Krown rustproofer V condensation ?

[Shayne]

Will it trap moisture in ?

Its an outside of the box question but because i have been investigating repairing my almost 5 year old valliant combi boiler due to build quality issues i've got to wondering if a light coat of Krown inside the main heat exchanger might extend its built in terminal lifespan ?

I expect to find the inside of my main heat exchanger in much better condition than that and the issue in need of address being a 12 quidish gasket set in need of replacement .

I hope so because a replacement main heat exchanger is £500+ without labour .

 

[Towpack]

Good though Krown is supposed to be, is it intended for continuous immersion in water? Also the heat aspect could be a problem as the Krown stuff doesn't fully dry out. Aquasteel is used on marine applications and dries to a hard coating so may be a better option. What do you use on your boats as a protective coating?

Also is the boiler for heating tap water? If it is then toxicity could be an issue.

 

[Shayne]

I'm yet to take it apart to see how it works as the mrs believes a qualified corgi with a university diploma in undoing 4 bolts should do it , but i was thinking its only filling up with condensation water because the drain is blocked .

I think this is what failed VAILLANT ECOTEC PRO 24 28 HEAT EXCHANGER DOOR GASKET SEAL 0020038679 4024074525821 | eBay - [Leaving Land Cruiser Club]

I see now why Krown won't help

Nothing protects on a boat wherever possible its bronze or stainless , hydraulic pipes and such are rust and replace consumables , this stuff Petroleum Tape Waterproof Anti Corrosion Pipe Wrap - [Leaving Land Cruiser Club] might extend life a little but i've recently started using Krown on the boat .

 

[Andy]

it looks to me that that heat exchanger has never been cleaned out, should be done when serviced ( annually) & new combustion door seals fitted, then the co2 should be adjusted as per manufacturers instructions, oh & the condense drain ways & trap etc flushed through / cleaned.

that seal should be changed each time the combustion door is removed If it leaks the emmisssions can go haywire && carbon monoxide leak out

oh and if the water in the system is dirty, with corrosion lumps etc, this can cause hotspots & warping of the heat exchanger ( that’s a tubular stainless steel one)

Andy

 

[Shayne]

And the expert advice “no seals in there mate it’s a write off you need a new boiler”

 

[Andy]

And the expert advice “no seals in there mate it’s a write off you need a new boiler”

View attachment 168626

There is a seal about a foot in diameter and a smaller oval shaped one on the front combustion door plate, however the heat exchanger has no seals inside it, its basically a coil of tube, if this is split / leaking, then yes its not a cost effective repair really to replace it. New boiler!
Modern boilers are finely tuned to get the efficiencies up to comply with government emissions targets etc, a load of crap when you compare it to the good old cast iron plodders that went on for years & years, a bit like my26 year old 80 compared to my up to the minute work vans, they wont last anywhere near as long & cost a fortune to maintain / replace regularly

 

[Shayne]

Yeah the coil has popped so while its very easy to replace (nudge nudge wink from one of the plumbers) parts and labour make it an insurance job .

Comes as no surprise to learn the boiler is the only thing on , in , part of , or around the house not covered by insurance .

 

[Andy]

I don’t know if Vailant’s own fixed price repair covers heat exchangers, may be worth a phone call

 

[Shayne]

If all goes well i will be calling them after i've had a hot bath and before the end of the week to have it serviced .

 

[Shayne]

While i'm at it do scale inhibitors actually work ?

Any recommendations ?

 

[Shayne]

150 quid in parts later BATH TIME

 

[Towpack]

Our first boiler lasted just over 30 years. Had several thermocouple changes in that time but they were a DIY job. Our second lasted 10 and became "obsolete" when a part that failed was no longer available. It had two main control PCB's in it's lifetime. The current one is just coming up 2 years old but is undoubtedly more efficleant than the last two. The boiler is in the garage and with the old boilers, particularly the first one, the garage was always kept nice and warm, not so with the latest one. The first one was also much larger in physical size for the same rating. Progress I suppose.

 

[Shayne]

Modern progress is why it took so long , well that and delivery times . I kept second guessing myself because surely something more than a paperclip and an o-ring holds it all together but no lego is the new reinforced concrete

 

[Shayne]

Been reading up on electronic/magnetic plumbing descalers "unproven snake oil rubbish but mine works" sums all the reading to be had up quite well .

Questions like these fill sleepless nights for me and i got to thinking i suppose it depends on what minerals are found in your local water so last night i got up to drop a magnet into my half full kettle which needs descaling weekly .

This morning i was able to rinse a lot of the scale away without touching it so i'm gonna get me one of these gadgets because i can't see how it can do any harm even if it does little noticeable good .