Asbestos in new Heat Exchanger in boiler??

[Mike Weathery]

Hi all

Am just stripping down a 1994 Saunier Duval boiler for its parts, mainly because BG recently installed a new Heat Exchanger. Having reached the heat exchanger it does indeed look brand new, nice matt silver finish!

However inside there is a 1cm thick lining of a fibrous white material. Surely this can't be asbestos!?

Is there a new type of material that is used around the heat exchangers these days, which is easily broken, very weak and flay, and resembles papier-maché when easily broken up, but in its solid form is a perfect thin block?

Thanks - before I go any further!

Me.

[Malcolm Stewart]

When I was working as an H&S Advisor some years ago, I sent off many samples, such as you describe, for professional analysis, and they all returned a negative. What did surprise me, but not the experts, was finding asbestos fibres in old Marley floor tiles. Providing we didn't do any drilling, grinding etc. we were advised that there was no problem. I'd be surprised if a 1994 boiler used asbestos because of the time when I was getting these negative results. (Say from 1985 through to 2000)

[Mike Weathery]

"Malcolm Stewart" wrote in message news:4581a7b6$0$15503$ [e-mail]...

Interesting, there must be some similar fireproof material in use which is non-hazardous.

Note I mentioned the heat exchanger itself which these are in is new (2006). Is asbestos illegal in *all* applications, or only some building uses?

[Mike Weathery]

"Malcolm Stewart" wrote in message news:4581a7b6$0$15503$ [e-mail]...

Hmm having just stripped out the Heat Exchanger I realise the 'material' is part of the original 1994 appliance not the new 2006 HE.

Is there any way Asbestos could be in a 1994 Saunier Duval Thelia 623 boiler, or shall I cancel the ambulance? ;)

[Malcolm Stewart]

There's a mass of material on the web about asbestos, and the law etc. Determining whether the fibres are asbestos requires a determination of the refractive index of the fibre under the microscope, and I believe that special oils(?) are available with different refractive indices for this determination. You can't tell by just looking with the naked eye.

[Mike Weathery]

"Malcolm Stewart" wrote in message news:4581bf38$0$15561$ [e-mail]...

Well if it is illegal to install in the heat exchange of a 1994 boiler, that'd be a good way to tell! :-|

Hopefully someone here knows...

[Newshound]

Very unlikely IMHO, I think this is probably a rockwool product, description is identical to the stuff in the 2003 Halstead which I currently have in bits.....

[Guy King]

The message from "Malcolm Stewart" contains these words:

It's usually done with one oil for a particular range of indices and you vary the temperature of the stage and read off against a table.

[TMC]

from Google

Saunier Duval Nottingham Road Belper Derbyshire DE56 1JT Tel : [phone]

E-mail us : [e-mail]

Tony

[David Kemper]

Hi, IANAAE but I have reason to have looked into this asbestos problem and have had advice from HSE & HSL. I service & repair commercial appliances. Prior to 1992 when the manufacture of appliances containing white asbestos (chrysotile) was banned, many of the appliances I repair had white asbestos insulation. After 1992 other materials were substituted, usually fibre glass. In essence, asbestos can no longer be used in the manufacture or repair of appliances. It is acceptable to repair appliances containing asbestos provided the asbestos is in good condition and the equipment is identified as containing asbestos. It is necessary to regularly monitor the condition of the asbestos. If it shows any sign of deterioration then remedial action is mandated. I apply asbestos warning labels to the appliance and make notes of the presence of asbestos on both the test certificate and the customer's invoice. Many customers will replace equipment containing asbestos even if the asbestos is in good condition due to the requirement to monitor its condition and because of health worries. HSL (Health & Safety Laboratory) tested some of the appliances I service and found when asbestos is in good condition there was no measurable emission of asbestos fibres while the appliances were in use.

HTH David Kemper