Worcester Boiler Smells

FixenVixen

They did the Annual check up of my Worcester Boiler a week or so ago. When they did, I asked if they could do a test on the fan. They did and when the did it started making a loud noise and they told me it was the Expansion Vessel that neede replacing. So they did that the other day. And I think they also put in a PR Valve or something like that.

Then a day or so after they put in 3 new radiators, in the living room, hallway and bedroom, I could still smell the fuel oil type smell in the living room an in the hallway though, even with the new radiators. The living room is almost right across from the kitchen where the boiler is. Every night, when I get up to get a glass of water an I have to go through the hallway it stinks like a fuel oil smell. The other night after the installation of the radiators, I wenti nto the kitchen to check if the water pessure was saying up to where they had put it because it kept going down to zero. It seemed okay but then I noticed the ECO button was not on. Two of the repair guys had advised me to keep it on ECO, telling me that if it isn't on then it runs all the time. I am not sure what it is that runs all the time, but anyway so I pushed the ECO button and went back to bed...

But then to my surprise almost immediately after going to bed I heard a noise in the kitchen so I got up and it was the boiler making noise like a motor or fan or whatever. Then I couldn't believe it but the entire kitchen smelled like this sort of perfumy plasticy type of smell, and I went into the living room and the whole living room smelled the same way. I think it was because they had put in some sort of bottle of something into the boiler, I guess some sort of cleaning solution, but I am not sure what it is. You can see it underneath where the pipes are. But that is supposed to go into your radiators isn't it, and not into your rooms in the house?

I went back to bed and woke up again a couple of hours later, and the living room door entrance and hall again smelled ait usually dos ith the fuel oil type of smell.

Also, at some point I noticed that the smell was not as bad as it usually is but that was sometime before this thing happened wit the ECO button and all of that.

Anyway, the next thing that happened was that today I had decided to write down all of the settings of everything on the Wall Radiators an also on the boiler to determine what is the best settings to minimise the smells. I had it all a certain way but I kept smelling the fuel oil smell as I walked through the living room door. It is not near as strong as it is at night but sometimes I still faintly smell it. I decided to try turning on the ECO button, though I had vowed to myself never to do that again, just to see if the same thing would happen again as last time, and to my surprise again, what happened within just a few minutes, like 7 or so minutes, was that I could feel my breathing getting back to normal. Every time that smell is in the living room it cuts off my breathing alot (I have an asthma-like condition). And not only that but walked back through the living room door entrace and I couldn't smell that fuel oil smell.

I would really appreciate it if you could maybe just tell me what you think could be the problem?

Alex1983

The eco button just activates pre heat for the hot water.

When the light is on pre heat is off and the boiler will on come on when you turn a hot tap on or the heating on.

When the light is off the the boiler will try and keep a small bank of hot water heated all the time to minimise your wait for hot water when you turn a hot tap on.

It will only fire for a very short period, probably no more then 10 seconds every now and again.

Do you have a oil boiler or gas?

Ectophile

If you haven't already got a carbon monoxide detector, get one.


A boiler shouldn't smell. The modern ones are room sealed, so they suck air in from outside and blow the gases back outside again. Even older ones should be sucking in air from the room and blowing them out the flue.


So either you've got a leak somewhere, or something is overheating and smelling. Either way it really needs looking at.

JohnB47

FixenVixen wrote: »

I asked if they could do a test on the fan. They did and when the(y) did it started making a loud noise and they told me it was the Expansion Vessel that neede(d) replacing.

This sounds very very dodgy to me. Like going to a garage with a problem with the lighting on your car and being told you need a new tyre.

Expansion vessels sometimes just loose air pressure and need pumped up, at least as a first try before replacing. I did that myself with mine about 3 years ago - still going strong.

Do the people working on your boiler have a good local reputation?