New boiler casing seals needed but unavailable - does the entire boiler REALLY need to be replaced?

GaseousAgley

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

It appears the seals were discontinued nearly 10 years ago
So probably unlikely anyone has any old stock remaining.

Yes, that's what I suspect as well. But what about using seals from a different supplier?

It might (must?) be possible to get seals made of the same material as the originals and with much the same dimensions so why should there be a problem with using these instead? I know they won't have been approved by Glow-worm but cannot see why they should be any less safe than Glow-worm seals (i.e. if they are effectively the same thing).

Alex1983

They probably won't be less safe but it doesn't change the fact you can't fit non approved/ non tested parts to boilers, certainly critical safety components like case seals.

Very extreme but let's say a gas safe registered person fits these ones you've had made and someone in the house dies, the gas safe person will be up in court on a manslaughter charge explaining why he decided to fit a non approved, non tested component to your boiler that resulted in a death. This is the reason I would be very surprised if you find anyone willing to do it and concerned about the quality of the person your using if you find anyone.

The boiler is probably well over 20yrs old with a obsolete component required, you need to bite the bullet and replace the boiler.

GaseousAgley

Alex1983 wrote: »

They probably won't be less safe but it doesn't change the fact you can't fit non approved/ non tested parts to boilers, certainly critical safety components like case seals.

Very extreme but let's say a gas safe registered person fits these ones you've had made and someone in the house dies, the gas safe person will be up in court on a manslaughter charge explaining why he decided to fit a non approved, non tested component to your boiler that resulted in a death. This is the reason I would be very surprised if you find anyone willing to do it and concerned about the quality of the person your using if you find anyone.

The boiler is probably well over 20yrs old with a obsolete component required, you need to bite the bullet and replace the boiler.

Thanks for replying.
So are you saying it's a legal requirement to only use a Glow-worm approved seal, or rather that a different manufacturer's seal could be used but you don't think a reputable engineer/fitter would do so to avoid putting themselves at any risk of future prosecution?

tacpot12

There are sellers on eBay advertising genuine Glowworm case seals for other model of boilers. The sellers list the dimensions of the seals, so I would measure the existing seals to see if you can identify that the new case seals are a good match for the old seals, bearing in mind that the old seals will be crushed in one dimension. Take into account the current material, and select new seals made of the same material.

New seals, providing they fill the gap and are compressed when the boiler case is refitted and the screws tightened, will be safer than the current seals.

Do you have a Carbon Monoxide Detector? If not, you need to get one asap. Even with the correct seals, if there is a problem with the airsupply to the room, you run the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

I would suggest you call Glowworm and get a part number for the seals that they has stopped making. Searching for these might be a way to find old stock. You could also keep your eye out on eBay for anyone selling a complete old Spacesaver 50 MKii. Complete boilers don't come up often on eBay, but you only need one with better seals than your current one.