boiler heat shields

[crisk]

Hi all (gas engineers)

Im a gas engineer, and am currently servicing numerous makes/models of boiler everyday. Some of the older types i come across with an accessible combustion chamber with main burner and heat shields (normally four surrounding) i clean off heat exchanger and brush burner and heat shields clear. obviously in a confined space i tend to breathe in this dust and have a sneezing fit and nose hurts after for a bit! This may be a stupid question but i can't seem to find out (only looked on internet so far!) what the heat shields r made of.....Is the dust harmful???? sorry if that makes me look dumb just haven't bothered to call manufacturers yet.......

Thanks

Chris

 

[crisk]

Hi all (gas engineers)

Im a gas engineer, and am currently servicing numerous makes/models of boiler everyday. Some of the older types i come across with an accessible combustion chamber with main burner and heat shields (normally four surrounding) i clean off heat exchanger and brush burner and heat shields clear. obviously in a confined space i tend to breathe in this dust and have a sneezing fit and nose hurts after for a bit! This may be a stupid question but i can't seem to find out (only looked on internet so far!) what the heat shields r made of.....Is the dust harmful???? sorry if that makes me look dumb just haven't bothered to call manufacturers yet.......

Thanks

Chris

 

[ecowarm]

Welcome to the forum crisk, old boilers can contain asbestos have a look at this link originally posted by mike jackson



[DLMURL]http://swbjackson.zenfolio.com/tb-140-applainces-known-to-contain-asbestos-materials.pdf[/DLMURL]

 

[gasmarc]

some of the boilers contain asbestos and there is a list available. I was cleaning a back boiler for a polish doctor years ago and there was a bit of black soot floating about in the air. She informed me that once black soot gets into your lungs it doesnt come out again. I now wear a mask and avoid back boilers

 

[diamondgas]

Hi Chris and :welcome: to the forum

I do my best to keep the vaccuum going if and when I brush down heatechangers etc! Thorn Apollo's use to leave a strange sweet taste even though I didn't lick them clean God Honest Truth

Do be careful of Asbestoss though!

 

[gasmarc]

I have gone off servicing and now just stick the FGA in the flue instead

 

[diamondgas]

I have gone off servicing and now just stick the FGA in the flue instead

You know what it is when they first brought the FGA out that is what we were lead to believe! Less than 0.004 leave well alone! Well with no boiler cases being removed you can imagine the issues that were building up and still are!

 

[crisk]

cheers all, I've just looked at the list and whoops!! I've done a few of them and breathed it all in! great!! i'll wear a mask from now on. if u hear of an engineer dropping dead in the south...that be me! And I've heard stories from customers that tell me some engineers come in for 5 mins do the FG Analyser test then bugger off, I've gone in 3 months after a BG engineer went in passed the boiler and issued an emissions certificate, i did the test the alarms went off on my analyser i opened the chamber and the heat shields were half rotten and the boiler casing was starting to go......so i now open every boiler casing, (which i did anyway) but u should always check that....no point cutting corners....

 

[gasmarc]

I am not interested in making work for myself but always ask the customer what they want as most usually want a safety check or GLSC. My mate has pulled BG up twice where they have passed 2 boilers both had the flues rotted on them. BG were very quick to replace both boilers or get reported

 

[southcoastboile]

Im the same, breathed in so much stuf before, went to the doctors about it because i seem to always be short of breath, im actuly worried ive breathed in asbestos. Brought a mask since but always forget to wear it.

 

[crisk]

i agree i hate making work for myself gas safety or landlords then u don't need to clean it, but i service all day everyday and i'll always check inside just to cover my own bum. another job was a glowworm that had been passed and 7 months lata i went in done the FGA and gas rate they both ok but took casing off just in case and the heat exchanger gasket had gone and the gases escaping had furred up and rotted the chamber cover luckily it was in the garage but still the service engineer b4 me should have checked it as it had definitely been leaking for quite some time

 

[diamondgas]

Im the same, breathed in so much stuf before, went to the doctors about it because i seem to always be short of breath, im actuly worried ive breathed in asbestos. Brought a mask since but always forget to wear it.

Is that a Bill Clinton mask or Frankenstein lol

I've sucked in a heck of a lot of carp over the years! Ho-hum! Doesn't asbestos take a couple of decades to develope? There's some good news southcoast lol

 

[PlumbBobBob]

welcome to the forums crisk

 

[GrahamM]

Hi all (gas engineers)

Im a gas engineer, and am currently servicing numerous makes/models of boiler everyday. Some of the older types i come across with an accessible combustion chamber with main burner and heat shields (normally four surrounding) i clean off heat exchanger and brush burner and heat shields clear. obviously in a confined space i tend to breathe in this dust and have a sneezing fit and nose hurts after for a bit! This may be a stupid question but i can't seem to find out (only looked on internet so far!) what the heat shields r made of.....Is the dust harmful???? sorry if that makes me look dumb just haven't bothered to call manufacturers yet.......

Thanks

Chris

Working in a confined space breathing in any kind of dust particles is certainly not going to do you much good. Spend a few quid on some disposable dust masks.

 

[Dannypipe]

Its itches your skin too.

I don't know what its made of, but I am sure it can't be good for you.

In the old days it was asbestos.

OOOOOOOOH lovely. Not.

 

[Roger Welton]

Isn't is some sort of refractory ceramic fibre board?

 

[tamz]

Im the same, breathed in so much stuf before, went to the doctors about it because i seem to always be short of breath, im actuly worried ive breathed in asbestos. Brought a mask since but always forget to wear it.

If you have breathed in asbestos you will have a long wait to find out if it affects you.
In the meantime don't worry too much and buy a dust mask.

 

[mikegas]

25 years till you become seriously ill

 

[Pssst]

I guess its luck of the draw. I have been messing with gas for more than 30 years now and have raddled plenty of those boilers on the list.

I recently had a chest x ray on an unrelated matter and was screened for pleural plaques and nothing found. If that gives any comfort to anyone then great..

You cant stop whats coming...