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    Stainless steel screws brittle?

    Thanks. I've bought some of those Spax hardened steel self cutting things. They're actually a goldish colour, but I can live with it. It's a coat rail for Pete's sake. Most of the screws will be covered with coats. It's indoors, not sure how much moisture it's going to get.
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    Stainless steel screws brittle?

    Many thanks. I was actually screwing it by hand. Maybe I'm stronger than I thought! But it's only a 3.5mm, going into hardwood, so easy to break. It doesn't actually need to be SS, it's mounting coat hooks, in doors. Just that the coat hooks are SS so used SS screws for look. But ordinary...
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    Stainless steel screws brittle?

    Just had a SS screw (3.5 x 20mm) break on me. Drilled pilot hole, into oak. Pain in the neck getting the stub out. Had to drill round it and will have to fill. The way this project is I can't just move the holes anywhere else. So I don't want this to happen again. It felt a bit tight, but not...
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    Replace boiler parts every so often?

    Vaillant Ecotec Plus 831. We've had a few problems. See previous posts. Under a service contract we've just had the HE and pump done. Like the engineer said, 'you've got a third of a new boiler'. Boilers like this seem infinitely repairable, and we've just had 2 of the most expensive...
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    Big pressure difference between running and not running CH

    Thanks Andytw. We are in a service contract. In fact Vaillant service are sending somebody as a recall on the previous HE and pump job. So depending on the assessment of the engineer we may or may not get a new PV. I suppose if a valve cures it then problem solved. Though a new PV would be...
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    Big pressure difference between running and not running CH

    Thanks for your advice TrippleXXX. I have seen the inside of my boiler, and know what the PV looks like thank you. It's not red. Infact a Vaillant engineer repressurised it a few days ago at the same time as he changed the heat exchanger and pump. I've done a fair bit of work on my own...
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    Big pressure difference between running and not running CH

    Last night it went down to 0.7 bar when the system was off. Then up to 2.1 bar today when it was on and up to temperature. So I called Vaillant's technical helpline. He said there's something wrong. The rise in pressure should be more like 0.4 or 0.5 bar. He suspects the PV is faulty so...
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    Big pressure difference between running and not running CH

    Boiler is an Ecotec Plus 831. House is a smallish 4 bed 1920s semi. 10 rads (counting the 3 small ones round a bay as 1). No huge radiators. Pipework mainly 22mm and 15mm copper. Some plastic. Fair bit of boiler work done recently: 1. New heat exchanger. 2. New pump. 3. Some internal...
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    Vaillant pump changed. But not the black plastic body?

    Thanks Tony, that's what I thought. I'll put it in my box of boiler bits for if the AAV goes.
  10. Albumen

    Vaillant Group Service - the worst in the world?

    3 engineers have been. 2 Homeserve vans, 1 Vaillant van.
  11. Albumen

    Vaillant pump changed. But not the black plastic body?

    Vaillant Ecotec Plus 831. 2005. Engineer changed the pump today. At least the electric motor and impeller (?). But not the plastic body at the back of it. The one with the connections and the AAV. I know he didn't because he left the new one behind, along with the old motor. As far...
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    Vaillant Group Service - the worst in the world?

    As it happens we've not called the number on the Vaillant/Homeserve boiler cover agreement letter. But that's because it arrive a few days after we'd started the long series of visits from nice boiler repair chaps. So we already had lots of various Vaillant numbers scribbled on backs of...
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    Vaillant Group Service - the worst in the world?

    I'm sure you're right Agile. I'm probably completely wrong. I thought I'd read somewhere that Axa and Homeserve were connected in some way. Oh, wait, what's this: https://www.affinitywater.co.uk/homeserve.aspx and this...
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    Vaillant Group Service - the worst in the world?

    My wife entered into the service agreement last Monday. I think it says Homeserve on the letter. But she was speaking to Vaillant when she did it. The impression I get is that Homeserve is two things: 1. A financial company (it's part of Axa, insurance) who provide the financial 'muscle'...
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    Vaillant Group Service - the worst in the world?

    The telephone numbers I have been given to call are Vaillant. The automated switchboard voice starts with 'Welcome to Vaillant Boiler after sales'. At no point has a Vaillant employee said - 'we can't deal with this, you're not our customer'. I think Vaillant have been using some Home Serve...
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    Vaillant Group Service - the worst in the world?

    That would fit in exactly with my experience. I've basically been doing the management here. Communication within the organisation seems very poor. Concern even less so. For instance, Friday's engineer said we needed a new insulation plate (back of the burner door?). When I rang on Sunday...
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    Vaillant Group Service - the worst in the world?

    So engineer calls today to book the work. Me - 'what are you expecting to do?' Him - 'fit a pump and a pad' Me - 'what about the heat exchanger' Him - 'I've not got that down to be done'. It was diagnosed a week ago as needing a new HE. An engineer has been out once already with...
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    Vaillant Group Service - the worst in the world?

    We entered into a service contract. Thought it was with Vaillant. The paperwork says Home Serve. God knows.
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    Do all CH boilers have supply pipes in the same order?

    Thanks. I suppose if I identify a couple of boilers I'm interested in I can probably find a tech drawing and see how much pipe work there'll be. Not that I'm doing it myself of course, just the the pipes come into the room horizontally, then do a nice 90 deg turn to come up to the boiler. It...
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    Do all CH boilers have supply pipes in the same order?

    We've got a Vaillant EcoTec Plus 831. I know they come highly recommended, but for us it's been very unreliable. In terms of the supply, are all boilers laid out the same? The pipes on this, going from left to right are: Flow, DHW, Gas, Cold Supply, Return. Flue goes up, 90 degrees...
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