Member Since: 01 May 2020
Location: CHELTENHAM
Posts: 137
Gas safe
So, Thursday while watching football felt a little cold!!
Boiler failed. Checked it out to find leak from condense pipe and not lighting, turned boiler off cleaned up water from tray turned back on and working. Think the boiler has 2 issues. Leak from condense pipe and igniter issue.
No problem got insurance so gave them a call.
They turned up Friday and advised leak from condenser pipe internal must have been leaking for years have to shut down boiler saying chassis is corroded, advise new boiler!! Put danger do not use sticker on front. The boiler was checked less than a year ago with no comment?
Questioned why dangerous and told due to chassis corroded? In what way was this dangerous? and no comment. Gas leak? products of combustion leaking? Boiler falling off the wall?? Nothing
My wife was told water was up to the burner level and that was why the boiler failed and would not light? BS. The boiler pan is 20mm thick and the burner is some 200mm above that. The boiler pan is galvanized so not sure how that can corrode??
At this point let me point out that my wife is in recovery from open heart surgery and I will not have cold and unable to bath.
I now apologize to all gas engineers on the site.
I got home opened up the boiler, fixed the leak and turned the boiler back on. Checked the corrosion and in my opinion surface rust resulting in paint flake around the hot out and cold in, area around the gas pipe as new!! I have 2 land rovers so know a little about chassis corrosion!!!
Long story short I will be complaining to gas safe, although I know I will not get anywhere I will be going out of my way to make life as awkward as possible for both this engineer and his company.
20 years in project management, Installing industrial kitchens all over the world so have a little experience.
New boiler being fitted tomorrow. I don't mind spending money just hate wasting money.
Sorry for the rant but so angry.
16th Jan 2022 7:48 pm
character
Member Since: 31 Dec 2007
Location: wiltshire
Posts: 5781
had similar story with our old combi boiler, under British gas plan, paid every month for years and years with no issues, then pump failed so BG came out, very helpful chap, all mended and off we go, cant remember what the cause was but days later boiler would not fire up, another tech came out, old boy/old school, condemned the boiler due to a split down one side of the external stainless steel flue. Got independent out next day, took the flue out and welded it on site, back in and off we went, no issues ever again, BG contract cancelled.
Ask BG to quote on like for like replacement also at the time, sales guy comes out measures up and concludes that the "environment" around the boiler would be too small to fit a like for like according to his laptop coz it was 10cm, yes 10cm too small an area to work in. Would have to have it relocated to kitchen wall, new gas supply and take half the kitchen wall units off
Roll on 4 years later to late 2021, same Worcester combi is now £2k cheaper with 5 year warranty, we bought the boiler and paid £800 to have it installed by Worcester engineer including bricking up and new wireless thermostat, job done
16th Jan 2022 8:39 pm
al cope
Member Since: 08 Nov 2005
Location: Oldbury, WM
Posts: 10354
Had a similar issue a few years back at an annual service on my mom’s boiler, the flue comes out under her carport, so the engineer condemned it, even though every year previously his colleagues had been happy with it. I checked the regs regarding flue positions and it was fine. Both ends of her carport are open so plenty of air flow. I requested a manager come out and he finally agreed it was fine. Needless to say I cancelled the contract with homeserve.
I think the guy was fishing to replace her boiler.
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16th Jan 2022 9:04 pm
nigethecat
Member Since: 11 Sep 2016
Location: Marnoch
Posts: 4244
Gas safe doesn’t appear to be worth very much these days, below is a photo of the ignition on a gas stove in a rented property that I was living in, new certificate issued despite this and guess what... a month later it leaked and nearly flooded the house with gas.... engineer “didn’t see it as an issue”...
Cadet engineer that condemned the stove said there was no way it should have passed!I want to see the sweets before I get into your windowless van... I'm not stupid!
Corris Grey D4 Commercial SE 2016
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16th Jan 2022 9:13 pm
defector
Member Since: 23 Feb 2009
Location: Greater Manchester
Posts: 1471
Similar issues with our Ideal Logic+, boiler failing to fire and water leaking from condensate pipe after filling up in combustion chamber.
On both occasions i removed the condensate bottle, which over time had filled up slightly with combustion residue/dust and blocked the outlet letting the condensate fill up resulting in the burner failing.
Just rinsed out the bottle, swabbed all the water and reinstalled the bottle, probably a 10-15 minute job.
Boiler fired up instantly on both occasions.
16th Jan 2022 11:01 pm
RSW
Member Since: 24 Aug 2012
Location: Devon
Posts: 155
Mate of mine used to work for BG as a service engineer, he quit as all they wanted him to do was sell new stuff to customers all the time and they had to have a meeting with the manager if they didn't meet the targets each month !!
17th Jan 2022 9:15 am
Davethegeo
Member Since: 01 Oct 2015
Location: Edinburgh
Posts: 913
Gas Boilers much the same as Land Rovers. We often get a better service from Independents or from just DIY.
Same goes for a lot of household appliances. I have to be in dire straits before I'll get a tradesman in now.D1 300Tdi - gone
D2 Td5 ES (Alive remapped...mmm) - sadly gone
D4 2012 SDV6 XS - Stolen
D4 2014 SDV6 HSE - Shiny
17th Jan 2022 10:13 am
defector
Member Since: 23 Feb 2009
Location: Greater Manchester
Posts: 1471
Some years ago - probably well over 10 - we had three British Gas vans outside our house for about 5 hours trying to diagnose a fault with an old boiler as it was on BG contract.
One engineer couldn't seem to sort it so he would call a mate who worked on those particular makes etc.
I don't think any of them were fault finding types but just followed the 'computer says no' routine.
They replaced quite a few parts but still no luck.
I then phoned a friend who was then an independent Corgi registered engineer and gave him all the details and he asked to speak to one of the engineers.
He suggested that the gas valve was not getting gas sufficiently and to check that there was a filter in the gas valve entry that may be blocked.
Sure enough, the filter was full of crud, cleaned it and everything worked great.
They should have checked the gas pressure to the burner but hadn't.
Three engineers and kit for half a day, plus more or less a new boiler with all the parts they replaced.
17th Jan 2022 10:44 am
RootinTootin
Member Since: 23 May 2013
Location: Here and now
Posts: 469
I can tell you that gas engineers don’t like being shown up by a woman!
We had problems with our boiler leaking water and were told it was some valve or other, which was replaced. Not long after the pressure would drop before your very eyes and charging the system would last a day at most.
Another guy came out, topped it up (yes, I told him we had done that repeatedly but He knew best….he was so patronising I could have hit him) and he then said if it continued to lose pressure we must have a leak under the floor . He also refused to fill in any paperwork, or leave any, “Due to Covid”?. Lots of worried watching and waiting and it happened again an hour after he left.
I, with my trusty A pass in O Grade Physics and modicum of technological awareness and practicality, went through a list of possible checks and decided it most certainly wasn’t an under floor leak and was probably water going into the expansion vessel and all we were doing was filling it up.
Well, another engineer came out and changed the valve thingy again but I insisted he check the expansion vessel and, lo, it had litres of water in it but no air. He reckoned it may not have been checked and re-charged after its last service.
New expansion vessel ordered and installed by another engineer who was more than a little scathing of the engineers who had gone before and had extremely harsh words for the no paperwork due to Covid guy. He was particularly chuffed that a woman had figured it out and shown up his inept colleagues.
18th Jan 2022 7:52 pm
MrBrain
Member Since: 12 Mar 2014
Location: bucks
Posts: 472
Gas Safe are a waste of your time. Save yourself the stress.
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