Vaillant Turbomax HW problem - yet again. At wit's end...

[Aulus]

Can any really experienced gasperson guide me on this one?

I have a 14 year old Turbomax VUW282E which over the years has had a number of new parts. It is now suffering from it's favorite fault, no hot water. But this time it's intermittent and random - 5 British Gas engineers have not determined the fault - one said local pressure, one blamed the shower mixer, & the 5th decided the DV microswitch was not fully depressing so adjusted it. This fix lasted a week. I now don't think its the microswitch but I have no idea what it could be.

We now sometimes have hot water, sometimes not. This is causing terrible anxiety for all of us wanting to risk a shower. In fact at this very moment someone is running the shower & I can hear the boiler trying to ignite & failing. I hate it.

I am prepared to accept a quote of £2k for a new boiler because I am so desperately worn out by this problem. And just plain desperate. Can anyone suggest anything - anything at all - that might be the cause of the problem?

Thank you in anticipation

 

[mickyg]

what happens when it doesnt work? what lights come on? does it lockout? does it fire up? more info required. Don't replace it, these are excellent boilers and will carry on for a good few years yet. You should however be getting shirty with BG to get it sorted pronto.

 

[doni]

I am not an experience plumber, but I have a Vaillant, and it gave CH but the HW was sometime fine, for many days/weeks, then suddently there was no hot water, for a day or even two at a time, couldn't fire the HW up, did things like reduce the water pressure (turning the stop cock off slightly) thought that was it, increased the boiler pressure by topping up - convinced myself it was one thing or another and I'd fixed it, but after a while working, the HW went cold again. Sometimes it would try to fire up, the water would go luke warm, then really cold. Thought it was that the CH was too hot, so, turned it down - at the end of the day, I kept thinking I'd fixed it, only to realise that the fault kept coming back - effectively it never went away. Then one day I changed the Diverter Valve - it's worked ever since. It was a quick job, and relatively cheap to do.

 

[Agile]

It may have been an easy job for you but I allow 1.5 hours although I hope to do it in less.

If those BG engineers wanted to change it them I am sure they would have done so.

Oddly you may think, but its easier ( and quicker ) for them to tut tut and feign ignorance of the cause and then leave after 10 minutes rather than spend 1.5 hours and dissapoint three other customers booked for that afternoon!

Tony

 

[Aulus]

When it's working OK, all the lights come on in the correct sequence . I can't actually remember what this is but I know from experience that it is 'normal'

Other sequences are thus:

Turn tap on - pilot & power lights stay on, nothing else. Or:

Turn tap on - fires up, lights on, but HW light glows faintly up to 5 seconds, then goes out, other lights go off (apart from pilot & power). Or:

Turn tap on - clicking noise from 2 or 3 areas in boiler, repeats 4 or 5 times in a cycle, then stops & just pilot & power light on. Or:

Turn tap on - all lights come on - nice hot shower.

Seems to be more reliable if CH is on, but this not a constant.

Replacement is a desperate measure, my wife is now too scared to take a shower, runs a bath instead (if it works).

 

[Bunnyman]

British gas bloody hopeless if it's glowin dim an it worked after they adjusted it it lol! It's the microswitch If it's a black one it's normal 126262 get em to change the switch no the boiler ffs!

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• Bunnyman
• 26 Mar 2010
• 499

 

[Aulus]

I should have mentioned - the last BG engineer decided it was the microswitch - because I told him. But I didn't think it would fail within a week so have assumed it's a different fault.

I hate them.

 

[Agile]

To be fair the adjustment is quite critical and many dont get it right 1st ( or 2nd ) time.

Tony

 

[Bunnyman]

Look agile knows I mend nothing but Vaillant if you have to adjust the switch don't bother the diaphragm needs changing but there is NO other reason for a dim light and the clicking when it is trying to light other than the microswitch being duff ,did he change it? (doubt it)

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• Bunnyman
• 26 Mar 2010
• 499

 

[Aulus]

No. But it was changed about a year ago. I have booked engineer for Thursday morning, with view to adjusting or replacing m/s. I will update Thurday afternoon!

much thanks to all.

 

[Whitespirit66]

If BG are clueless, it may be worth giving these guys a go. A friend in London has used them, and was very impressed.

http://www.vaillantservice.co.uk/VAILLANT/Vaillant_Home.html

 

[Aulus]

Update: engineer attended (I wasn't there): despite call centre being told in detail what was probably wrong, he had not been advised, so couldn't replicate fault, & left.

Now there's no hot water again.

 

[Bunnyman]

Madness I get my lad to do it sat morning £200 to go down ur way tho!

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• Bunnyman
• 26 Mar 2010
• 499

 

[Rob]

Just replace the diverter valve complete and all your problems will go away

 

[priceyson]

you can buy a diverter valve kit as it ll prob be thepart that operates plastic propeller thats at fault this moves to operate the switch that keeps being replaced!! this can be a bit fiddly but a cheaper option to replacing the whole diverter!