Biasi combination boiler - no hot water

Lisa Jane · 1 Feb 2007

Hiall,

I have read a lot of your useful advice and was hoping that you may be able to help me.

I have Biasi combination boiler that has been fine for 10 years until a couple of weeks ago. It would not produce any hot water when the thermostat is turned down, after turning the thermostat full on the hot water was piping but so was the central heating.

This is no longer working, when I turn the thermostat up now, I'm lucky to get a trickle of warm water althougf the heating is still working.

Is this time for a new boiler or will the old one be able to be fixed.

Thanks for reading, any advice is greatly appreciated.

ChrisR · 1 Feb 2007

Very fixable, likely to be just a cheap rubber diaphragm that's failed, though at 10 years there will be other parts showing signs of age a bit.

Lisa Jane · 1 Feb 2007

Chris R

Thanks you for your speedy reply, can you elaborate on your answer so I can be forewarned when talking to the plumbing company.

Whats a diaphragm in boiler speak? You say its cheap, is it also cheap to replace ? Sorry but am on a very tight budget.

Agile · 1 Feb 2007

It sounds as if the boiler IS firing up when you turn on a hot water tap. In that case its NOT the diaphragm or diverter valve.

Much more likely to be a blocked plate heat exchanger. A test is to see what temperature the gauge goes up to on DHW. It should not go much above 60°C.

It can also be many other things, particularly if the boiler has not been serviced regularly.

Its not always a good idea to try to get the firm which sounds cheapest as they may replace bits which are not needed at your cost.

We charge a fixed price diagnostic fee but we only replace parts really needed.

Tony

ChrisR · 1 Feb 2007

Okay, depends which thermostat is meant..

LJ from cold, if you turn a hot tap on does the boiler fire? If you leave tap on (middling flow) does the boiler go out, water go cold and if you leave it running does the boiler come back on?

Does the boiler only light at high flow? Or not at all?

Lisa Jane · 1 Feb 2007

Thanks for your replys and many ideas.

The boiler has 2 dials which are for hot water and central heating both of which are turned to high.

I have been controlling the hot water by turning up the central heating thermostat in the living room. So whilst the heating is turned down low I have no hot water.

I only noticed this by accident as when the heating was off I had only cold water from the hot water taps buut when i turned the central heating up via the thermostat the hot water worked again...!

This has now stopped working and i'm getting intermittent hot , cold and tepid water from my hot tap, even when the central heating thermostat is turned up high.

I do know that the thermostat in the living room should not have any effect on my hot water, but it has or at least has done.

Lisa Jane · 1 Feb 2007

Hi everyone

Did anyone else know anything further about my predicament as I think the last guys gave up...

What is the online diagnosis...? I've read loads of your replys when I was a guest and I know you know all the answers, please point me in the right direction as I was told earlier that the boiler is not fixable.

No hot water now..

Agile · 2 Feb 2007

If you turn off the CH and turn on a tap and the boiler does NOTHING st all then its usually that the diverter has failed.

Thats often the diaphragm but not necessarily.

Any other situation and its something else gone wrong.

Tony

Lisa Jane · 3 Feb 2007

Thank You Tony

At least now I can state my case when the engineer arrives later. Another plumber has told me that the boiler is beyond repair and he could fit a nice new system for £3k (ulp..!)

Thanks to everyone fopr your replies your a really helpful bunch and I hope your efforts are justly rewarded.

kevplumb · 3 Feb 2007

£3,000 beyond repair please

Agile · 3 Feb 2007

Lisa, I would advise you and others not to "tell your plumber what to do".

If, and that may be a big IF, he is competent then he may not like that!

I was once told to replace a pump because she had been told that was what was wrong. I had an argument with her because I wanted her to let me diagnose the problem first. My main question to her was "what will you do if I change it and it does not cure the fault?"

Eventually she realised my logic and let me come and diagnose the problem. It was NOT the pump! She apologised and now recomends me to all her friends.

Tony

gavinda · 3 Feb 2007

yep that happens all to often lisa. call alll your friends family and nieghbors, someone will be able to recommend a decent eng to you.. andonly afetr the 5th guy should you start to believe in beyond economical repair

Agile · 3 Feb 2007

Its perfectly fixable!

That model was made until 2002 and is very reliable if correctly installed on a clean system.

You can expect spare parts to be available for about 10 years after production ceased so its likely to be perfectly repairable at least until 2012 !!!

Tony

Softus · 4 Feb 2007

Agile said:
We charge a fixed price diagnostic fee but we only replace parts really needed.

Free advertising again.

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Biasi combination boiler - no hot water

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