BGas say our 5amp fuse feed has damaged boiler.

[DIWHY]

Should have been 3amp, they serviced Nov 2024 no faults, so whos fault, they say access was a problem, now I've got a 2 grand problem.

 

[trojanhawrs]

Not a chance, who fitted the boiler?

 

[justigator]

In the days when I was stupid enough to have a BG annual boiler-service contract, I once had a BG "engineer" (pah!) insist that, in my heating system with a heat-only boiler and S-plan pipework, the central heating and hot water primary circuits were entirely separate bodies of water.

 

[RandomGrinch]

Should have been 3amp, they serviced Nov 2024 no faults, so whos fault, they say access was a problem, now I've got a 2 grand problem.

What exactly was the problem?
It does sound like a cop out by BG, to not honour a claim.
A sudden electrical fault that would have blown a 3A fuse, would likely have taken out a 5A one too.

 

[DIWHY]

Not a chance, who fitted the boiler?

Don't know, boiler was in when bought the house 5 years ago, BGas reckon 10 years old.

 

[DIWHY]

In the days when I was stupid enough to have a BG annual boiler-service contract, I once had a BG "engineer" (pah!) insist that, in my heating system with a heat-only boiler and S-plan pipework, the central heating and hot water primary circuits were entirely separate bodies of water.

No surprise, I've been advised that they are crap

 

[DIWHY]

What exactly was the problem?
It does sound like a cop out by BG, to not honour a claim.
A sudden electrical fault that would have blown a 3A fuse, would likely have taken out a 5A one too.

Just realised problem when heating didn't come this morning it was fine last night. Boiler wouldn't switch back on. The boiler is fitted inside a kitchen unit, that's why he was whinging about access to sort it but I thought that the fuse was there to protect any appliance not kill it.

 

[RandomGrinch]

that's why he was whinging about access to sort it but I thought that the fuse was there to protect any appliance not kill it.

From an electrical point of view, a fuse is to protect the wiring to the appliance, not to protect components within the appliance itself.
If it did protect components within the appliance, then that's a happy coincidence - there would still likely have been damage within, caused by whatever blew the fuse in the first place; but importantly, the cable to the appliance hasn't been overloaded, and the potential for fire has been reduced.

Generally, electrical faults that would blow a fuse, are dead shorts.
In that case it wouldn't really matter if you had a 5A fuse or a 3A fuse, they would both blow.

It would be rare for an electrical fault to occur, that would decrease the circuit resistance enough to cause the appliance to continually draw a current that would have blown a 3A fuse, but not a 5A one.

Even after all that, boiler PCBs tend to have their own built-in fuses that would probably be to the manufacturers specification. So even if there is a 5A fuse in your FCU, there would likely be a 3A one on the PCB!

 

[robinbanks]

Also, current is drawn, not pushed. Fitting a 5A fuse isn't going to cause an extra 2A to flow into a 3A boiler and blow it up or whatever nonsense your BG muppet was trying to fob you off with

 

[CountryFan]

Even after all that, boiler PCBs tend to have their own built-in fuses that would probably be to the manufacturers specification. So even if there is a 5A fuse in your FCU, there would likely be a 3A one on the PCB!

Intergas have a 3.15A fuse, but some others such as Vaillant have a 2A fuse either Quick blow or slow blow.

 

[CountryFan]

Should have been 3amp, they serviced Nov 2024 no faults, so whos fault, they say access was a problem, now I've got a 2 grand problem.

Why a £2K problem? Are they pushing you for a new boiler? What is existing make and model?

 

[DIWHY]

Why a £2K problem? Are they pushing you for a new boiler? What is existing make and model?

Yes new boiler advised. He spent about 2 hours and the boiler only stayed on for 20 seconds then off. He said the cost of finding, fixing and replacing possible damage to the circuit boards could end up more than a new boiler and my old boiler may not last even after if the fix was found, the boiler would be Ideal combi swap.

 

[Murdochcat]

Just had a main board replaced in our boiler by a local GSR

£420 inc VAT

 

[MNW67]

Yes new boiler advised. He spent about 2 hours and the boiler only stayed on for 20 seconds then off. He said the cost of finding, fixing and replacing possible damage to the circuit boards could end up more than a new boiler and my old boiler may not last even after if the fix was found, the boiler would be Ideal combi swap.

Can I just check. You have a BG service contract. And they are saying that they won't pay for a repair because it is your fault. So your choices are either to spend a lot of money having the circuit boards replaced, or to buy a new boiler. Which make and model of boiler do you currently have?

 

[DIWHY]

Can I just check. You have a BG service contract. And they are saying that they won't pay for a repair because it is your fault. So your choices are either to spend a lot of money having the circuit boards replaced, or to buy a new boiler. Which make and model of boiler do you currently have?

Yes that's about right, don't know why their service man last year didn't know the 3A / 5A potential problem. Their excuse seems to be that our kitchen fitters had boxed it in restricting access. The Boiler is a combi Ideal approx 12 years old, not home so can't give model No.