central heating failure anyone any experience of new install

Well the story of my life as usual, my central heating back boiler has failed again
Six weeks ago it failed and I paid £400 for everything that could go wrong (control board, ignition system, and gas valve) The installer did say that if it did not work then I would need a new Gas boiler
(just when retired and can not do the odd overtime to top up the income)

They are taking the Urine, the new Gas boilers excrete an acid, so you can not use your present chimney liner aluminium, it has to be plastic, Only £396 for 20'

They will not fit with a guarantee unless you have a full system flush at only £360
You need a special ball for installing the liner (re-usable) at only £124

Next the cost of a boiler and installation British Gas were the worst just over £5k for above
using present radiators and plumbing so long as I take the seven year maintenance for £700 extra
Next is Baxi they do a direct replacement for Potterton Great one for one err no you have to have the new acid excretement chimney liner and Drain also they no longer support the front gas fire,so has to be replaced with an electric fire with magic 3D picture of fire at only an extra £420
Next are the independants but they are also tied to the new 2005 regulations though advise not a combi as they can not be used for the future energy options

I have three options
Spend all my life savings
Go into debt that I can not pay
Or jump of the Forth road bridge, and the insurance will pay for the wife to be kept warm

Also, recently due to circumstances had a wet room fitted, they ripped out the beautiful bathroom with quality fittings and metal bath, Then fitted cheap and nasty toilet, sink and shower worse than my original Only paid £2k towards the £4k as Julie is disabled
Four weeks ago the computer room (My den, below the wet room) ceiling fell in with about six gallons of water
Not their fault, well it had not fell in for 40 years so why now DUH

So here I am with no ceiling no heating, Just paid £500 excess insurance as car had Nitromos poured over it, and a private pension £8 too much for benefits
Never missed a days work since age of 15 and 22 years before the mast

Sorry but it helped me get it orft me chest

Jack McHammocklashing

Jack McH

 

Keep your chin up Jack.
It never rains but it pours
Abit of advise don't use British Gas to install a new boiler usually about 2k above average price
What is wrong with your back boiler (ie not firing up, no hot radiators)
There's not much to go wrong with these type of boiler (I have 1)

 

Sorry so many things are going wrong for you.

I had a new boiler fitted about 4 years ago by a local plumber/builder, it was a one for one replacement and cost about £1400. It did not need any chimney lining, though - it has some sort of vent to the outside. This was as cheap as I could find at the time, and was kept low by not rearranging any pipework/radiators. It is a smallish Baxi, not sure how high up the quality scale they are. I wasted money on having the old boiler "fixed" first, shouldn't have bothered.

Also, regarding the unsupported gas fire, can you not just get a local gas fitter to service it, it's probably good for years yet.

I had some ancient Cannon gas fires in my house, lovely retro pieces. British Gas condemned them a few years back when they came to fit a Smart meter, although they'd been in regular use up to then, and I was still alive. Thanks for nothing, BG. It was getting hard to find spare parts and plumbers who would work on them, so one has been replaced with an almost new modern gas fire I got for £15 on Ebay. It is absolutely fine, fitted by a professional, of course.

So there are lots of alternatives out there, there's no need to pick the priciest option.

 

Comes on fine at correct time , heats up fine then obviously as supposed to it shuts down until needs heat topped up, then it takes several attempts (ignition sparks) to come on again, but fourth time it just tries and tries then shuts down
(it is not a temperature sensor it does not have one, it is a direct slide on the side of the unit)

Thanks all, just venting to get it off my mind

Jack McH

 

Absolutely love British Gas
When my parents were alive, BG dug up the street and fitted new Yellow plastic pipes
Three months down the road, a postman phoned the gas board as he could smell gas at Mums address
BG quickly arrived entered the house and condemned the house pipe work as it was lead
They kindly hammered the lead pipe shut at the meter, left the stickers and Mum and Dad had to find the money for new pipe work and fires (large terraced house)

Months later still a smell of gas at the front door, BG called and on investigation found that
the new Yellow gas main they fitted in the street had not been glued/welded together at the joint OUTSIDE

Jack McH

 

Aww Jack

 

Jack, you don't deserve all this bad luck for sure! It wasn't so long ago we were discussing boilers.....see below.

http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/gas-boilers.54012/

 

Yes the post where I was happy finding MY old boiler can still be repaired, paid a cheaper price than a new instal, and Now six weeks down the line I am needing a new installation Plus the monies I had just paid for the "repair" :-)

Jack McH

 

@Jack McHammocklashing
From reading some posts on the net, it sounds like the thermo couple has gone.
But first make sure the pump is working and the small tank in the loft is full of water.
If you need it repairing get a few quotes and ask that do they know how to fix back boilers?
Most younger plumbers/heating engineers don't know how to fix them!

 

I think you have found the cure
We had not had a problem with the system
Three months ago, we had a WET room fitted, now what was the bathroom had a small expansion radiator/towel warmer, this had a pipe that led up to the attic and swan necked into a very small tank
The wet room installers removed that radiator and pipe capped it somewhere under the floor, and ran the new radiator as the others out of the Matrix

Four of five weeks after this, the back boiler has started shutting down
The parts replaced last month included a new thermo coupler

In the morning I will go and check that little tank, to see if it is dry

NOW THE SERIOUS DANGER BIT
Is that expansion tank, not a safety valve so if the water boils, it circulates rather than explode the boiler
Fortunately we have never had the need to have the heating really hot up until the past week

Jack McH

 

Yes sounds like they have capped off the heat sink radiator.
It is the safety release if the thermo couple doesn't turn the boiler off.
So the boiler/hot water cylinder don't explode it releases the excess heat through the bathroom radiator.
Get them back and read the riot act to them!

 

John and Mowgley
That is exactly it, a vented system

I am no good at reading the riot act to anyone, bit of a mouse
As for the Wet room installers, apart from through Fife Housing Association, I can not find them anywhere
They did eventually turn up and state the collapsed ceiling was not their fault and to sort (repair) it myself

I can find them through FHA but if it turns out I am wrong they want another £200 per visit

I am not broke, just invested my small pre take of pension money, for living a bit longer than 70, financial penalties for taking it out again :-( Though I think that is the way I will go)

I will check the header tank in the morning, top it up with water, and if it cures it get a plumber to run a new expansion pipe, If not then go for a new instal

Nightmare scenario, carpets and floor boards up, never the same when replaced

Thank you for your help and replies

Regards Jack McH