new heat exchanger under warranty

[matz]

is there an issue with v*lia*t heat exchangers in their e/tec model ? We are having one readily replaced under warranty due to being blocked - its over 2 yrs old.

As I understand it, blocked heat exchangers are a user issue not a manufacturers one and therefore wouldnt be typcially be warranted?. If I knew no better, I'd say they know there is a fault and they have pencilled in upgrading every HE no questions asked when a customer complains about it being blocked??

brilliant service by this company I must say which is why I've abreviated their name so as not to give them any negative google vibes

 

[Dan Robinson]

Huh

 

[Dean744PiN5]

credit to vaillant, it is not just their boilers that suffer this fate but any that have been installed on a dirty system without a thorough clean.
The manufacturers normally allow it under warranty because people don't see it that way and their boiler will wrongly get a bad rep because it wasn't fitted properly.
Will you be getting the system cleaned and a filter installed if not already? because unless you do it might just as easily block up in another 2 years and if vaillant don't warrant it your looking at about £400 just for a new heat exchanger with out any labour

 

[matz]

credit to vaillant, it is not just their boilers that suffer this fate but any that have been installed on a dirty system without a thorough clean.
The manufacturers normally allow it under warranty because people don't see it that way and their boiler will wrongly get a bad rep because it wasn't fitted properly.
Will you be getting the system cleaned and a filter installed if not already? because unless you do it might just as easily block up in another 2 years and if vaillant don't warrant it your looking at about £400 just for a new heat exchanger with out any labour

system was powerflushed. well the paperwork said so and a magnaclean fitted at inststallation. The boiler played up (kettling?) from almost day one but installer fobbed me off. V just seemed very relaxed about forking out for a new HE, thats all. Didnt even look at out paperwork but maybe they have info on their system. Unless the HE has a fault, its clearly not the manufacturers problem?....perhaps they are just a nice firm

 

[Dan Robinson]

As said, they're doing it this time to protect their name.

Rest assured samples of the system water will be taken and the system marked as a basket case and that all hydraulic warranty issues will be subject to the system water being up to scratch.

I don't rate the Giannoni heat exchanger that much but it wouldn't block on a clean system.

 

[matz]

As said, they're doing it this time to protect their name.

Rest assured samples of the system water will be taken and the system marked as a basket case and that all hydraulic warranty issues will be subject to the system water being up to scratch.

I don't rate the Giannoni heat exchanger that much but it wouldn't block on a clean system.

ok, makes sense. very generous attitude by this company I think, hugely impressed!

 

[Agile]

Several companies will replace a plate HE on boilers but most then write to the installer.

They also tell the customer that it will not be warranted any further unless they get a power flush.

Is this the main big HE or the smaller plate HE in your case?

I think you got it right when you said the paperwork said it had been power flushed. But them it would have wouldn't it?

Presumably he fitted the boiler in one day? Power flushing alone take about 4-5 hours !!!

Tony

 

[Agile]

I went under warrantee to this boiler under warrantee.

The installer swore blind that he had power flushed it. I just showed him about 1/2 kilo of dirt and asked him where it had come from. He just looked sheepish! But he did pay the £84 call out fee.

Three months later he called with symptoms sounding like a faulty PCB. He asked if the preceding problem would affect the warrantee on the PCB. I was able to tell him that as he had paid the callout fee it would have no effect.

A new PCB and he was a happy Bunny again. ( Or a happy Biasi for the purists ).

 

[matz]

Several companies will replace a plate HE on boilers but most then write to the installer.

They also tell the customer that it will not be warranted any further unless they get a power flush.

Is this the main big HE or the smaller plate HE in your case?

I think you got it right when you said the paperwork said it had been power flushed. But them it would have wouldn't it?

Presumably he fitted the boiler in one day? Power flushing alone take about 4-5 hours !!!

Tony

from memory the install was over 2 days, 2 blokes. I wasnt there for the main part but my wife recalls them using some kind of machine.

No idea about big and small HE - is this CH and DHW? if so, the boiler doesnt work properly on either.

Anyway, a new HE on Tues so will be interesting to see how it goes...

 

[SilentDancer]

The Giannoni stainless steel heat exchanger used by Baxi and Vaillant is quite fragile outside its normal operating pressure. The stainless steel tubes can distort if the system is over or under pressure and this may have caused or contributed to the blockage despite the system being clean.