Truwell & Boiler - Advice Needed Please!

Hi all,

Today a national company came to fit a Combi Boiler to our house, sold to us by their salesman.

I'd asked for a Combi because of (a) only getting hot water when you need it and (b) the minging water tanks in the roof; the property is a 1969 four bed.

When the engineer arrived my wife was told that they couldn't install due to something call 'Truewell' apparently used in the 60's when Copper pipe wasn't used in some instances due to cost. So I'm guessing that it's not JUST the material of the pipes (unless there's risk of porosity or corrosion), but more the way the pipes have been joined together.

So I'm faced with a bunch ugly of new pipes downstairs; they've lifted a board and cannot see the same issue upstairs (hence would proceed with new pipes downstairs), but will not guarantee because they cant see all of the upstairs pipes, which I guess on one hand is fair enough but on the other makes me feel like I'm sitting on a time bomb a bit.

Or we can have another non Combi type boiler, slightly defeating what I was after in the 1st place other than being rid of a 30 year old tripping out every so often boiler and generally costing a fortune etc.

So my question is - does this sound like something J.K Rowling would write, or is there some substance to it?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Lee.

Truweld is indeed th work of Satan.

However, if you don't want to repipe the whole house, a decent indpendant coan come up with several solutions.

The two that spring to mind - in order of preference:

Intergas HRE can be run open vented (as long as your Truweld is purely on the heating pipe work); and you can fit a new F&E tank easily.

Or....


Any combi cam be fitted with an external Place heat exchanger leaving the oild heating pipe work untouched.


A nationwide company won't think of these options. Although I confess to being surprised they notice the Truweld.


If you have Truweld on your domestic pipe work then you're fooked.

Thanks Dan.

Scr*w it.

So assuming its only on the heating side, is there any reason why I can't just replace my boiler like for like? Please excuse any ignorance..

Cheers, Lee.

Not had the misfortune to have to work on the stuff, but I think it was very popular in your region, so perhaps one of the local boys will post with direct experience for you.

I suspect it doesn't like being played with, and a new boiler will require flushing.


Intergas is a much more robust boiler though..... so if you are going to cut corners, , , they make non combi's as well.

Okay thanks Dan, its more about where I can see the pipes would have no be run, a right PITA; I was thinking of the easiest option, I'm now on the side of just getting the pain over with and have it done properly; the national engineer was an older gent whom (I can now see) clearly knew his stuff. We have had a quote from a relatively well respected indi - they missed it.

Thanks again for your help, Lee.

Get rid of the Truwell now.

During the 1970 Rhodesian UDI there was a severe disruption to the Zambian copper supplies which was then one of the largest suppliers of copper.

The Truweld was in effect a copper plated steel pipe.

In theory it would have been fine and certainly suitable for compression joints.

Very unfortunately the composition of the steel was very prone to corrosion and so if you try to use a compression fitting on it then it is likely to collapse.

I am slightly surprised at the recommendation that it can continue to be used on an open vented system. I would say that it is a leak waiting to start.

So I would be reluctant to fit any new boiler on to it. When a leak starts the installer will always be blamed.

I have only encountered it once in Wembley where this Indian fellow pretended to be surprised when I recognised it and refused to do any work on his system. I suspect that he already knew about it and wanted to trick someone to do work and then blame them for all the woes!

You identify it because its magnetic! So you carry a magnet with you!

Tony

Zinc coated steel pipe from I think GKN. The problem was a special flux had to be used but generally wasn't. Any swarf left in the pipework and the bare metal at the end of the cut gave the problems. Whatever, get rid of it. A lot of companies went bust after using it incorrectly and the jobs failed in short order.

vulcancontinental said:

Zinc coated steel pipe from I think GKN. The problem was a special flux had to be used but generally wasn't. Any swarf left in the pipework and the bare metal at the end of the cut gave the problems. Whatever, get rid of it. A lot of companies went bust after using it incorrectly and the jobs failed in short order.

Click to expand...

Yes, zinc coated & it often corroded at the pipe cuts inside the compression fittings. I started my time in 1974 & never used it, but replace 1000s of meters though. Horrible stuff & no scrap value.....

Richardthe3rd said:

vulcancontinental said:

Zinc coated steel pipe from I think GKN. The problem was a special flux had to be used but generally wasn't. Any swarf left in the pipework and the bare metal at the end of the cut gave the problems. Whatever, get rid of it. A lot of companies went bust after using it incorrectly and the jobs failed in short order.

Click to expand...

Yes, zinc coated & it often corroded at the pipe cuts inside the compression fittings. I started my time in 1974 & never used it, but replace 1000s of meters though. Horrible stuff & no scrap value.....

Click to expand...

You have my condolences as you started the same time as me. As a consolation however you have experience and wisdom.

Think about it though, although nearly all of it was ripped out this install has lasted over 40 years

If this pipework is part of a Servowarm installation be aware that their radiators are prone to ballooning on a pressurised system and may also have to be replaced.