First off ...
If your attitude to thermal stores is to suggest ripping it out and replacing with a combi - don't reply.
If you can't cope with uncommon setups - don't reply.
If you don't like working with customers who know enough not to be fobbed off with bull**** - don't reply.
If you are the sort who will simply say "that's really old, can't be fixed" - don't reply.
If you're still reading, then here's my problems ...
I have a rental flat with a very old boiler (Vokera Excel 80), yes I know it's old, yes I know a new one would be a good idea - but until someone comes up with an acceptable flue routing for a new one, I'm a bit stuck. Ten years ago I fitted a thermal store, moved the DHW connections to the store, with the boiler directly heating the store, and the heating running from the store with a modulating pump. It's worked fine for ten years.
A few months ago I found during a visit that it's kettling. I have a service plan with a local outfit, and they spent 4 days on it (not 4 full days, but they were there for 4 days). They've replaced the pump, rebuilt the flow sensor valve, checked all the pipework, drained the system (despite written instructions not to), refilled it, pressurised it (yes, pressurised a 10 year old open vent store ), added inhibitor (they won't say what or how much, so I don't know if they added enough* or what to use for topping up), and finally added boiler silencer and left it saying it can take a couple of weeks to work. Now they are saying that it's bound to be doing it because of it's age and they can't fix it.
This week was annual service and safety checks time - it's still kettling but not as much as it used to.
So the short term problem is fixing the kettling. If there's someone reasonably local (Furness area) that would be interested in looking at it, then I'd be interested - contact me via PM. And before anyone chirps up, yes I'm prepared to pay a reasonable call-out charge. And yes I can accept if you can't fix it - as long as you don't try and fob me off with bull.
* It seems plenty of people are incapable of reading instructions and working out the correct dose, so I have no confidence that they added enough for the size of the system.
The second issue is the age of the boiler - it really is well past it's replace by date, and that was a factor in fitting the thermal store ten years ago. But the current flue location, while technically allowed, was not really good practice when it was installed - and it's not acceptable now for a new steamer. I have some ideas, but most installers simply tell me what they want to do (typically something that's unacceptable for various reasons, but chosen because they can't be arsed to engage any brain cells) and aren't even prepared to discuss alternatives.
So the first person to come up with an acceptable proposal gets the job. I have money set aside for it.
PM me if interested.
If your attitude to thermal stores is to suggest ripping it out and replacing with a combi - don't reply.
If you can't cope with uncommon setups - don't reply.
If you don't like working with customers who know enough not to be fobbed off with bull**** - don't reply.
If you are the sort who will simply say "that's really old, can't be fixed" - don't reply.
If you're still reading, then here's my problems ...
I have a rental flat with a very old boiler (Vokera Excel 80), yes I know it's old, yes I know a new one would be a good idea - but until someone comes up with an acceptable flue routing for a new one, I'm a bit stuck. Ten years ago I fitted a thermal store, moved the DHW connections to the store, with the boiler directly heating the store, and the heating running from the store with a modulating pump. It's worked fine for ten years.
A few months ago I found during a visit that it's kettling. I have a service plan with a local outfit, and they spent 4 days on it (not 4 full days, but they were there for 4 days). They've replaced the pump, rebuilt the flow sensor valve, checked all the pipework, drained the system (despite written instructions not to), refilled it, pressurised it (yes, pressurised a 10 year old open vent store ), added inhibitor (they won't say what or how much, so I don't know if they added enough* or what to use for topping up), and finally added boiler silencer and left it saying it can take a couple of weeks to work. Now they are saying that it's bound to be doing it because of it's age and they can't fix it.
This week was annual service and safety checks time - it's still kettling but not as much as it used to.
So the short term problem is fixing the kettling. If there's someone reasonably local (Furness area) that would be interested in looking at it, then I'd be interested - contact me via PM. And before anyone chirps up, yes I'm prepared to pay a reasonable call-out charge. And yes I can accept if you can't fix it - as long as you don't try and fob me off with bull.
* It seems plenty of people are incapable of reading instructions and working out the correct dose, so I have no confidence that they added enough for the size of the system.
The second issue is the age of the boiler - it really is well past it's replace by date, and that was a factor in fitting the thermal store ten years ago. But the current flue location, while technically allowed, was not really good practice when it was installed - and it's not acceptable now for a new steamer. I have some ideas, but most installers simply tell me what they want to do (typically something that's unacceptable for various reasons, but chosen because they can't be arsed to engage any brain cells) and aren't even prepared to discuss alternatives.
So the first person to come up with an acceptable proposal gets the job. I have money set aside for it.
PM me if interested.