mean that a boiler flue reading of 0.00013 or up 0.00015 is good?
Secondly 0.0013 is a much higher number ? These numbers are doing me some headaches please could someone throw some knowledge on this for me to know when a boiler need to be opened.
Thanks

 

[Chuck]

Good evening. May I enquire, what training have you had for your work? Did you have to pass any tests and exams? What type of boilers are you installing and servicing?

Secondly 0.0013 is a much higher number ? These numbers are doing me some headaches please could someone throw some knowledge on this for me to know when a boiler need to be opened.

Yes, 0.0013 is ten times as large as 0.00013.

 

[heliotrope]

The numbers on their own mean nothing.
The manufacturers instructions should be read and understood.
These will tell you when to strip an appliance for servicing.

 

[CHILOR]

Good evening. May I enquire, what training have you had for your work? Did you have to pass any tests and exams? What type of boilers are you installing and servicing?


Yes, 0.0013 is ten times as large as 0.00013.

Thanks chuk
Yes I did exams and passed. Like I said before when you install is quite different from going around servicing different kind of boilers with different settings. I got a temporary analyser in place of mine (Kane 456 sent for calibration ) when I use it it gave me some readings...I wrote about. I guess coming into this group is to get clarity on what you are confused about?
I see a lot of ideal logic and old baxi solo 3 and few greestars recently...

 

[CHILOR]

Thanks chuk
Yes I did exams and passed. Like I said before when you install is quite different from going around servicing different kind of boilers with different settings. I got a temporary analyser in place of mine (Kane 456 sent for calibration ) when I use it it gave me some readings...I wrote about. I guess coming into this group is to get clarity on what you are confused about?
I see a lot of ideal logic and old baxi solo 3 and few greestars recently...

 

[CHILOR]

The numbers on their own mean nothing.
The manufacturers instructions should be read and understood.
These will tell you when to strip an appliance for servicing.

Thank you heliotrope
Sometimes these boilers don't have mi books available except when you downloads. I do understand your point which I must take seriously. Thanks once again.

 

[sammathias]

You can't service a boiler properly without the manufacturer instructions....unless you've serviced loads and know all the readings. just doing a fga isn't servicing an appliance but is just a safteys check. As for numbers...I find it hard to understand how you have passed the relative tests but don't understand ratios??? 0.004 and above would be a strip down of a combi boiler...although I would strip the boiler down and change seals etc every two years anyway.

 

[king of pipes]

Servicing them or just sticking the flue gas analyser in doing **** ? 0.004 is the figure, but I would be stripping it long before then . Kop

Spooky Sam just typing as you were mate beat me to it .

 

[Aire]

Download the Anton app, it's free and as well as having rad calculators, gas rates and pipe sizing, it also has pdf files for about 95% of boilers so if you come across a customer who doesn't have the boiler book, you have atleast got the instructions of how to service it properly.

 

[Riley]

More importantly if you’d like the forums guidance on FGA use please message @ShaunCorbs, @Riley or @Harvest Fields with your gas safe details and we will get you access to the gas safe engineer section where issues can be discussed out of the public view

 

[Scott_D]

What other checks/tests do you complete when servicing?

 

[Riley]

Are you asking? Or asking the OP mate?

 

[townfanjon]

I think you are just getting confused with the decimal point and where it goes .

 

[Scott_D]

Are you asking? Or asking the OP mate?

The Op
Just thinking the company procedure might be to do the minimum safety checks, touch nothing else and he has to do lots in a day. Or he might not know what should be covered.

 

[snowhead]

If the customer is asking for a Boiler service then that's what they'll expect, regardless of any FGA readings, strip down as per M.I's

If your employed by someone offering annual checks as part of a comprehensive maintenance contract and their instruction to you is not to strip if the FGA results are within a particular limit, then that's what you'd do.

But if that was me I wouldn't be putting anything down about the boiler being serviced, only that it was within acceptable limits.

If you're employed by someone who wants a high, fixed number of services done per day, get another job.

I'm glad I only ever did commercial and didn't fall into this got to do a fixed number of Domestic boilers lark.

 

[Riley]

The Op
Just thinking the company procedure might be to do the minimum safety checks, touch nothing else and he has to do lots in a day. Or he might not know what should be covered.

Fair one mate

 

[CHILOR]

Thank you Sam. Reading and passing it and practically doing it as a profession are 2 different things.You have gathered your experiences over the years.You didn't know everything about boilers the day you qualify?..You have failed in some aspects and asked questions no matter how stupid they may sound. So that is the courage people get to join a group like this. When you are taken on by a company to do 8 services/safety check a day.. it's a different ball game. Time and pressure. Little things you know before begin to disappear. You dont want to let yourself down.
Many of us who's been qualified over 10 years will still fail the exams when they take it again.
I have installed different boilers over 3.5 years but now im going around doing servicing and looking for faults. I do open boilers to check all the content involved in the exercise...but would you strip a boiler that's working fine and after all the said checks when nothing is wrong with it?
I'm just looking for clarity. In the case of ratios i have done my honework now...I'm good. Thanks

 

[Riley]

I don’t think Sam is having a go at you I think he is asking have you actually had any practical experience of using an analyser prior to going out in the wide world? The guy that I learned from was proper old school but liked the idea of the fluegas analyser and was using one from very early on when a lot of engineers were still thinking they were snake oil. I know some companies have a policy about stripping down boilers however I think a lot of guys that work for themselves would carry out what a lot of us class as a proper service based on the guidance from the manufacturers instructions. The whole reason in the first place for analysers was British Gas getting so many callbacks when their engineers were rushing and hadn’t put the boiler casings back on properly it was costing them a fortune. They worked on the basis that if the analyser readings were okay then a full strip down wasn’t necessary. You can see the merits of this however it is not what I would call thorough as we all know that some gasket seals need replacing and how would you feel if that failed six months after you’ve carried out a “service” resulting in a dead boiler when a simple strip down and gasket replacement would’ve prevented it.

 

[Harvest Fields]

Have you not doing an FGA on your installs mate?

 

[CHILOR]

If the customer is asking for a Boiler service then that's what they'll expect, regardless of any FGA readings, strip down as per M.I's

If your employed by someone offering annual checks as part of a comprehensive maintenance contract and their instruction to you is not to strip if the FGA results are within a particular limit, then that's what you'd do.

But if that was me I wouldn't be putting anything down about the boiler being serviced, only that it was within acceptable limits.

If you're employed by someone who wants a high, fixed number of services done per day, get another job.

I'm glad I only ever did commercial and didn't fall into this got to do a fixed number of Domestic boilers lark.

Snowhead, thanks very much for your response. There's great differences between gas safe checks and servicing. I'm doing gas safe checks and now understand what I'm up to. Thanks...

 

[Harvest Fields]

Snowhead, thanks very much for your response. There's great differences between gas safe checks and servicing. I'm doing gas safe checks and now understand what I'm up to. Thanks...

Have you not doing an FGA on your installs mate?

I refer to my previous post. If you have been installing boilers, you should be more than familiar with these figures and how to use a FGA. You have to use an FGA as part of the commissioning process on any new install.

 

[CHILOR]

Thanks guys . I have digested all that has been said and what is involved and the implications of getting things wrong. I use my fga for every installs I do and know the expected results. Now that I'm out all the time visiting different models in different conditions I will be prudent and thorough with every activity and experience . Much appreciated.

 

[CHILOR]

Have you not doing an FGA on your installs mate?

Yes i do bro. Maybe my temporary fga failed me cos I only used it 3x and it gave me some funny readings....hence my confusion about the ratio thing .I have had to go back with a better one to complete the jobs. Thanks

 

[Old Account]

Thank you Sam. Reading and passing it and practically doing it as a profession are 2 different things.You have gathered your experiences over the years.You didn't know everything about boilers the day you qualify?..You have failed in some aspects and asked questions no matter how stupid they may sound. So that is the courage people get to join a group like this. When you are taken on by a company to do 8 services/safety check a day.. it's a different ball game. Time and pressure. Little things you know before begin to disappear. You dont want to let yourself down.
Many of us who's been qualified over 10 years will still fail the exams when they take it again.
I have installed different boilers over 3.5 years but now im going around doing servicing and looking for faults. I do open boilers to check all the content involved in the exercise...but would you strip a boiler that's working fine and after all the said checks when nothing is wrong with it?
I'm just looking for clarity. In the case of ratios i have done my honework now...I'm good. Thanks

Yes, I would strip a boiler down even though the FGA readings are superb. I would always clean the boiler, replace the parts and seals and would do all my ****.

 

[Scott_D]

You can go on manufacturer training days. Usually it’s free (you may not earn any money that day)

Go on as many as you can

 

[sammathias]

I wasnt trying to shoot you down pal... Just saying the stripdown ratio is basic knowledge, you would learn it in your test. You would physically come across it in the practical, it says it in majority of manufactures instructions.
I would never work for a company expecting me to do 8+ safteys checks a day and yes I would strip a boiler down every 2 years atleast to change burner gaskets and seals as they have been known to fail causing practically the cost of a new boiler for a simple £15 seal. Yes saftey check and service are completely different.

 

[JVTrades]

Yes, I would strip a boiler down even though the FGA readings are superb. I would always clean the boiler, replace the parts and seals and would do all my ****.

I read some of the posts with interest and this is one of them. What do you do when asked to service an older boiler where new combustion panels are no longer available. The boiler should be stripped and cleaned to do the job properly but opening it may also open a can of worms! I've done what I can and tested the gasses and if these are ok then left it at that. Interested to know what you do

 

[dan_the_plumber]

Hi all I have been installing boilers and now I'm out servicing different type of boilers. Please a co..co2 reading of 0.0004 to 0.0008 is seen as standard.
What about 0.0001 and above 0.0008.?
I got the Anton table guide ...does it mean that a boiler flue reading of 0.00013 or up 0.00015 is good?
Secondly 0.0013 is a much higher number ? These numbers are doing me some headaches please could someone throw some knowledge on this for me to know when a boiler need to be opened.
Thanks

I would strongly suggest you do more training and a lot more reading before you get out there as a service engineer.
You may be able to install boilers to regs, but service and repair is whole different game and should only be done by properly educated and experienced engineers.
Have you thought about maybe doing the Baxi and Worcester courses? Maybe you should think about having some refresher ACS training too.

 

[CHILOR]

You can go on manufacturer training days. Usually it’s free (you may not earn any money that day)

Go on as many as you can

Yeah Scott ..I look forwArd to doing just that thanks.