Is BG HomeCare worthwhile for a problematic system?

[MisterBoy]

I must have half a dozen threads about my Baxi combi boiler over the last few years, we've had blocked exchangers, failed diverter valves and now - even after a professional PowerFlush in spring - repeated E110 overheat errors which the plumber suspects is another blockage.
The system was very dirty when they did the flush and he is warning the boiler might just be damaged to the point it needs replacing from the abuse it's received, instead of keep changing bits every 6-9 months when it stops working.

Comments generally welcome but as we also noticed the water is again looking quite murky and the MagnaClean quite full of sludge (only 6 months after the flush) my concern we just have general issues with the system.
I'm going to ask the powerflush company about it but my main thought was whether to just sign up to HomeCare figuring that I can turn it over to them and not be stung by big surprises in cost. Both me and my plumber are sick of him having to keep coming out (I'm pretty sure he's frustrated by it rather than glad of the repeat work!)

So thought I'd throw it to you lot, both plumbers and anyone who uses the service. It's not the cheapest ~£20 a month although I just spotted they also do "breakdown cover only" for only a fiver a month.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I'm going to ask the powerflush company about it but my main thought was whether to just sign up to HomeCare figuring that I can turn it over to them and not be stung by big surprises in cost. Both me and my plumber are sick of him having to keep coming out (I'm pretty sure he's frustrated by it rather than glad of the repeat work!)

I would suggest you carefully read the policy document, especially any limitations, before subscribing. Not personal experience, because I have no need for such cover, but of a lady-friend's cover.

Her boiler, plumbing drainage and heating insurance just found ways to wriggle out of doing any repairs, to a bathroom leak, which eventually did expensive damage, and then another company providing appliance cover threatening a £100 charge, if no repairable fault found on her washing machine. She has been paying them for years.

What’s not included?​

• Anything that happens within the first 14 days of you taking out the product
• Removing sludge or scale or repairing the damage it causes if we tell you it might be a problem for your system or boiler
• Showers or taps

In other words, any problem caused as a result of your sludge or scale is not covered, any repairs would be chargeable.

 

[CBW]

You could perhaps go to Baxi for a fixed price repair? Not sure that would cover a dirty system though.

 

[MisterBoy]

I would suggest you carefully read the policy document, especially any limitations, before subscribing. Not personal experience, because I have no need for such cover, but of a lady-friend's cover.

Her boiler, plumbing drainage and heating insurance just found ways to wriggle out of doing any repairs, to a bathroom leak, which eventually did expensive damage, and then another company providing appliance cover threatening a £100 charge, if no repairable fault found on her washing machine. She has been paying them for years.

What’s not included?​

• Anything that happens within the first 14 days of you taking out the product
• Removing sludge or scale or repairing the damage it causes if we tell you it might be a problem for your system or boiler
• Showers or taps

In other words, any problem caused as a result of your sludge or scale is not covered, any repairs would be chargeable.

I'm aware their sludge policy but if you get it flushed on their advice, then they DO cover it. I am not sure if you have to get them to do the flushing or they will accept others doing it and the cost of having it flushed again is hardly a pleasant thought but my concern is that if problems came back after a flush, it might still be worth it in the long run.

Their wording also says they exclude damage that occurs after they tell you about a sludge problem if you don't get it flushed. If they haven't told me this then I think cover applies. E.g. if they determine a diverter valve has failed due to water condition they would replace it and tell me I am not covered for future repairs unless I get a flush... I think.

 

[ianmcd]

BG Will not repair it and will tell you it needs powerflushed by them at around the £700 to £800 mark, you either have an under lying problem or the powerflush was not done correctly
BG home care would be my last port of call

 

[pcaouolte]

My experience of the BG HomeCare is that the price starts fairly reasonable and increases every year that you make a claim.

They try to sell you additional items like co alarms and power flushing at inflated prices and offer 'discounted' boiler replacement at prices higher than local heating engineers.

The annual service was more of a poke a tester up the flue than a dismantling and cleaning.

In the end I bit the bullet and had a new boiler, new pipework (to replace microbore) and some new radiators. As part of the boiler installation the whole system was power flushed. The heating engineer that installed it now services it properly each year and it runs reliably.

 

[pcaouolte]

I'm aware their sludge policy but if you get it flushed on their advice, then they DO cover it. I am not sure if you have to get them to do the flushing or they will accept others doing it and the cost of having it flushed again is hardly a pleasant thought but my concern is that if problems came back after a flush, it might still be worth it in the long run.

Their wording also says they exclude damage that occurs after they tell you about a sludge problem if you don't get it flushed. If they haven't told me this then I think cover applies. E.g. if they determine a diverter valve has failed due to water condition they would replace it and tell me I am not covered for future repairs unless I get a flush... I think.

If they insist on a flush to retain cover then it will need to be done by them. They do guarantee their flush for a while (a few years from memory). If you get it flushed again by someone else BG may still say that it wasn't flushed properly and decline to repair.

You might get one repair before they notice the sludge problem but then you will be back to where you are now. It is also possible that they notice the sludge problem on the initial service visit and you don't get any repairs at all without paying them for a flush. They will go around and feel all the radiators on the first visit to make sure that your system is working when they take it on.

 

[MisterBoy]

BG Will not repair it and will tell you it needs powerflushed by them at around the £700 to £800 mark, you either have an under lying problem or the powerflush was not done correctly
BG home care would be my last port of call

What kind of underlying problem could cause recurring sludge after a proper flush? I know the company took water measurements before/after and seemed happy but I have no way to know if they did it properly. They seemed fairly thorough in terms of accessing all the radiators which leaves me a bit stuck if I wanted to complain? As @pcaouolte says the one benefit of BG is they seem to have a fairly robust guarantee, I imagine a smaller firm you might really struggle to chase them.

We want a new boiler down the line but I'm nervous if there is an underlying problem. And it's getting to the point I'm sick of waking up to a frigid house. Less the money than it being a pain in the backside

 

[ianmcd]

How often are you topping up the system pressure ?

 

[CBW]

How often are you topping up the system pressure ?

I don’t suspect they are mate, the OP relates to E110 - overheat situation

 

[MisterBoy]

I don’t suspect they are mate, the OP relates to E110 - overheat situation

Whenever it needs it, we check regularly but it holds pressure well and typically doesn't need topping up often. Given I up up there restarting the boiler about twice a day it gets plenty of attention.

As I said the plumber suspects a blockage leading to overheat based on past history but hard to verify without taking it apart and he's a bit reluctant since we already went round this before and it's the main heat exchanger he'd apparently have to take out not the easier hot water one. Putting a new part in a dirty system might just be a stop-gap.

 

[ianmcd]

Whenever it needs it

And how often is that, this is very important

 

[MisterBoy]

And how often is that, this is very important

Typically every few months. The plumber's already established that's not the issue - well at least not this time We check it regularly but I actually can't recall the last time it dropped since we had something else fixed a few months back.

 

[ianmcd]

Typically every few months. The plumber's already established that's not the issue - well at least not this time We check it regularly but I actually can't recall the last time it dropped since we had something else fixed a few months back.

yes thats fine, if you are topping up regularily you are deluting the inhibitor and adding oxygenated water so can cause sludge build up .but every few months should be fine

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I'm aware their sludge policy but if you get it flushed on their advice, then they DO cover it. I am not sure if you have to get them to do the flushing or they will accept others doing it and the cost of having it flushed again is hardly a pleasant thought but my concern is that if problems came back after a flush, it might still be worth it in the long run.

I think someone posted that they did it, or got their subby to do it, but they charge way above what you would normally expect to pay. If they then subsequently find the same problem, they will expect you to pay another excessive fee for flushing.

I have read of numerous cases where they have tried to persuade customers, to fit new boilers rather than fix what is installed, claiming parts are not available.

On the face of it, the cover is cheap, but there is a good reason it is cheap.

Halfords offer cheap/free MOT's - there is a reason they do this, because they get well paid work out of the MOT failures. There is a reason why I pay full price for my MOT, at a garage which does not do any repairs.