Glow Worm parts query

[1001things]

Hi

At the moment I've got a Glow Worm Hideaway boiler, installed either 1993 or 1994. Should parts still be available for it please (I ask because I got the impression during its annual inspection last year that the answer is no)? If no then I'd want to replace it as I wouldn't want a non-repairable breakdown during the winter. If yes, what sort of % saving could I make in gas bills by installing a current standard replacement please?

The house is 4 bed, 70s, temp is kept more like 18C or 19C rather than 21C.

Thanks.

 

[gas4you]

I've yet to have had any problems getting parts for these

Wasn't BG who serviced it last was

 

[vulcancontinental]

I think you can get nearly everything for that boiler, maybe even the heat exchanger but if that's the problem your better off changing it anyway.

It's standard operating procedure for BG to mention parts availability for obvious reasons.

Savings depend a lot on the control system and whether you have a gravity flow and return or pumped primary with motorised valves and room and cylinder thermostats.

If the latter I think 10-15% reasonable expectation. If poor controls, higher.

There'll be different opinions from other engineers I expect but that's my opinion.

 

[expertgasman]

Hi

At the moment I've got a Glow Worm Hideaway boiler, installed either 1993 or 1994. Should parts still be available for it please (I ask because I got the impression during its annual inspection last year that the answer is no)? If no then I'd want to replace it as I wouldn't want a non-repairable breakdown during the winter. If yes, what sort of % saving could I make in gas bills by installing a current standard replacement please?

The house is 4 bed, 70s, temp is kept more like 18C or 19C rather than 21C.

Thanks.

Yea, it must be BG. They are the only ones that do an "annual inspection"

 

[mickyg]

Yea, it must be BG. They are the only ones that do an "annual inspection"

no but there the ones going around telling everyone that they cant get parts for their boilers, just because a couple of screws and a wingnut happen to now be obsolette.

 

[kevplumb]

it's the "they can't get parts" bit

"they" don't look very hard

 

[1001things]

Thanks for all the replies everyone !!

I'd have to double check but I'm 99+% certain that the annual cover & service check is currently with British Gas, and was with Eon for the year before that, and British Gas for a few years before that. So it was most likely the BG guy who said 'no spare parts available', but could have been the Eon guy or both. I'll see what notes I made at the time.

The boiler didn't actually get any new parts and I think the issue was that the engineer was unfamiliar with the cylinder. So, as far as I can tell it is all running completely OK moe or less all of the time.

The controls are ACL Lifestyle LP112, and the thermostats are whoever happens to be in the house! In other words, someone gets up and turns the heating on when it feels chilly, turns it off when it feels warm enough.

At a 15% saving or even if I add on another 5% for the erratic thermostat, my rough calc for changing to a new boiler is a saving on hot water & heating of well under £200 pa, maybe under £150 pa.

Reading around I keep seeing ballpark figures of at least £3k for replacing boiler, radiators, probably hot water cylinder, probably gas supply pipe (too narrow?) and maybe hot water pipes, as the central heating (boiler aside) is around the 40 year mark. In which case I can't see any benefit in replacing the boiler, except as part of a (even more expensive) house refurb, with relocated heating, maybe switching to underfloor heating, moving partition walls etc.. What does anyone else think please?

 

[nickso]

give me the model number or GC and i'll check exactly what is available to BG.

 

[1001things]

thanks for the offer nickso . i've looked everyhwere on the boiler but can't find anything that looks like a model number. any idea where to look please?

what is the gc please?

 

[penfold46]

what is the gc please?

Gas Council Number. It will start 41-

P46.

 

[1001things]

Well I feel silly because I've now just found the label...

So, model is Hideaway 60B, GC 41-313-12.

Initially when I checked the SEDBUK database 60B showed a model produced 97-03. But looking again I see the GC number is different. I checked the other Hideaway boilers in SEDBUK and the GC number matches what they term the 60BL. And on the invoice I checked (dated October 1993) it is called a 60BF. Just to confuse things....

 

[45yearsagasman]

That boiler stopped being made approx 9/10 yrs ago and I can know that spares are still available.I had spares for that model only recently.Not a bad boiler if well maintained.

 

[nickso]

Well I feel silly because I've now just found the label...

So, model is Hideaway 60B, GC 41-313-12.

Initially when I checked the SEDBUK database 60B showed a model produced 97-03. But looking again I see the GC number is different. I checked the other Hideaway boilers in SEDBUK and the GC number matches what they term the 60BL. And on the invoice I checked (dated October 1993) it is called a 60BF. Just to confuse things....

looks like most of it is there. if your boiler has a serial number after 980040064 you will be missing far more though as most of it is special order which generally means that it's not made anymore and it's down to whats in stock.

there are a lot of things missing from both versions but they are mostly nonsense you should never need. all the main bits are still available. if you get a letter through the door saying that some parts are not available it will often be these less needed parts it refers to. sadly you can't even ask an engineer to clarify it as some will lie as you have found out. if you ask me i let you peruse the list yourself while i'm working.

 

[1001things]

the serial number is 0030537. i'm guessing that the 98 in 980040064 refers to 1998, in which case this 1993 boiler would be on the good side of spare parts availability.

thanks for the tip re asking the engineer if i can look at the list .

by 'nonesense' bits do you mean bits that don't really affect the boiler's use? maybe cosmetic bits (eg front cover?) or bits where an alternative would do as well (eg a nut and bolt)? and any idea or hunch about how long the important parts are likely to remain available please? just roughly? couple of years? 5? 10?

 

[mickyg]

by 'nonesense' bits do you mean bits that don't really affect the boiler's use? maybe cosmetic bits (eg front cover?) or bits where an alternative would do as well (eg a nut and bolt)? and any idea or hunch about how long the important parts are likely to remain available please? just roughly? couple of years? 5? 10?

exactly that, no one can say how long parts will be available but the 2 most likely parts to fail(gas valve & thermostat) are not unique to your boiler so will probably be locatable for a fair few years yet. I've got a GV, thermostat and burner for this boiler in my garage.