Please help -at my wits end

[ani61]

Hi
I just found the forum. I hope it isn't too rude to just wade in with a question.

I have lived in the same rented property for around 11 yrs.

The property has a Worcester 24i combi boiler, which I think is probably almost 15 years old. The boiler is serviced as per legal requirements, now by BG.

This boiler and its heating system cause me severe discomfort every year and I really dont know what to do. The Landlord sends an engineer out, they tweak it and sometimes it is OK for a while.

When the environmental temperature drops or we get high winds the boiler will not switch the heating on. I have been told by almost every engineer that comes out that this is a problem with the air sensor and that the only thing I can do is to re-set it by switching the boiler off/on at the mains electricity switch.

Whilst I don't doubt they are correct about what is causing the problem ie the air sensor and fan not kicking in, the latest advice I received from a BG engineer was to plant conifers along my front hedge to give the flue some protection from the elements! Not only would this be expensive but as I am disabled, highly impractical.

A friend suggested I put a 'box' around the flue, which of course is a really dangerous idea!

Is there a proper way to be able to protect the flue and stop the air sensor from switching the boiler off? If there is I can suggest to my landlord that he would save money on call outs and maintenance if such a solution were applied...obviously by a qualified Gas Safe engineer.

Any help would be appreciated as my home is absolutely freezing when I get up in a morning!

Ani

PS I live at the top of a farm lane where we are exposed to the worst of weather conditions and I think the boiler was probably installed with very little thought as to those conditions.

 

[petertheplumber12]

The main point to remember with flues is that they must be 300mm away from any window opening, wall, abutment any way as long as something is attached to the wall at least 300mm from the flue then it can be safely put there. for example a sheet of non corrosive steel with an angle on 1 edge bent to 90 deg and projecting about 150mm further out than the flue, on 1 or both sides, as long as it is above head height so it cant hurt anyone it should do the trick.

 

[ani61]

The main point to remember with flues is that they must be 300mm away from any window opening, wall, abutment any way as long as something is attached to the wall at least 300mm from the flue then it can be safely put there. for example a sheet of non corrosive steel with an angle on 1 edge bent to 90 deg and projecting about 150mm further out than the flue, on 1 or both sides, as long as it is above head height so it cant hurt anyone it should do the trick.

OK Thanks. The flue is well above head height (over 6ft I think). Unsure about the 30cm from either windows but would guess it is.
The problem now will be convincing my landlord to get the job done and finding someone who can attach a metal sheet to pre-fab concrete walls!

I wondered if it was possible to put something similar to a chimney cap over it but Im guessing this isnt an option as you would have suggested it.

Many Thanks
Ani

 

[ianmcd]

What a load of absolute rubbish, you need a proper boiler engineer to look at your boiler it doesnt matter diddly squat how windy it gets outside you have a room sealed appliance and outside wind will not make any difference whatsoever to your appliance, forget planting bushes or trees get someone to properly diagnose the air differential/flueing problem and sort it for you

 

[ani61]

What a load of absolute rubbish, you need a proper boiler engineer to look at your boiler it doesnt matter diddly squat how windy it gets outside you have a room sealed appliance and outside wind will not make any difference whatsoever to your appliance, forget planting bushes or trees get someone to properly diagnose the air differential/flueing problem and sort it for you

OK after 10 winters and an engineer coming out every year, first were contractors, then several actual Worcester engineers and now at least three BG engineers, where would you think I (or rather my landlord) would find someone more highly qualified?
The Worcester engineers tried solving the problem twice by replacing every single part in the boiler, including the electronics board! Im just glad I didnt get the bill!

Im sorry to be narky but your answer is not all that helpful!
Ani

 

[Agile]

But unfortunately he is correct.

Its getting a bit late now at 15 years but the correct recourse would have been to the makers when it was newly installed.

Has it really done that since it was installed?

Worcester will tell you that their boilers will work anywhere ( or offer you a solution.

I know that you may find this unhelpful but its the facts!

Tony

 

[ani61]

But unfortunately he is correct.

Its getting a bit late now at 15 years but the correct recourse would have been to the makers when it was newly installed.

Has it really done that since it was installed?

Worcester will tell you that their boilers will work anywhere ( or offer you a solution.

I know that you may find this unhelpful but its the facts!

Tony

Thanks Tony

I have no idea if its done the same since it was installed but in the 10plus years I have been in this house it happens every year. As soon as the outside temps drop or we get high winds the boiler wont switch on.

This afternoon I had to switch it on/off at the mains just to get the hot water going.

The landlord will not put a new boiler in. I am on the end of five farm houses and they all have the same problems to some degree or another except for the other end where the boiler and its flue were positioned in a more sheltered place.

Perhaps it is a fault with this set of boilers but I know mine has had Worcester engineers out to it at least three times so I dont think thats the problem.

Ani xx

 

[ianmcd]

I honestly cant see Worcester engineers saying this ?? I would contact Worcester technical and if they have visited your property they will have records, I have a boiler that the flue is only about 4M from a 125MPH train line and it doesnt suffer from pressure differential problems but when working on it you nearly get sucked through the flue when a train passes, if the combustion cover is fitted and sealed correctly it doesnt matter what the wind conditions are outside as long as the flue is intact

 

[ani61]

I honestly cant see Worcester engineers saying this ?? I would contact Worcester technical and if they have visited your property they will have records, I have a boiler that the flue is only about 4M from a 125MPH train line and it doesnt suffer from pressure differential problems but when working on it you nearly get sucked through the flue when a train passes, if the combustion cover is fitted and sealed correctly it doesnt matter what the wind conditions are outside as long as the flue is intact

The Worcester engineers didnt know what was wrong with it...hence fitting all new parts.

Perhaps it is this 'combustion cover and sealing' that is causing the problem.

I do not have a say in who comes to check the boiler. The landlord is at present paying for a package offered by BG.

I could suggest that the combustion cover is checked. Perhaps it will help.
Thank You
Ani xx

 

[Agile]

Were they actually salaried engineers employed by Worcester? Or just people who install lots of Worcester boilers?

Or did they just wear a Worcester jacket? I used to have one but after wearing it for so long its fallen apart and they have not given me a new one yet!

What happened when it was reported back to Worcester that their efforts had not effected a cure?

Tony

 

[ianmcd]

show them the comments you have received on this site and I am with Tony who is a very experienced engineer although we dont always agree, I dont like to BG bash but the public have a view that BG somehow have a crystal ball, they are just another company and these days very few of their engineers have the experience of some of the engineers that will advise you on here

 

[ani61]

Were they actually salaried engineers employed by Worcester? Or just people who install lots of Worcester boilers?

Or did they just wear a Worcester jacket? I used to have one but after wearing it for so long its fallen apart and they have not given me a new one yet!

What happened when it was reported back to Worcester that their efforts had not effected a cure?

Tony

I can see what you are saying Tony and to be honest Im not sure I can answer you.
Originally the gas maintenance guys were a local firm. When they repeatedly came out and couldnt fix it they got what I think were proper Worcester engineers out or the landlord did.

Im not sure the landlord ever reported the recurring fault back to Worcester. The way my rental agreement works is I have to phone the house letting agents who then contact the landlord. The boiler is his property. I cannot afford to contact Worcester, I would get the bill.

Ani

 

[ani61]

show them the comments you have received on this site and I am with Tony who is a very experienced engineer although we dont always agree, I dont like to BG bash but the public have a view that BG somehow have a crystal ball, they are just another company and these days very few of their engineers have the experience of some of the engineers that will advise you on here

Thank You
I will.
The BG engineer that came out on Tuesday has been about the problem before. Sometimes when they tweak it it works ok for a couple of days or even weeks.

This time it made not one iota of difference.

Thank You all.
Ani xx

 

[Agile]

Worcester do have a very good customer service, probably the best in the industry! ( Saying that helps me to get my jacket! )

They will not want to have their boilers described as not working properly.

Unfortunately, as you dont really know who came and on what basis, that makes it a little difficult do do anything official after so much time.

I suppose you could write them a letter ( yes, I said write! ) and perhaps even direct them to this thread ( so they can see about my jacket too ) and they might just possibly get their local staff engineer to pop by to identify the fault that Ian and I are convinced is there.

Tony

 

[ani61]

PS
I dont really expect anyone to have a crystal ball and I think that some people are better at their jobs than others, especially when it comes to employees of large companies. There are those who take a pride in their work and knowledge and others that do the least possible to get a wage packet at the end of the week.

At the end of the day it is true in all professions, I think.

Ani xx