Polystyrene beads at base of boiler

bottlebrush · 30-12-2013 12:48pm #1

Hi. I went away for a few days over Christmas. When i returned there was a pile of polystyrene beads along the base of the boiler which is outside. I cleared them up but this morning there was another build up! I presume they are coming from within the boiler and i can't get hold of a plumber. I didn't have the heating coming on while i was away because a day or two before i went away i noticed a lot of water coming from the overflow pipe of the tank in the attic. Does anybody know if there two things are related. I an reluctant to turn on the heating in case i will do further damage until i can get a plumber in. Many thanks.

vertico · 30-12-2013 12:51pm

Have you had your walls pumped?

bottlebrush · 30-12-2013 12:54pm

vertico wrote: »

Have you had your walls pumped?

No and i don't think the previous owners had either. I bought the house in 2005.

vertico · 30-12-2013 12:56pm

Can you post a picture. It sounds like beads from the wall. If theres a hole where the pipes enter the house the strong winds can suck the beads out

bottlebrush · 30-12-2013 1:02pm

vertico wrote: »

Can you post a picture. It sounds like beads from the wall. If theres a hole where the pipes enter the house the strong winds can suck the beads out

Hi. I have just cleared them all up again but if you can imagine standing in front of the boiler and there is what looks like a pile up of hailstones along the ground at the base and nowhere else nearby or anywhere else in the garden!

vertico · 30-12-2013 1:11pm

I would almost definitely say that they are from your walls.open your meterbox and you might see a hole. You'll see if its been pumped.then check at the back of the boiler. There must be a hole where there coming out of your walls. Sorry can't help with the overflow problem

bottlebrush · 30-12-2013 1:12pm

vertico wrote: »

I would almost definitely say that they are from your walls.open your meterbox and you might see a hole. You'll see if its been pumped.then check at the back of the boiler. There must be a hole where there coming out of your walls. Sorry can't help with the overflow problem

I will do that and many thanks for your advice.

vertico · 30-12-2013 1:17pm

your welcome

fozz10 · 30-12-2013 7:23pm

cavitys were pumped. 100%.

laccros · 30-12-2013 7:26pm

Sounds like a mouse has gotten into your boiler housing. They tear at the polystyrene insulation and it comes away in little balls. A trap placed in the boiler housing will soon sort it as there is little else in there to eat. Hope this helps.

bottlebrush · 30-12-2013 7:27pm

fozz10 wrote: »

cavitys were pumped. 100%.

Do you mean they were pumped for insulation purposes? Goodness i was half thinking of getting this done shortly as my house is so cold!

Sir Arthur Daley · 30-12-2013 7:30pm

You have an attack of vermon mice or rats, poison and traps is the only job now, because of the dry year vermon are on the increase and trying everywhere to keep dry now.

fozz10 · 30-12-2013 7:31pm

yea. I worked with an insulation company and have my own done. they couldnt be from anything else.

fozz10 · 30-12-2013 7:33pm

or the above(mice) I didnt read the other posts just looked at the pics!

bottlebrush · 30-12-2013 7:38pm

Thanks folks. The presence of mice is a possibility and i hadn't thought of that and i will set traps. Is it possible that they got in around the pipes going from the boiler into the house and burrowed out the insulation beads or were the polystyrene beads located somewhere in the boiler to begin with?

Sir Arthur Daley · 30-12-2013 7:41pm

bottlebrush wrote: »

Thanks folks. The presence of mice is a possibility and i hadn't thought of that and i will set traps. Is it possible that they got in around the pipes going from the boiler into the house and borrowed out the insulation beads or were the polystyrene beads located somewhere in the boiler to begin with?

They have more paths and tunnels made everwhere it is like disneyworld to them, the heat off the pipes is attracting them too, lay on the poison and good smelly mackerel on the traps

bottlebrush · 30-12-2013 7:49pm

Tthanks everybody for all you advice on the boiler. I had a second question in my opening post which is that every time i turn my heating on the overflow pipe from the attic has started gushing out water to t.e ground below. My brother said to check the small tank in the attic to make sure it is full. I have and it is! Is it ok to turn on the heating until i get a plumber to have a look at it. IF there is a fault i wouldn't want to cause further damage until it is fixed.

scudo2 · 30-12-2013 8:26pm

Base of GRANT boiler has an aerobord sheet. Between boiler floor and straight on to concrete. Loose beads are from mice or were always some loose there from insulation time.

Ballcocks in attic needs to be replaced or just adjusted for a lower water level.

bottlebrush · 30-12-2013 8:28pm

scudo2 wrote: »

Base of GRANT boiler has an aerobord sheet. Between boiler floor and straight on to concrete. Loose beads are from mice or were always some loose there from insulation time.

Ballcocks in attic needs to be replaced or just adjusted for a lower water level.

That's great. Thanks.

Polystyrene beads at base of boiler

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