vokera excell boiler

[billy8]

Model Excell 80SP about 5 years old. Finally the boiler lights and runs OK after fitting a new gas valve & thermocouple (£££).
Now the fan, which seems to be going full speed all the time is keeping me awake as it is in the bedroom airing cupboard. It gets to a high pitched hum which is bearable during the day but I have to switch off at night, and fire it up next morning - a ballache. Also, maybe not totally safe unless I shut the gas supply and pilot off totally.
Any ideas?
Would a new fan cure it? (more £££)

 

[Agile]

I have to wonder if the gas valve was replaced by a CORGI registered engineer?

When a gas valve is replaced the new valve has to be set up for manimum and minimum gas pressure to the burner!

Tony Glazier

 

[billy8]

It said Corgi on his van Agile - maybe he likes dogs. He certainly charged me a royal sum! Anyway, Ive got another 'heating engineer' calling tomorrow to give a second opinion and no doubt, ask me for some money!

 

[DP]

Where about are you?

Boiler is a lot older than 5 years. More like nearly 8.9 or even 10.

More likely the boiler needs a service. If you in or around Glasgow, I offer this service.

 

[Agile]

Right, now we have set the scene.

I have never encountered a faulty gas valve on an Excell so they must be rare. I am left wondering if all it really needed was the thermocouple which have a life of about 4-6 years typically.

Next the fan, the fan should run slowly to clear the fumes and remove heat from the pilot.

There is a switch which in the rest position causes the fan to reduce speed. I suspect that this may have been disturbed when the gas valve was changed. Changing a gas valve is like a heart transplant, fairly major surgery.

The fan is clearly OK because it runs on full speed. All that is involved is the switch which puts a resistor in series with the fan to slow it down. Probably a simple adjustment of the switch!

Tony Glazier

 

[billy8]

Central heating was installed in 1999 DP - that makes it 6 years.
My story goes like this:
The house had been empty and boiler turned off. Not been serviced since new, im afraid! Despite several attempts pilot will not light. Get in local plumber who 'knows about boilers' he rings me at work - 'ive cleared all the muck out, it was full of it - the pilot is now on!' On my way home i'm dreading the vacuuming of soot that I have to do, but the place is spotless, err undisturbed - hes either the cleanest tradesman in history, or he hasnt taken the casing off. Next day pilot goes out and wont relight, plumber wont come back - hes busy!
Next, I get in the proper Corgi man - hes £55 hr for 1st and then £35 for remainder so he must be good right? I hear him on his mobile asking his mate if thermocouple for this model is square or universal - not confident about him. He comes down and declares that I need a new gas valve £90 + labour. I query this saying that surely we dont need to replace the whole thing. Yes mate, but its up to you - what do you want to do? I finally cave in and think - get it done, I think im being done, but I already owe £55 call out, and hes a bit aggressive, wouldnt fancy my chances in a scrap. So I paid up £180 - I now have heating and hot water but the fan is very noisy. Having said that, the fan noise has always been there but not quite so annoying. What do the experts say?

 

[Agile]

I still think the same, that the gas valve did not need changing!

At first I thought £55 for the first hour and £35 was a bit cheap, then I realised he was probably conning you over the gas valve. We charge a fixed £84 plus parts and expect to sort it out within an hour. But then we only change what needs to be changed!

Now, I am a little confused about the fan. You have not made it clear if its running slower when the boiler is not in use.

The fans can be a little noisy when the boiler is a few years old. They are not too expensive for that make. But it needs to be determined if its slowing down correctly.

Tony Glazier

 

[billy8]

Agile, we are in August and heating is off - we only have hot water option turned on at the boiler. Still all day without a tap being turned on the fan is going full bore. By the way, i am from Stockport, and we dont pay London prices up here! If we can help it.

 

[chrishutt]

we are in August

Lucky you. We are in September.

 

[billy8]

Vale, Chris, tenemos suerte no estamos en agosto sino en septiembre!
Sabes algo de las calderas?

 

[chrishutt]

Yes, I know something about boilers, but why are we lucky not to be in August? Perhaps you do not like the heat of summer?

 

[billy8]

Sorry Chris, my irony didnt translate too well. Do you see this model in Cuba much? How much would you charge for a call out?

 

[chrishutt]

£500 should cover the air fare. Incidentally, there isn't a p in setiembre - Spanish is a very phonetic language.

 

[billy8]

Too much, can I post the boiler out to you?
Incidentally, there is a p in septiembre when spoken in Spain, especially in Madrid, home of Castellano - so there!! Are you a Teacher? do you charge £55 per hour?

 

[chrishutt]

You ask a lot of impertinent questions! In case you haven't noticed, several regulars on this forum post under "flags of convenience" as it were. My real base is Bristol, but the forum would be rather dull if we all flew union flags.

I bet it's still spelt setiembre in Madrid.