Potterton combi boiler just out of guarantee.....

[namsag]

Baxipoti is working off your serial number for age of appliance as in build date.. It probably lay on a shelf for a few months before being bought.. Unless you have been emptying boiler and refillin with fresh water every few weeks the chances off the plate heat exchanger being blocked with scale or sludge is very remote seeing as everything was new 14 months ago... Baxi usually allow a 3 month grace period regards serial number build dates so could be worth a try saying it`s just been fitted.. But if it has been lying on a shelf somewhere they will ask for proof of purchase

 

[baxpoti]

Providing your installer did his paperwork....
You would have been given plenty of offers to extend your guarantee,
You chose not to? (pay for peace of mind)

If the boiler was fitted in November 2005 and you have proof,
you may have to pay a 'retainer' but i'm sure Baxi (heateam) would send an engineer, if its not a manufacturing fault you may lose your money!

 

[bripl]

we had this with baxi just before xmas,boiler was a solo pf3 installed in sept made 18mths previous from the serial number.to cut a long story short they did attend eventually and repair it but the merchant and the local rep had to get involved before they would resolve the prob

 

[namsag]

Had same prob with Baxi wentworth fire that had lay on shelf for about two years before Plumb centre got them and sold off very cheaply.. All i had to do was fax proof of purchase off and they came out next day no hassle and understandable.

 

[Agile]

Most manufacturers will allow 15 months from their dispatch date ( if they record it ) without documantation for a 12 month warranty period. Over this they will mostly at their discretion agree to honour the warranty if a kosher sales invoice is provided by a mainstream dealer.

Problems can arise with second line dealers who buy off another though. The warrantee call engineer can usually get a pretty good idea by the colour of the coper pipes though. This is where a documented CORGI installer who has completed the Benchmark installer scores!

Namsag, in my experience completely new rad systems which are untreated are some of the worst offenders and will block a plate HE within a few weeks in the worst cases.

Tony

 

[Encantador]

Potterton only want £290 but that does include all parts and VAT. Plus, it is guaranteed (Underwritten by Legal & General) for 12 months.

Said they would have done it under guarantee IF it was just a couple of days over the 12 months.

 

[namsag]

Agile for sludge/magnetite to form in a new system you need a supply of oxygenated water over a period of time where would all this oxygen come from in a system a few weeks old. And by it`s design a plate heat ex is not meant to allow scale to form on it. Which is why they g`tee them for so long

 

[Agile]

I will not attempt to explain the chemistry.

Only to repeat that I have been to many which have enough reddish iron (hydr)oxide to block the plate HE sometimes and more often seize the pump.

Its not magnetite which takes several months to form out of the reddish oxide.

Tony

 

[namsag]

Well im up on my chemistry Agile so if you want to explain go ahead.. Ferric (iron) hydroxide is white in colour (not red) FE (OH)2 and in the presence of Oxygen (or in water hydroxal ions) becomes Ferric (iron ) oxide FE2O3, rust, which as we all know is is red or brown.. Magnatite FE3O4 can also form but usually requires heat and time... So for red water ie Rust to form. Where is a few weeks old system getting all this fresh oxygen to constantly attack the internal surface of the rads to produce it in quantities to block a heat exchanger . This would take a lot longer than this even with an constant oxygen supply. Which as we all know a sealed system doesn`t have. Wherever i have seen red water in a system this has always been caused by severe pumping over. And over a far longer time span in an open system thus constantly allowing fresh oxygenated water into the system allowing this chemical reaction to occur

 

[Agile]

Its not that simple!

There are several different compounds and these also act/look different in the presence of water.

I have always expected that its probably mostly ferric chloride hexahydrate resulting from the action of acid flux on the iron in the rads.

Probably not at all important apart from the message that if you dont clean and inhibit the system the result is often so severe that the boiler fails within a few weeks.

I usually see one every 2-3 months.

Installers ( and you perhaps ) dont expect this because "the system is all new". Water treatment seems to be something that only others do!

Tony

 

[namsag]

No need to try an get personall Agile because your initial chemistry didn`t work you then come up with another reason ... No we always cold flush/ hot flush and hot flush again before adding fernox protector or sentinel x100.. Just wondering if any of the Baxi/Pott boys or any off the others who regularly attended to in g`tee boilers have ever came accross in a completely brand new system a few weeks old RED rust (not red inhibitor) seizing pumps and blockin plate heat ex .. Not changeovers

Also have you seen the side affects of you latest chemical ,,extremley corrisive if exposed to skin causes burns rots the mucus membrane of the nose can stop some one breathingb etc etc. S o we would all have to wear protective clothing and gloves and mask for a simple drain down. Simple question show me the chemical formula how this can be created in a central heating system an where would enough chlorine come from in a system for this reaction even take place let alone to contanimate an entire system... Or just give me reference where it forms in domestic central heatin.