Powermax 155x hot water problems

[CWoodward]

Hi. Can anyone help? I have a Powermax 155x boiler. The hot water in the shower is a good temperature for a while and then will decrease suddenly to lukewarm and then turn to cold. I don't have enough time to wash my hair in hot water.

If I don't have the central heating on for a good time before a shower, i have no hope of hot water.

I assume theres a problem with heat transfer between the thermal store and the hot water, but why is it hot then cold? Could it be scaling or flow rate? The flow rate has never been altered on the boiler which is 6 years old. I used to have enough hot water to wash - and condition - my hair!!

Does anyone know what the problem could be and what I need to do??

Claire

 

[Agile]

There are potential serious safety issues with Powermax boilers and they should be regularly serviced by someone who is familiar with the issues! Someone was killed by one after British Gas visits!

Whilst I know the kind of issues which can cause your fault I am not going to mention them because I dont encourage DIY repairs on boilers which need regular servicing to remain safe. People who try to do their own repairs dont get boilers serviced.

Tony Glazier

 

[CWoodward]

Thanks Tony.

I am not planning on doing any work on the boiler myself. I would not even consider touching it. I was just wondering what can be wrong with it so that when the service man visits I have a good knowledge of what may be the problem.

I have been guilty of not having my boiler serviced and have just set up a homecare plan for annual service and maintenance. I assumed this will be the best cause of action. My first visit will be in two weeks to check the boiler out before the plan commences.

I am now slightly concerned though as I have set up the plan with British Gas. Would I have been better setting up a contract with the Powermax technical support group? I know that E.ON homecare will not touch the Powermax.

I just wanted to have some idea what the service man was talking to me about so that I didn't appear to be dumb.

Claire

 

[Agile]

Only BG and Baxi ( owners of the brand name now ) are likely to take them on because of the safety problems. A few independents will as well.

But they will not take them on with a fault except at extra cost unless you can pretend its only just happened in two months time. Their initial check might well miss that problem.

The actual problem is likely to be one of three possibilities and could be a combination of more than one of them.

Its not good to pretend that you know more than the engineer and whatever we tell you the reality is that you will not know what the actual cause is. You may think that you must have a higher intellectual capacity because all plumbers left school at 16 with just three GCSEs but the reality is that now many have degrees and considerable expertise with boilers.

Tony

 

[CWoodward]

OK. I'll see what British Gas say about the boiler when they make their first visit. I will half expect though that I end up using Baxi's technical support team. I wonder should I just use them from the off set and cancel BG.

I'll be making progress though just by having set up a care plan and getting this thing regularly serviced though.

If I had an higher intellectual ability than a boiler specialist on this subject I wouldn't be asking for advice. I just like to be interested when the man turns up and understand a little .

Thanks again for your advice. At least I know there is a problem and it's not just how the boiler behaves.

 

[Agile]

I think that BG are a little cheaper so my advice is to stay with them.

Yours is a simple problem and they should have no difficulty in fixing it ( should! )

Where problems might arise is if the flue goes through uncheckable voids and particularly if it goes through parts in another ownership. The latest instructions say that that situation will render the boiler to be classed as Immediately Dangerous and to be turned off during 2013.

No, I dont know how it becomes Immediately Dangerous just on a particular date in the future.

Its likely that even the world's greatest chess champions know nothing about boilers and nor did Einstein either.

Tony