serviced or not?

izzy eckerslike · 23 Sep 2010

We had a bloke come to give our boiler it's first year service, he took the front cover off the boiler via its 2 screws & then started using an electronic device.
he said he could tell that the boiler didn't need cleaning by the reading he got on his device so there was no need to open it up further.

was he telling the truth or have we been conned ?

adlplumbing · 23 Sep 2010

electronic device is flue gas anasyier and as long as gas rated it and good visual thats all it needs

izzy eckerslike · 23 Sep 2010

adlplumbing said:
electronic device is flue gas anasyier and as long as gas rated it and good visual thats all it needs

o.k. thanks for that, maybe that's normal for the first year but likely to need a clean next time ?

Rob · 23 Sep 2010

How much did he charge? How long was he there?

adlplumbing · 23 Sep 2010

not for a while the flue gas analsier say no need and visual says the same
as it take while to clean new boiler properly and u need new gasket everytime it get opend up

but don`t forget he would done check the boiler h would also checked the gas pipe and any other gas appliance in the property

DP · 23 Sep 2010

OP check the manual and see what it says.

Combustion analysis is just that- it tells you the health of the combustion process. It does not tell you if the condensate trap needs cleaning, expansion vessel is flat and some other things that go to make a boiler.

Also, I believe (possibly incorrectly) FG analysis cannot be assumed to be a service.

kevplumb · 23 Sep 2010

safety check DP

well thats what bg call it or used to

adlplumbing · 23 Sep 2010

some mi actualy say nothing is need to be done if combustion analis say its okay like potterton combi

kevplumb · 23 Sep 2010

adlplumbing said:
some mi actualy say nothing is need to be done if combustion analis say its okay like potterton combi

fair comment but you can't charge for a service

Agile · 23 Sep 2010

The charge is for a service visit and that would be the same charge as for a safety check. You cannot visit for much less than £55.

As DP says, the FGA test is just that but does not not do everything that a proper internal inspection would do.

I went on the 28th of December for an insurance co to give emergency visit for a 65 y.o. lady who they classed as vulnerable. All I can say is that she was an Israeli arab and so big and strong that no one would have ever have mugged her.

She had a BG contract on her four year old Vaillant and they had never opened the cover on their annual visits. Inside there were five different leaks including a holed flue pipe. I listed 11 parts which needed replacing and got the boiler working until BG could come out after the new year.

The BG man spent six minutes reading my list and then went to the boiler to inspect it. He came back and said they would order and fit all the listed parts. He never questioned anything on my list ! The parts alone would have been about £400 and take about four hours to fit.

Tony

Beerlover · 23 Sep 2010

What

How would a holed flue pass a FGA test?

What was leakiing? and how could you drag any job on a Ecotec to four hours?

kevplumb · 23 Sep 2010

why don't you get yourself on facebook

Agile · 23 Sep 2010

Beerlover said:
What

How would a holed flue pass a FGA test?

What was leakiing? and how could you drag any job on a Ecotec to four hours?

Who said that it was an Ecotec?

As well as condensate leaks there were leaks on the water jacket. Hole in internal boiler flue, leaking joints in concentric inner etc.

A holed flue would not make a significant difference to the CO readings on those earlier boilers because the excess oxygen level was quite high and more than enough to keep the CO/CO² ratio within limits.

Tony

Beerlover · 23 Sep 2010

She had a BG contract on her four year old Vaillant

You did

Agile · 24 Sep 2010

This was about four years ago when I went there! It was the 28th December 2006. ( or 2007 ? )

Even if I had gone in 2009 then it would most likely have been an Ecomax. but it was the earlier condensing model with the ali flue pipe up the left hand side, a disasterous design.

If the house was still standing now then the boiler would have been eight years old.

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serviced or not?

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