Hello, I'm hoping I can get some advice as I've had a bit of a saga with my central heating over the last couple of months. Here's a potted timeline:
GlowWorm boiler installed in 2015
Early August 2023 boiler not working - Boiler screen showing F23
Engineer reset and did various tests
Boiler stopped again shortly after he left, advised to keep resetting
After 2 weeks with same fault showing engineer said could be pump or sludge
Reset again and asked us to record pump speeds which we did
Early September and engineer thinks definitely pump and valve problem plus chemical flush required
mid-September and they finally turned up to add chemicals - system pretty much works well after this
A few days later they turn up to replace pump and valve and to flush system (we think he did two flushes)
Rads upstairs heating but no heat in downstairs rads. Engineer thinks blockage somewhere but doesn’t know where.
A week later and they're back - they play around but still upstairs rads heating but no heat downstairs . After they left I found a thermostatic valve top lying on bathroom floor
Next day heating is working and stays working except for a couple of rads. Tried bleeding them but they do have water to the top.
Another week later and engineer comes back and said the blockage was in the return pipe at the boiler and if they did a flush it may leak. Pipe should be replaced from boiler to upstairs airing cupboard. Two day job with disruption to stair and landing carpet.
Obviously there were frustrating huge elapsed time gaps but I'm getting nervous. Do you think I'm being taken for a ride / is their engineer out of their depth and just guessing? Or does it sound correct that the pipe needs to be replaced?
Thanks so much in advance for anyone's advice!
Dave
GlowWorm boiler installed in 2015
Early August 2023 boiler not working - Boiler screen showing F23
Engineer reset and did various tests
Boiler stopped again shortly after he left, advised to keep resetting
After 2 weeks with same fault showing engineer said could be pump or sludge
Reset again and asked us to record pump speeds which we did
Early September and engineer thinks definitely pump and valve problem plus chemical flush required
mid-September and they finally turned up to add chemicals - system pretty much works well after this
A few days later they turn up to replace pump and valve and to flush system (we think he did two flushes)
Rads upstairs heating but no heat in downstairs rads. Engineer thinks blockage somewhere but doesn’t know where.
A week later and they're back - they play around but still upstairs rads heating but no heat downstairs . After they left I found a thermostatic valve top lying on bathroom floor
Next day heating is working and stays working except for a couple of rads. Tried bleeding them but they do have water to the top.
Another week later and engineer comes back and said the blockage was in the return pipe at the boiler and if they did a flush it may leak. Pipe should be replaced from boiler to upstairs airing cupboard. Two day job with disruption to stair and landing carpet.
Obviously there were frustrating huge elapsed time gaps but I'm getting nervous. Do you think I'm being taken for a ride / is their engineer out of their depth and just guessing? Or does it sound correct that the pipe needs to be replaced?
Thanks so much in advance for anyone's advice!
Dave