Powermax 155 expansion tank diaphragm failure

[Steve_Cox]

A local company has just charged my wife £58 to identify that the diaphragm in the W & P DX18 3 bar expansion tank has virtually disintegrated. They have quoted me a further £245 to replace this. A friend who has a plumber living next door to him has stated this seems quite high and that I could easily do this myself in about an hour? Is this price high? Is this a simple job to do myself and would there be any danger involved? Some of our radiators no longer work and I guess this is because they are probably blocked with the remnants of the old diaphragm? I am quite able with DIY but would not want to put my family in danger to save money but don't want to be ripped off? I also do not know where to access the parts? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Steve Cox

 

[Agile]

That sounds a very reasonably priced diagnostic visit!

However the repair cost seems rather high. I would have expected the replacement part to be under £100 but I do not know for certain. It should not take much more than about 40 minutes to fit.

Rather than all this gossip with friends who just happen to have a plumber living next door, why not ask another local boiler engineer?

If you have rads which are not heating up this implies that they are blocked with sludge. This is likely if the ex vessel failed some while ago. The correct cure for this is to power flush the system, about £300 or so depending on the number of rads.

Iif you want to play with it then you could take off a rad and flush it out in the garden with a hose pipe.

Tony Glazier