Ideal response 80- broken down

[deedeemc]

I wonder if anyone can help me with this my boiler stopped working out of the blue on monday, no hot water and no heating. I phoned a company and an engineer came out, played about with it for 30 mins and then told me it was unfixable and charged £95 for this!
He said that it was the circuit board (PCB ideal 38 ) which was broken and this was no longer being made so he could not get one. I managed to get hold of one (me who knows nothing!) and my fiance fitted it but the boiler is behaving exactly the same way. When you switch on the hot water, the hot water light comes on it makes all the noises like it is trying to start it clicks several times and then all the lights on the circuit boards come on including the ignition lock down.
I have phoned the company and they deny that it has been a misdiagnosed problem and say that they will only send someone back out for the same ridiculous charges. I really don't know what to do next, we really can't afford a new boiler and shouldn't a boiler last longer than 9 years? Any advice gratefully accpeted

 

[ollski]

It could be a blocked heat exchanger or failing ignition unit as the most likely problems. Pcb sounds very unlikely as it is only failing to ignite. gas pressure is worth a check.

You are due your original callout refunded at least imo, but you will need a decent engineer to diagnose it correctly. Bg fixed fee or similar. When you are armed with the knowledge of the correct diagnosis then contact the original company for a refund, you probably won't get it but persue it through trading standards channels and such.

 

[Deleted member 105431]

Your lucky it's lasted 9 years to be honest but get a refund from the clown who charged you £95! Put it towards a new boiler. . . .

 

[mickyg]

quite common on this boiler is ignition failure due to lack of quality servicing. Combustion chamber temp gets to high and kills the electrodes/flame sensing and spark. If you can find someone who knows the appliance it might be an easy fix. Its not a great boiler, worth replacing if you can, but it can be repaired. For £95 I could probably service it and replace all the electrodes! definately get a report on the correct diagnosis and go after your money, sounds like a rip off. Pcb's on these incidentally tend to be the most reliable thing on this piece of junk in my experience

 

[Corgigrouch]

Not the best boiler in the world but as long as the heat exchanger is ok, then still very fixable.. but start saving for the day. My big sis has one that is ten years old and the HE is the only part that has needed changing

 

[Agile]

I seem to have visited a different boiler with that model name!

Most of those I see now have a leaking heat exchanger which is new boiler time.

A small number have a failed ignition unit or other fault which are totally repairable.

Your callout company engineer was incompetent and gave you false information about the availability of spare parts.

If you were in London I would give you free representation at a court case as I dislike cowboys and the incompetent who charge for their incompetence.

Claim back the £95 plus the cost of the PCB they advised had failed and was unobtainable!

Tony



PS We only charge £84 diagnostic fee in London where costs are higher! That should be about £74 in Edinburgh.

 

[spacethegas]

diagnostic fee £84.

i'm probably mistaken but i think you keep quoting that figure as a fixed price to repair.+ parts i assume.

 

[nickso]

PS We only charge £84 diagnostic fee in London where costs are higher! That should be about £74 in Edinburgh.

as you dont work "north of the border" how do you know what costs are like there?

 

[AMEdinburgh]

Re agile's £84

I would assume that £84 covered arriving on site and making a diagnosis.
The repair (labour and parts) would then be estimated or quoted

 

[spacethegas]

Re agile's £84

I would assume that £84 covered arriving on site and making a diagnosis.
The repair (labour and parts) would then be estimated or quoited

if that is the case i'm robbing myself or hes taking the mick.

most diagnosis can be carried out in 10min (95%+).

i understand the customer is paying for what i know not necessarily what i do.

if the customer took the diagnosis advise but got someone else to carry out the work & the problem wasn't solved, then what ?

Agile has not responded yet so im probably talking out of turn.

 

[AMEdinburgh]

I paid £55 plus VAT for a diagnostic on my car for an engine management light fault and I took the car to the garage and I bet it took only a few minutes. I don't have the computer and that seems to be the going rate.

I did however research the fault code on a Toyota users forum and purchase the sensor and special tool for £77 from the States and fitted it myself and reset the "brain" and saved £150 plus on a quote for replacement.

I would expect a refund if the diagnosis was guaranteed but wrong, whereas would take it on the chin if the diagnosis was a balance of probability answer but that should all be explained by the provider together with the next step if the diagnosis was proved incorrect.

 

[spacethegas]

that sounds fair enough.

& you've got to remember you don't have to bring your boiler round to me.

perhaps i should charge more.

 

[Agile]

I paid £55 plus VAT for a diagnostic on my car for an engine management light fault and I took the car to the garage and I bet it took only a few minutes.

I have to go to the customers premises to diagnose faults. Thats usually an hour's journey!

The £84 covers diagnosis! If the customer then wants to fix it then that fine. In the most unlikely event that we ever got it wrong then the client is NEVER charged for new parts that are not needed!

We supply and fit "dry" parts at the cost of the part within that price but charge a little more for wet parts. No further charge even if we have to return with parts. But we do stock a good range of the common parts and take them with us.

e.g. new generic pump £65, AAV £23, PRV £23 PCBs HRPC ( + £10 if we dont have them with us).

I can diagnose many faults over the telephone but can only confirm them on site.

Once, with a very difficult customer with a Glow-Worm combi who did not like the HRPC price for the part, she bought it on line somewhere and I returned to fit it at no additional charge.

She then asked me about the guarantee. I told her that as she had supplied the part then it was her responsibility. She asked about "our work" and I replied that we had fitted it and it worked so there was nothing further to guarantee as any further problems with the PCB were her responsibility!

Tony

 

[deedeemc]

woohoo, boiler is fixed! Brittish gas fixed price repair £168 which would have been fine if I hadn't already paid £155 on the last guy. Gonna fight for a refund tho. Thanks for all the help!

 

[Agile]

Er....Yes!

But you haven't told us what was wrong!

We have a vicarious interest in your boiler!

Tony