Rotten Cabbage Smell From Boiler

[Jackrawlings]

Rotten Cabbage Smell coming from boiler .

This is the first time I’ve signed up or posted anything like this in my life time to a forum but I am at my wits end.

So......
Rotten egg cabbage smell coming from boiler in December 2019. Thought it was gas called out cadent they got a small reading of gas and a drop of 1 bar and shut us off.
We then paid £400 for the pleasure of an emergency gas engineer to come and spray some water on the pipes under the boiler and notice some bubbling . He then tightened up the nut and was on his way .

Had our first year service with vallient in December as the boiler is brand new . Everything was fine other than he noticed a small staines from a leak inside the boiler which he thought may be coming from the flue.

Week ago we start smelling the smell again if not worse then last time so call cadent out again . Guy doesn’t get a reading from atmosphere like the last guy and only gets an increased reading around the isolation valve . No drop in bar so doesn’t shut us off . We organise valliant to come out who replace the isolation valve . He tested it before and got a lot of blips on his machine and then none after he replaced it . He noted that their had been a leak inside the boiler from the flue and it looked worse than December so he told me I need to speak to the guy who installed the boiler . At this point I thought great well the smell issue has been fixed but now I have a bigger problem of a flue leaking on to my boiler and breaking all the components .
Day after he had been the smell has now come back . Which means it was never coming from the valve at all the smell is from elsewhere . It only comes on when we are using the hot water .
Now I’ve scoured the internet for results and I will attach some comments of what other people suggest it to be but it’s like a minefield out there of suggestions. One thing I’m sure it’s not is rodent .

Can anyone come to a conclusion of what it is from my description and who should I get to come a gas safe engineer or a plumber . I’m already getting the guy who installed it to come back to sort out the leaking from the flu .
[automerge]1590615948[/automerge]

Rotten Cabbage Smell coming from boiler .

This is the first time I’ve signed up or posted anything like this in my life time to a forum but I am at my wits end.

So....
Rotten egg cabbage smell coming from boiler in December 2019. Thought it was gas called out cadent they got a small reading of gas and a drop of 1 bar and shut us off.
We then paid £400 for the pleasure of an emergency gas engineer to come and spray some water on the pipes under the boiler and notice some bubbling . He then tightened up the nut and was on his way .

Had our first year service with vallient in December as the boiler is brand new . Everything was fine other than he noticed a small staines from a leak inside the boiler which he thought may be coming from the flue.

Week ago we start smelling the smell again if not worse then last time so call cadent out again . Guy doesn’t get a reading from atmosphere like the last guy and only gets an increased reading around the isolation valve . No drop in bar so doesn’t shut us off . We organise valliant to come out who replace the isolation valve . He tested it before and got a lot of blips on his machine and then none after he replaced it . He noted that their had been a leak inside the boiler from the flue and it looked worse than December so he told me I need to speak to the guy who installed the boiler . At this point I thought great well the smell issue has been fixed but now I have a bigger problem of a flue leaking on to my boiler and breaking all the components .
Day after he had been the smell has now come back . Which means it was never coming from the valve at all the smell is from elsewhere . It only comes on when we are using the hot water .
Now I’ve scoured the internet for results and I will attach some comments of what other people suggest it to be but it’s like a minefield out there of suggestions. One thing I’m sure it’s not is rodent .

Can anyone come to a conclusion of what it is from my description and who should I get to come a Registered Gas Engineer or a plumber . I’m already getting the guy who installed it to come back to sort out the leaking from the flu .

Here are some more responses

 

[oz-plumber]

Gee,
Some of the comments have certainly got to situation covered - not.
Plenty of helpful dangerous people out there.

I would be checking the condensate connection and seeing if it terminates into a sewer pipe.

 

[Jackrawlings]

Gee,
Some of the comments have certainly got to situation covered - not.
Plenty of helpful dangerous people out there.

I would be checking the condensate connection and seeing if it terminates into a sewer pipe.

Sorry I thought I should mention I’m on the 4th floor of a set of flats within a large house .

How can I check for this . Sorry I’m total a DIY Newbie

 

[SimonG]

First port of call would be the condensate pipework.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Did you manage to get hold of the guy who installed it to sort out the flue issues ?

 

[Jackrawlings]

Did you manage to get hold of the guy who installed it to sort out the flue issues ?

I’ve spoken to him and he is going to come back ASAP.
Here are the pictures of what damage has been done over the last two years from the leaking flue .
Also I have attached images of the flue itself as it’s 8m in length which the emergency engineer questioned but then the valliant guy said it was ok to have it up to 10m.

I’ve also noticed a small dent in the flue on a straight part of the pipe is this likely to be anything to do with it ?

 

[SimonG]

Holy cow, doesn't look right to me, but I only do oil.

 

[EvilDrPorkChop]

I’ve spoken to him and he is going to come back ASAP.
Here are the pictures of what damage has been done over the last two years from the leaking flue .
Also I have attached images of the flue itself as it’s 8m in length which the emergency engineer questioned but then the valliant guy said it was ok to have it up to 10m.

I’ve also noticed a small dent in the flue on a straight part of the pipe is this likely to be anything to do with it ?

Surprised the Vaillant engineer didn't pull that Flue. I would certainly would have done, the external section is awful. If water is coming down the flue and to that extent i'd be questioning the flue seals....I think it's quite difficult for rain water to get down the air duct of the vertical terminal - although anything is possible with that monstrosity!

 

[Jackrawlings]

Surprised the Vaillant engineer didn't pull that Flue. I would certainly would have done, the external section is awful. If water is coming down the flue and to that extent i'd be questioning the flue seals....I think it's quite difficult for rain water to get down the air duct of the vertical terminal - although anything is possible with that monstrosity!

The first Vaillant engineer called his boss and checked the length and said it was fine . He said it looked it good 😂. From speaking to another engineer he has said otherwise . He said there should be no white showing on the external part and with a flue that long is always difficult to allow for the water to run correctly even though valliant allow for 12m of flue .

After checking the fall of the flue today with a spirit level I starts at -2 goes to 0 at the bend then goes to -1 . Where it is 0 we have had water leaking out when we first moved in and the contractors just covered it with clear sealant glue .

I have also been told by an external engineer not the guy who fitted all this that he thinks it’s my tundish that needs swapping for a 15-22m dry trap tundish to eliminate the smell .
In regards to the flue the guy who installed has said he will come back next week but I have no idea what he’s goes to be able to do to it .

 

[moonlight]

I wonder if he checked the integrity of the flue? Whats that grey stuff on the flue coming out through the roof? I can't see the bottom section, too many attachments covering the bottom is there a piece missing? It doesn't look vertical.

 

[Jackrawlings]

I wonder if he checked the integrity of the flue? Whats that grey stuff on the flue coming out through the roof? I can't see the bottom section, too many attachments covering the bottom is there a piece missing? It doesn't look vertical.

Its not totally straight .