Is Once a Year Boiler Service Essential/Fernox Filter

[laminateman1010]

I never used to get my previous boiler serviced once a year, and I imagine with luck on my side it lasted about 14 years.

I just phoned the guy who installed my new boiler, and he says that my current one should be serviced once a year, at the cost of £60.

Is this once a year service, really essential?

I also noticed that with my new boiler (installed one year ago,) there is a Fernox TF1 filter installed, and it's currently in the off position. Should it not be in the 'on position' by default?

Thanks.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Is this once a year service, really essential

Yes

 

[ianmcd]

there is a Fernox TF1 filter installed, and it's currently in the off position. Should it not be in the 'on position' by default?

what do you mean by the off position ? they do not have on and off positions, they have valves that you close when servicing them, but if these were closed you wouldn't have any heating

 

[laminateman1010]

Hi Ian, you can see what I mean in the photo. The arrow is aligned with the 'X.' I just presumed that this meant the 'off' position.

 

[muggles]

If you don't get your new boiler serviced annually, the warranty will be invalidated.

Apart from being a cr@p TF1, which I see has already started leaking, your filter looks fine. It's a magnet - you can't turn magnets on and off

 

[Dan Robinson]

which I see has already started leaking,

I was thinking just the same

 

[D_Hailsham]

The online instructions do not show the tick and cross symbols, so they don't help.

However, I thinks they are trying to tell you how tight you need to do up the top cover (You should have a large plastic spanner to do this).

The correct tightness is when the arrow is in the middle of the solid yellow box. If the arrow is to the right, as yours seems to be from your picture, the cover is not done up tight enough.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

The isolation valves for filter servicing are the red handles on the brass valves. The one that is just in shot on the bottom is definitely on, because it's in line with the pipe. As said above, if these valves were off, you wouldn't get any flow around your radiators.

£60 for a service is a good price. If you don't service the boiler annually while in the warranty period, the boiler manufacturer probably won't honour their guarantee. If something major breaks, saving 60 quid on servicing could end up costing you.

Also, if the filter is still under guarantee I would be contacting the installer about the weep on it's lid. Those filters are rubbish and have been discontinued.

 

[laminateman1010]

Thanks for the various replies. D_Hailsham suggests that the cover is not tightened properly. Could this loose cover be the source of the leak? Also is the leak a big deal (I will mention it of course when the boiler is serviced)?

 

[Elkato531]

If the arrow is pointing at the yellow box, its on tight enough. If its pointing outside the box, its either not tight enough or overtightened. The leak looks like a very slight weep from the screw in bleed vent. Have your service engineer take a look or better still get him to replace. It will almost certainly eventually leak more seriously from somewhere else.

 

[breadnbutter]

as far as I remember on them tf1 you only need to take magnet out the top,(have you got a heart pace maker, if so don't go near the magnet.apparently, it can interfere whith the pace maker.) isolate, put bucket underneath, unscrew bottom, open up, and empty out debri.
re fit, open isolation, bleed air.
the bleed union, most probably loose.