Need Advice – Heating Issues, Sludge Diagnosis, and Boiler Warranty Concerns

[deemi786]

Hi all,
Hoping someone here can offer some guidance or a second opinion on an issue my mums facing facing with her heating system. Apologies in advance, i know not much about heating and /or boilers, trying to help my elderly mum out as she is super stressed with this. Here’s the situation:

Setup:​

• Worcester Bosch 24Ri conventional boiler
• Installed ~5 years ago by BOXT
• Hot water cylinder in the airing cupboard with a pump and 3-way diverter valve
• Cold water tank in the loft
• Boiler has been serviced annually and is still under manufacturer warranty

At the time of installation, we were told the system had been cleansed to British Standards using MC3 and MC1, but no powerflush was done. Have confirmed that by looking at the installation form that was provided at the time.

The Issue:​

A few days ago, she lost both hot water and heating. Here's the timeline:

1. We called a plumber who checked the system and replaced the 3-way diverter valve, but it didn’t fix the issue. He wasn’t Gas Safe registered, so he recommended we call someone qualified to check the boiler, as he suspected it could be the problem.
2. Since the boiler is under warranty, we contacted BOXT. They arranged for a Worcester Bosch engineer to attend. He inspected the boiler and said it appeared fine, but used a magnet on the pipework in the airing cupboard — it stuck, indicating possible sludge or buildup. He said there was likely a blockage and left.
3. We then brought in a Gas Safe heating engineer who confirmed the blockage. He replaced sections of the pipework and the pump. The engineer now suspects the boiler’s heat exchanger is blocked, as he had the return pipe from the boiler open-ended and found no water passing through — despite the system being full.

My Questions:​

• Should this kind of issue be covered under the warranty?

Any advice or shared experiences would be massively appreciated. Just trying to avoid replacing a boiler unnecessarily.

Have called the boiler engineer back out to reassess.

 

[terryplumb]

If the system is full of water and the engineer released the return pipe from the boiler , one would expect water to flow out of the pipe. Was the pump running when the engineer did that ?

 

[deemi786]

Sorry have no idea. He did say that he expected a **** load of water to come out of somewhere but there wasn't much if that helps.... Waiting for his report back so I can pass it over to the Worcester engineer who is coming out tomorrow.

 

[CountryFan]

My Questions:​

• Should this kind of issue be covered under the warranty?

I doubt very much it would be covered under the boilers warranty. If it’s been running ok for 5 years, it’s a long time to get a sludge buildup without contributing factors.

 

[deemi786]

Fair enough, looks like getting a new boiler is the only thing left, or maybe claiming under home insurance, I have home emergency cover for boiler and blocked pipes but maybe they will squirm out of that as well due to sludge build up....?

 

[HERTS P&D]

Sludge build up will not be covered, is there a magnetic filter on the system? If there is partial flow then a power flush would sort it out.

Andy

 

[CountryFan]

I have home emergency cover for boiler and blocked pipes but maybe they will squirm out of that as well due to sludge build up....?

Hard to say as it’s an insurance company, but you can only ask. Not sure I’d rule out the boiler just yet. Circulation would need to be confirmed, just because no water has come out of the return pipe, doesn’t mean the main heat exchanger is blocked.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Contact Dilalio, he would be able to help you out:

dilalio

www.diynot.com

Andy

 

[deemi786]

Hi Andy, there is a magna flush something or another just ontop of the boiler. Let's see what the boiler engineer says tomorrow. Just bought some heaters for mum, she refuses to come home with me...

 

[deemi786]

Contact Dilalio, he would be able to help you out:

dilalio

www.diynot.com

Andy

Contact Dilalio for a powerflush?

 

[HERTS P&D]

Yes.

Andy

 

[deemi786]

Yes.

Andy

No offence intended, but I've had a wave of powerflush offers over the last day or so—most of them quoting ridiculously high prices. Came home today to find a heating company had called my mum directly and arranged a visit without me knowing. As soon as I walked in, they looked like they’d just seen a ghost. Turns out they were trying to convince her she needed a brand-new boiler and a powerflush (which she may well do)—for the low, low price of £15,000. She was visibly upset, but they didn’t seem to care. "But we can do it today, and get you all nice and warm!". Let’s just say I made it very clear how I felt about that. They left the house pretty sharpish after that conversation. I’m holding off until the boiler engineer gives me a proper diagnosis. If a powerflush is genuinely needed, I’ll definitely reach out—but not to anyone trying to upsell a boiler like it’s a luxury car.

 

[dilalio]

I've had a wave of powerflush offers over the last day or so—most of them quoting ridiculously high prices

It depends what you consider high prices.
A Powerflush price is dependant on number of rads and how badly blocked the system may be.
Sometimes it requires more than 1 day.
It's a full-on work out (when done properly).
Typical price is upwards of £500.
Still cheaper and less disruptive than having the whole house replumbed.
I would look at converting the system from a Y Plan to an S plan, prior to flushing.

 

[deemi786]

I just sat through a few very long YouTube videos on powerflushes — definitely see now that it’s a time-consuming job. I originally thought it was a bit less involved, so apologies on that. That said, just for transparency, I’ve been quoted between £8k and £10k for a powerflush alone by people who haven’t even asked about my setup or come to inspect the system — which feels a bit off.

 

[dilalio]

I’ve been quoted between £8k and £10k for a powerflush alone

What!!
Who are you contacting to get those figures?!
Have replied to your DM btw