Boiler Condemned

[civicman]

Hello

I need of advice. I have a Range Powermax 155 combi boiler it was fitted when the house was built in 1997, I've been living here the last 5 years.

I have the British Gas Home Care cover for the boiler and I have had it serviced every year for the last 5 years

I had it serviced on Wednesday and the engineer found that it required new turbulators as the old ones had corroded and fallen to the bottom of the chamber, it also required a new ch pump. So he completed all the checks on the boiler and said someone will be out the next day to remove and replace the turbulators as his forceps were not long enough to reach down and remove them.

He checked the boiler with his probe to record gas readings, he wrote on my homecare checklist
4 ppm
9.0%
0.0001 ratio
53 secs gas rate

said the boiler is fine just need to get the 8 turbulators and pump replaced.

The next day...

British Gas engineer turns up to replace turbulators complains that the powermax boilers are pigs to work with.

He replaces the turbulators and ch pump and takes readings with gas burning.... This guy now says that there is fumes leaking from flue seal at base of boiler and on flue, phones his british gas manager tells him then tells me it's not safe to use and caps it off.

I cant remember the readings he took but i remember him telling me carbon dioxide was 2 ppm

He also told me the seals where the leaks were coming from are no longer available and i need a new boiler

is this true is it unsafe can british gas not get the part needed?

is it worth a second opinion?

Do I need a new boiler??

Or do i need to call british gas and tell them they talking garbage

Thanks

 

[nickso]

Can't remember which model you have but if it's the one with the sump on the bottom and it's leaking from there then it's scrap. Even if the part was available, which I'm fairly sure it isn't, you can never get the sumps off anyway.

They are a carp boiler anyway.

 

[civicman]

sump is at bottom

 

[45yearsagasman]

I've had a lot of experience of these units in and around where you live and can confirm that the boiler is unsafe to use if any flue products are detected out side the flue system. Parts are no longer available to repair that area of the boiler, and should be scrapped. Most people fit a good quality combi in its place. All the services are there in the cupboard.(hope your boiler is on an outside wall) and not one with the extended flue system. New boiler is still possible but extra flue lengths add to install costs.

 

[civicman]

the boiler is not on an outside wall it's placed in a cupboard space in my sons bedroom, would that provide a problem?

 

[45yearsagasman]

No problem, flue systems on most modern boilers are able to be extended, eg vertically to terminate through the roof tiles. Take advice from your chosen installer.

 

[mysteryman]

I used to service these dreadful things. They always seem to be mounted up on a platform, which just makes the harder to work on.

Bought my present house as an ex showhome in 2006, built 2003. It had a Powermax up on a platform in a cupboard on the landing, high and low level vents into the loft. The flue pipe had come adrift and was blowing straight onto a roof truss and scorching it - there were no fixing clips anywhere.

Chucked it out and fitted a Vitodens 300 condensing combi with weather compensation. Hot water performance is almost as good, far lower bills and no steady loss of heat into the loft - and it is much quieter. We now have more useful storage space as well.

 

[Rob]

Scrap it and think of the £1000 you wasted on British Gas' homecare that you could now have put toward your new boiler that any decent RGI would have told you you would have needed soon enough as the thing is a piece of ****.

 

[civicman]

Ok point taken my boiler is dead need a replacement asap british gas quoted £4500 ... told him where to go.

Can anyone in my area quote to replace and install new boiler.. cash deal

 

[civicman]

anyone?

 

[bengasman]

Ask friends, neighbours, colleagues, relatives and anybody else you know locally for recommendations for a good RGI.