British Gas back-boiler nightmare!!!

[roddy]

Help! We have no heating or hot water. The boiler is heating the water but it's not circulating. We've had the system powerflushed. What might be causing the problem? British Gas have been out 10 times...they all say different things. First it needed a power-flush. Now they say it might be the heat-exchanger in the boiler.

Another firm has said it's also likely the heat-exchanger is scaled-up. Both firms are trying to sell me a new boiler for £4k.

Can anyone tell me what might be wrong? How likely is it to be the heat-exchanger when no-one else has said so?

help...

 

[gasright]

maybe its time to look at upgrading your system. It may be the heat exchanger but how long before another problem crops up?

The Quote of £4000 seems a bit excessive, try a few reliable heating engineers and see what quotes they come up with

 

[baxpoti]

We have no heating or hot water. The boiler is heating the water but it's not circulating.

Expand your symptoms, any more facts, not a great deal to go on, other than, sounds like you need a new pump!

 

[gas4you]

Ifr BG quote 4K then local guy will probably be at least 1/3 rd less

 

[Agile]

If the boiler gets hot but the heat goes nowhere then its not a heat exchanger problem and it will be associated with the pump and motor valves.

If BG told you that it needed power flushing and you did that based on their diagnosis then I think you should clain back the cost from them. After all they have 5500 expert engineers and you dont expect them to make a costly mistake like that! Costly for you that is!

There is nothing much simpler than a back boiler heating system and it does not even take an expert to identify any fault. A second year apprentice would be disappointing if he could not find it!

Tony

 

[gas4you]

Is there an old anti-gravity valve in the system somewhere that has blocked and stuck shut?

 

[nickso]

If the boiler gets hot but the heat goes nowhere then its not a heat exchanger problem and it will be associated with the pump and motor valves.

If BG told you that it needed power flushing and you did that based on their diagnosis then I think you should clain back the cost from them. After all they have 5500 expert engineers and you dont expect them to make a costly mistake like that! Costly for you that is!

There is nothing much simpler than a back boiler heating system and it does not even take an expert to identify any fault. A second year apprentice would be disappointing if he could not find it!

Tony

a second year apprentice at the tony glazier school of assumtion perhaps.

good luck getting your money back....you wont.

your system was most likely flushed because the water quality was poor. end of claim.

 

[arfurrrr]

how did you pay BG ?

 

[ollski]

What other work has been done on the system?, I would imagine in 10 visits there have been several parts changed. You won't get money back on the powerflush as you needed it and the work was done, though you will get a reflush if required for no extra. Also worth noting that if they have priced for a powerflush in the new boiler quote , you won't need that.

 

[Agile]

The OP gives the impression that he was told that the powerflush would fix the problem!

He presumably paid extra for that in the expectation that it was needed to fix the problem but it didn't !

He does not say so but one assumes that he is on some kind of maintenance contract. If so then he should be pressing for a proper repair.

If it had happened to me then I would have asked " Will the powerflush fix the problem?" And if it then did not.....

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Ollski wrote:

"""What other work has been done on the system?, I would imagine in 10 visits there have been several parts changed."""

After the gas valve, thermocouple, thermostat and injector (4) you would have to start counting the screws to get up to 10 parts to change!!!

Obviously to me the problem is with the pump, its valves, a motor valve or a blockage!

Tony

PS Just because its been "powerflushed" it does not mean there is no blockage!

 

[namsag]

Spreader tee blocked is a high possibility or even air seperator if no heat and hot water , even after power flush i have seen these still blocked After ten visits i would hope the basics of pump and motorised valves checked. And as gas4you says anti gravity valve if just heating playing up. The amount of powerflushes sold because a £4 anti gravity valve is stuck is nothing short of criminal

 

[nickso]

The OP gives the impression that he was told that the powerflush would fix the problem!

that sadly is a real possibility, but unconfirmed.

He presumably paid extra for that in the expectation that it was needed to fix the problem but it didn't

its a bit ambigous calling it "extra" when it is clearly not covered in the T+C's. as ive already stated the OP may have been flushed for poor water quality..nothing wrong with that unless it was solely sold as the remedy for the problem and not as part of a solution to an aging system not performing as expected.

He does not say so but one assumes that he is on some kind of maintenance contract. If so then he should be pressing for a proper repair

one would have to assume thats why he has had 10 visits.

"""What other work has been done on the system?, I would imagine in 10 visits there have been several parts changed."""

After the gas valve, thermocouple, thermostat and injector (4) you would have to start counting the screws to get up to 10 parts to change!!!

lets join the tony glazier school of assumtion and say those parts were not in the van on each visit and return visits were required each time. that, plus a powerflush and a bonus visit adds up to around 10 visits....note how ollski didnt mention/assume 10 parts had been changed but tony has.

PS Just because its been "powerflushed" it does not mean there is no blockage!

agreed.

Spreader tee blocked is a high possibility or even air seperator if no heat and hot water , even after power flush i have seen these still blocked After ten visits i would hope the basics of pump and motorised valves checked. And as gas4you says anti gravity valve if just heating playing up. The amount of powerflushes sold because a £4 anti gravity valve is stuck is nothing short of criminal

agree with this too.