Leak from Vaillant Turbomax - please help

[matahari]

Hello again. I am hoping someone can give me some advice, please.

I have a Vaillant Turbomax that is now 10 years old. In the last couple of weeks I noticed water accumulating on my worktop and at first thought it was from over-filling the kettle, but it became obvious it must be coming from the boiler, but I can't see where. I have put a rolled-up towel underneath and it takes about 24 hours for it to be soaked through. The pictures show an accumulation of water after about three hours. The water seems to be coming from the right-hand side of the boiler but when I feel the base plate (?) it is dry. I have noticed the pressure slowly dropping but I keep topping up.

In April 2008 I had a replacement diverter valve. And last month a replacement (downstairs extension) bathroom radiator, during which the men *overrode" the boiler. Would either of these have anything to do with what is happening?

I am an OAP and can ill afford expensive repairs, can anyone have an educated guess as to what might be wrong? And how much it might cost to put right?

 

[adlplumbing]

not with out taking the front cover off
sorry if u are short on cash bg do offer fixed fee repair but it may be more than independant would charge

 

[matahari]

I rang Vaillant and they said they'd charge me £260 before they even started, and then went on to try to persuade me to take out an insurance policy! They then said that when my boiler is 14 they will no longer be supplying parts for it!

I don't want to take the boiler apart in case I can't get it back together again. I'm a woman and don't have anyone to help me.

Isn't there some way of guessing, from the position of the puddle? It's a Turbomax Plus 824 E

 

[adlplumbing]

no as if its hit pipe their water will travel
try bg as atleast you know what your paying

 

[matahari]

What's bg?

 

[adlplumbing]

british gas

 

[barkie1]

Have you tried to find the leak? You could check the compression nuts under the boiler were the boiler connects to the pipework. Use your hand but be careful these pipes maybe hot!!! If you find water trace it back to source this maybe in the boiler? If you don't feel confident enough then I'm afraid you need a heating engineer.

 

[ChrisR]

Only a guess, but on the right is an auto air vent which can let water out. It's supposed to be left loose so it lets any air out, but they misbehave.
You can just do it up (fingers, cap (here red) like a car tyre valve) until you get it serviced.

It can be hard to bet the lower panel back up on those...

 

[picasso]

Ask your family/neighbours if they can recommend someone, I dont think BG salesmen and oap,s are a good mix.

 

[matahari]

Thanks, guys. I am a youngish pensioner, but still a sitting duck for any "rogue traders" out there.

Could it possibly have anything to do with the engineers "overriding" the boiler when installing the radiator? It has only happened since they were here.

(Btw before you advise me to have them come back, I had the radiator installed under a Warmfront grant given to me last year, and I don't qualify for any more now as they have changed the criteria.)

 

[bengasman]

...(Btw before you advise me to have them come back, I had the radiator installed under a Warmfront grant given to me last year,

Google something like: Warmfront + complaints or problems, aega + dito, Iguana + dito, that might give you an idea what the most likely cause of your problems is.
If you get cheap when you buy cheap, you can imagine what you can expect when you get it free and for nothing.

 

[matahari]

Bengasman, you've got the wrong end of the stick. The Vaillant boiler and central heating system were paid for by myself, when I was still working, ten years ago. They were done to the highest standard by a central heating engineer who was taking his annual CORGI renewal, and was inspected by a CORGI inspector.

It was a RADIATOR only, that was put in under Warmfront recently to replace one that had rusted.

 

[bengasman]

It was a RADIATOR only, that was put in under Warmfront recently to replace one that had rusted.

God only knows what these clowns do. Google the things I said, and you will understand what I mean.

 

[matahari]

I understand, Bengasman. I have seen stuff about them on the Martyn Lewis money site forum.

I think I will give them a ring on Tuesday. The rad they put in leaked and they had to come out twice more to fix it.

 

[ChrisR]

If they had to take the rad valves off they might well have closed the air vent thing, to stop air going IN so the water would hold in the pipes. Then when they opened it again, quite likely it would leak, cos they DO!

Have a look. You quarter turn the plastic screw things at the top corners of the panel, tug it and it flops down. Then you'll be able to see the pump on the right and the air vent on top of a 2 inch diameter pot just behind it.
TUrn the electric off and feel around with loo paper looking for water.
To put the panel back up, there's a two-bladed fork thing which is supposed to grip a pipe. Wires tend to get in the way so it taks a bit of patience sometimes.
Quarter-turn the screws again to lock the panel up.