Help- has an engineer just broken my boiler !!

[ruthxxx]

I have got an old boiler admittedly but have had british gas homecare cover for years and over that time they have practically rebuilt it with spares. It has been running fine but blew a fuse this morning.

I rang them and the engineer came out and changed the fuse and then started bashing around and scraping with a screwdriver.

He then said there is a little hole in the flue and condemned it!

i have a detector in the room that has never gone off.

Do you think he could have damaged it or would it just be wear and tear?

 

[mysteryman]

Ask to speak with his supervisor if in doubt. He may have done you a favour, but get another opinion.

 

[dcawkwell]

If the flue looked suspect as a MOT inspector does on the car
the engineer just poked at it with his screwdriver to
see how robust the flue was.

There is a difference between poking at it and bashing it though.

A fault on the flue would be very dangerous.

 

[ruthxxx]

For safety reason if it was faulty in the 1st place then I agree it should be be condemned but I am wondereing if he caused the problem by forcibly bashing and scraping it, there was debris coming off!

 

[ruthxxx]

If the flue was faulty would the detector have gone off?

Thanks

 

[45yearsagasman]

Is the boiler obsolete? Are parts available, and what boiler is it?
Wouldn't be a Elan would it?

 

[Corgigrouch]

If the flue was faulty would the detector have gone off?

Thanks

Probably not... A detector isn't there to tell you when to change your boiler, it is your LAST LINE OF DEFENSE before you collect your wings.... I have condemned plenty of boilers due to a rusty flue and if the gasman has scraped off a layer of lose rust and found the flue to be perforated, then good on him, perhaps you would like to thank him.

 

[dhutch]

If the flue was faulty would the detector have gone off?

Maybe, maybe not. Depends where, what type, and what condition the detector is in, how large the fault witht the flue was, ventilation. Impossable to say.

 

[dcawkwell]

If the flue was faulty would the detector have gone off?

Thanks

Yes but would you rather have the flue fail and the gases start coming
out at you or the flue in good condition knowing the
flue is serviceable.
Or using my car simile
Would you rather be driving around in your car knowing
the wheel isn't going to fall off or it is on it's last legs and may fall
of at any point in the future. But that won't matter because I will
just crash!

You need to think the boiler in the corner isn't a nice little heating machine. It is a controlled killer who will jump out at you and murder
you given half the chance.

There have been reported deaths where safety devices have failed
to shutoff appliances or give warnings due to their position or faults.

 

[ruthxxx]

Thanks corgigrouch, i get it a bit more now

cant flues be repaired or replaced?

 

[ruthxxx]

It is Wickes boiler

Thanks for the comments, it has really educated me!

 

[dcawkwell]

Thanks corgigrouch, i get it a bit more now

cant flues be repaired or replaced?

Yes quite easily depending on
the boiler.

New balanced flue boilers may be a problem.

 

[ruthxxx]

Just seemed excessive for a fuse but I get it now!

Wish the flue could just be changed or mended though

 

[ruthxxx]

It is a wickes boiler dont know what flue that has sorry

 

[Corgigrouch]

There have been reported deaths where safety devices have failed
to shutoff applicants or give warnings due to their position or faults.

Perfect example of this is the fire I cut off and capped yesterday, burning away merrily with the oxygen depletion sensing pilot quite happy, the room was marked with soot staining, air read very high for CO and the couple living there blissfully unaware that the headaches and tiredness were classic symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.... Yet the safety device did nothing, perhps if the concentration had gotten a little higher it may have worked