Is it worth getting boiler serviced?

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I've got a baxi 80e combi boiler, think it's about 7 years old - was in the property a few years before me and had had the main Pcb replaced. I'd planned to scrap it (thinking it wouldn't last long) but I've not had to touch it in 3 years, other than replace the dhw diaphragm a couple of times.

It does, however, take a good while before hot water comes out the tap - from cold, a full minute to a tap 15ft away. The gas bill's also pretty high considering size of property/usage - I don't know whether certain things realistically have an impact on efficiency.

So, I'd like to know whether 1 minute would be considered normal operation on this model, or if not what the problem might be. I'd like to know if anything impacts efficiency and also, what a service would involve if there's no specific fault?

Cheers.
 
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Yes probably a minute to get water to the tap given time for boiler to fire up and start heating from cold won't be far off the mark.
They will be a bit quicker if they have been heating water fairly recently.
At best there is a 5-10 second start time before the boiler is doing anything useful.
Your plate heat exchanger may be partially block or the diverter valve may be passing wasting heat into the central heating circuit when heating hot water.

A service won't sort any problems out that is just a check of the boiler.
 
While I agree that a "Service" won't sort the kind of problems you outline a "SERVCIE" will certainly "CONFIRM" tht such a problem exists, thereby allowing the Client to make a decision which would be REPAIR or REPLACE based on the information given during the boiler Service ! :rolleyes:
 
you waste a lot of water and gas in that one minute...say 8l/m 5 times a day thats 40 litres a day!


modern boilers have preheat facilities that ensure delivery of hot water is significantly quicker...
 
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Ah, I thought calling out for a service, they'd possibly be cleaning out a few elements but I see it's mostly checking (and giving the option of repairs).

I'd read someone else mentioning they'd taken the heat exchanger out and cleaning it with the pressure washer - would that be worth doing?

I think there is also a minor issue with the diverter, when the shower is used there's a bit of heat getting passed into the rads. It's been like that for 18 months though and hasn't caused any problems (but might be contributing to gas bill!).
 
you waste a lot of water and gas in that one minute...say 8l/m 5 times a day thats 40 litres a day!


modern boilers have preheat facilities that ensure delivery of hot water is significantly quicker...

You waste less water and gas if you only turn tap HALF on until it comes through warm.

Modern boilers with preheat also waste gas firing up every 15 minutes to warm themselves up!
 
thats why they have timed programmes...so that it only keeps hot when you are likely to use it...
 
Ah, I thought calling out for a service, they'd possibly be cleaning out a few elements but I see it's mostly checking (and giving the option of repairs).

That would be the case if you expect one service to undo seven years of neglect. Your boiler could be easily re-furbed then serviced regularly thereafter.
 
The normal charge for a service is less than £60.

Dont expect that to include much cleaning of water parts!
 
You do have a problem with diverter there is a build up on the seating but is a simple repair. .

So alec you think changing an entirely good boiler for one with intelligent preheat is going to save the OP money then ?? when everything is taken into consideration
 
That would be the case if you expect one service to undo seven years of neglect. Your boiler could be easily re-furbed then serviced regularly thereafter.

I'm actually thinking calling out for a "service" would inflate any cost, maybe better just calling them out asking them for a quote on doing a specific job (that is, if I can determine an issue beforehand).

Thanks gas112, will check out the diverter.
 
doesnt this boiler have a preheat facility, most do....

sounds like its not a hugely expensive repair...so repair would be the way to go
 
I'm actually thinking calling out for a "service" would inflate any cost, maybe better just calling them out asking them for a quote on doing a specific job (that is, if I can determine an issue beforehand).

Better to let an engineer diagnose whats wrong.

Do you think you have more skills than the average engineer at diagnosis?
 
Alec1 what would you class as most.
And as Tony says what makes you think its cheaper to have a pre heat than to run a tap slower to allow to heat quicker .
Gas cost a lot more than water
 
with the boiler cold run the hw tap and feel the central heating pipes, if they start to warm up ya diverter is passing.
if the boiler cycles on/off whilst you are running a hw tap your plate could be blocked.

if it is working correctly might be worth fitting a combi-save
 

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