GlowWorm 30cxi boiler. Now NO need to buy replacement! :)

[underwurlde]

My Glow Worm 30cxi condensing boiler is definitely on it's way out. It is leaking and the actuator on the diverter valve does not work (PCB fault).

Hence does anyone have a boiler that can fit in the same hole / attach to the same plumbing for sale please?

Cheers,

Andy

 

[dreadnoughtheating]

May I ask, 'who are you asking'?

Any reputable Plumbers Merchants?

Boiler Manufacturers?

A registered Gas Installer?

A scrap metal dealer?

I would suggest that you check the GasSafe register and search for a Gas Installer in your area to give a price to repair, or replace if you are convinced you must have a replacement appliance.

DH

 

[underwurlde]

My close friend who is also an RGI registered plumber will be performing the swap and it is on his recommendation that the old boiler now be replaced.

He reckons that if a like-for-like boiler can be sourced then removal of old and installation of new boiler shouldn't take him more than 1 1/2 hours to complete.

Therefore I am trying to source a like-for-like boiler that will fit in the gap and use the exiting plumbing for a nice easy & quick job for him.

Cheers,

Andy

 

[bazdaman]

Nice easy job for him and no warranty for you? Sounds like a good plan

 

[underwurlde]

Fair point.

But beggars (aka me) can't be choosers and I just want the damn thing to work! Is it really beyond the means of man to reliably heat some water up? Every house I have bought (4 of 'em), I have inheritied boilers with major problems.

Andy

 

[muggles]

If you want a boiler that will fit in the same place, why not buy...oh, I don't know...maybe another 30cxi? https://www.plumbnation.co.uk/site/glow-worm-ultracom2-30cxi-combi-boiler-natural-gas-lpg/

Alternatively if you'd rather not have another Glowworm, Vaillant should line up with the pipework https://www.plumbnation.co.uk/site/vaillant-ecotec-plus-831-combi-boiler-natural-gas/

 

[underwurlde]

Yeees. I'm not entirely stupid (I hope). Just wondering if anyone here had a second-hand one for sale? No doubt I'll get shot down in flames for asking.

 

[muggles]

Would someone just happen to have a perfectly working second hand almost-new boiler for sale? I doubt it very much. If one is for sale, there's almost certainly going to be something wrong with it, and you'll end up going through the whole process again.

You can get a ten year warranty on the new Glowworm if you want one. Alternatively, just call GW and ask for the cost of a fixed-price repair. They'll come and throw parts at the one you have until it works

 

[sooey]

It seems a shame to replace your boiler now after all that work you did sussing out the pcb and doing the schematic of it.
As mugggles said the fixed price repair would be your best bet if you don't want to buy a new one.
You'll get a years warranty on the repair, which you won't get on someone else's second hand junk.

 

[underwurlde]

Having a schematic did help somewhat. However, in parallel to my on-going amaturish repairs is the nagging thought they hey, maybe (just maybe, who knows?) there is a perfectly good second-hand boiler out there with my name written on it.... Yes, I'm taking a punt, but if I don't ask the question then I'll never know. And yes, there is always the possibility that I'll be replacing a dud with a dud, fair point.

Not one for giving up I will persevere but there comes a point at which it will become obvious that just simply replacing it becomes a necessity.

These faults with my boiler have been down to (I think) a complete lack of servicing by the previous owner of the house I now own as of 5 months ago. Problems were there from day one. I should've known better to be honest as the sellers were VERY cagey about the installation of the boiler back in 2007 which my conveyancing solicitor spotted & raised issues with them.

So the big question is, do I:
1) Chuck time & maybe money at repairing it?
2) Or: Replace it?

Problem with option 2) for us is that we simply do NOT have the funds for a new boiler, even though my RGI friend will do the swapping over work for next to nothing. Hence my infinite faffing about trying to instigate a working repair!

Bl00dy boilers! God give me strength!

Andy

 

[Dan Robinson]

The saying "you can not polish a turd springs to mind.

 

[Agile]

It is difficult for me to understand how anyone can buy a house but cannot afford to fit a new boiler.

I thought that you had repaired the PCB?

All the parts are available to repair these boilers.

The obvious solution if your RGI friend cannot repair boilers is to call for a fixed price repair.

As stated buying an old boiler will be buying something that somebody has decided to get rid of and likely to be laced with faults that your friend will not be able to repair either!

So only two options in my view, fixed price or a new boiler. But unlikely to get any warranty cover if he does not clean the system and complete the paperwork which will take more than 90 min!

Tony

 

[underwurlde]

It is difficult for me to understand how anyone can buy a house but cannot afford to fit a new boiler.

It is exactly BECAUSE I have just bought a house is why I now don't have 2p to scratch my a$$ with! £1,000 to solicitor, £3,000 Stamp duty, £3,000 to sell my other house, blah blah money-for-old-rope blah.

Repaired PCB, then another fault made itself present! And on it goes.

As usual Mr. Agile your words are wise, but I find myself in deep boiler doo-doo's.

Now to one of your points: WHERE do I get parts for this boiler? Namely seals and O-rings. My friend can of course strip down, clean and replace various items, but none of these parts were to hand at the time.

Andy

 

[Agile]

PCB not driving the div motor could be a logic problem but more likely to be a 230v problem so probably simple to fix.

All seals and spare parts are available at Parts Centre located with Plumb Centers! Your RGI friend will know this.

Being only water parts you can replace them yourself.

Tony

 

[underwurlde]

The diverter valve actuator motor is a complicated little beast, as is the drive circuitry on the control board which drives it which consists of two H-bridges under PWM control the supply to which is an on-board generated 24V DC supply (hence nothing directly to do with the incoming 230V AC supply).

The H-Bridges on this particular board consist of a bunch of BJT transistors, all in SOT-23 SMT packages. The actuator motor consists of two separate 150ohm windings (very wierd!!). End limits (I guess) are sussed by the controller since both H-Bridges include current monitoring by the processor (i.e. when the actuator hits either end of it's travel over-current is sensed).

I know that there is a faulty component(s) on one or maybe both of these H-Bridges, it is just now a matter of fault finding on the control board.

I beleive this damage was caused because the actuator inside the diverter valve was frozen in position (I think because of limescale build up inside the valve). Hence the actuator was always being driven in it's over-current mode, continual attempts by the control PCB to move the actuator motor causing a burn-out somewhere.

Now that I have the schematic, this will of course help me find the faulty component.

As for seals etc. I will speak to my friend in the hope of getting a full set of seals! Thanks for that info chap.

Cheers,

Andy

PS I did get hold of a replacement control PCB. Same part number as the original. Bunged it in to which it reported that the firmware was NOT compatible with the LCD module. Oh FFS!