Squirrel back boiler condensation

[Wrinkley]

Hi all

Has anyone had experience of condensation inside their fire? Stupidly I closed the fire vents when I cleaned it and stuck the cap on the top of the flue. I think I have done the same in previous years to stop any smell. Today I noticed small drops of water inside the fire and more on the back boiler. Now this is either condensation, which it looks like, or the boiler sprung a small leak. Header tank still has water in. Any thoughts? 

[Nickhlx]

Dry it off, leave open to the air ( presumably its warm and dry where you are ?) and check again in a few hours...  if there is evidence of dampness I would be thinking its likely to be a leak...

[Alan de Enfield]

Assuming you are somewhere in the UK its unlikely to be condensation - I don't imagine anywhere has been cold enough for the air to reach dew-point temperature.

 

dew point

noun

noun: dew point; plural noun: dew points; noun: dewpoint; plural noun: dewpoints

1. the atmospheric temperature (varying according to pressure and humidity) below which water droplets begin to condense and dew can form.

[Boater Sam]

Mine sweats in winter with a cap on the flue when we are away. I now leave both the doors open all winter with a loose cap that doesn't seal the flue off.

Edited July 7, 2018 by Boater Sam
added more

[BEngo]

It's not true  condensation, it's the acids and stuff in the deposits on the boiler from the coals attracting moisture from the air at above the dew point.   it will eventually eat your boiler. Technical term is deliquescence IIRC.  The way to cure it is to give the boiler a wash over with either lime wash or soda crystals to neutralise the acids.

 

Easier said than done though.

 

N