Ideal Mexico HE boiler

[Wudhut]

After 20 years my Trisave boiler has finally given up the ghost.

I'm looking at an Ideal Mexico HE15 as a direct replacement but have concerns over the reliability of the more recent Ideal boiler range.

Does anyone have one of these, or better stil, work on them regularly, who can tell me what the known faults or issues are?

I don't mind getting stuck in and doing repairs but I would like to know what I might be letting myself in for!

 

[swbjackson]

I fitted a Mexico HE 30 recently. Absolute pain in the derriere to fit. Can't comment on the reliability but it looked like an Icos in a big box to me.

 

[Wudhut]

Thanks Mike.

As I suspected common parts throughout the range and the Icos does not have a good reliability record!

Ideal make a big fuss over ease of fitting - your experience was very different.

Eric

 

[bengasman]

Silly question maybe, but why are you considering an Ideal?
Apart from people who work for the company, just about every installer agrees it is one of the worst brands you can buy at the moment.

 

[gas4you]

Go for a more reliable make that hangs on the wall.

You should be able to find one that fits your requirements I would have thought

 

[Agile]

Which Trisave model do you have?

Whats wrong with it?

Yours seems to be the last of about 3-4 possibly still working!

Tony

 

[swbjackson]

Thanks Mike.

As I suspected common parts throughout the range and the Icos does not have a good reliability record!

Ideal make a big fuss over ease of fitting - your experience was very different.

Eric

To fit it you fit a pipe jig to the floor, pipe up to it and then slide the boiler over the jig and connect the boiler to the jig. Mine was made worse due to the fact that I was using 28mm pipe. You also have to fit the flue elbow to the flue, put it through the wall and then fit it to the boiler when you've pushed the boiler back. Well that didn't work and I ended up pulling the boiler back out, fitting the flue and pushing it back in flue and all.

The boiler itself is fitted down using 2 screws with no adjustment. on my first fitting it was way out of level and I had to remove it and jack up the fitting Jig on one side. Couldn't even do it with a level as even with the top of the jig level the boiler sat off level. It was slide in and out several times until it was right. In hindsight it would have been best to fit a board on the floor level but the instructions don't say anything about needing a perfectly level base.

 

[Wudhut]

As I suspected Ideal seem to have ruined a perfectly good RS Mexico boiler by using common parts from other models when changed to HE -all of which have appalling reliability.

Don't want to go for a wall hung as everything geared up for a floor standing. Too many structural, non plumbing, items to change having moved the Trisave out of the kitchen many years ago!

Can anybody recommend even one floor standing which is not designed for appearance rather then good engineering.

For Agile: The Trisave has served me well over the years except for the condensate sump drain with the normal chasis corrosion. It will only fire up for 1 min with ignitor still clicking away, before cutting out. Could be 1 of 3 things including totally blocked syphon. Tried the usual hot water trick but not solved it. Boiler will have to come out for access and as most other parts no longer available decided to call it a day!

 

[Agile]

About 14 years ago I saw two wall mounting models, brand new, for sale but they wanted £100 each although I dont know if they ever got anything like that.

I became rather attached to the concept of restoring one as a historical project before they all disappear.

I bought two floor ones and was going to install one for fun in a house I was expecting to buy but that fell through and I lost one boiler there.

Although condensing, they are only 87% efficient which makes them Band B.

For anyone who does not know, they were one of the first condensing boilers sold in the UK, perhaps about 1975 and they proved so unreliable that the firm went bust within a year as a result of warrantee claims.

The boilers were solidly made but the fan, PCB etc were not up to the job and the massive aluminium heat exchanger created lots of aluminium sludge.

I almost thought that I should come and try to take your old one away but thats probably too unrealistic.

Tony

 

[Wudhut]

Tony

If I do take out the Trisave you are welcome to it. I think I saw your thread some years ago on restoring one - a Trisave museum!

Alluminium sludge is part of my problem but fan ok as it is a replacement.

I could at some stage bring the old boiler, plus alternative LPG gas valve and some new spare gaskets, down to Eynsham near Oxford if that makes it worth considering?

Shame to just dump for scrap it if you have a use for it!

What about Warmflow condensing boiler? Another small manufacturere but I can't download their specs manual!

 

[Agile]

That does make the idea of taking the old Trisave more encouraging! It seems such a pity that nobody has any historical interest in some of these manufacturing disasters.

You can contact me via my profile when it might be available.

I dont recognise "Warmflow" ! What is it?

Tony

 

[Wudhut]

Tony

Not been able to uncover much about Warmflow other they are a small manufacturer with head office in Northern Ireland.

Phoned them and asked to mail technical details on their U70HE which is a condensing floor standing baisc design.

Of course might end up as another Trisave but then how many of the big boys current models will last 20 years?

Eric

 

[WSPH]

we fitted in the region of 30 Ideal Mexico's last year and 6 of them came back with problems. I personally don't like Ideal but i presume there are some engineers that do, so choice is yours really.

 

[Agile]

yes, I remember seeing their website a while ago.

I would NEVER recommend a small maker as its too difficult for spares and those dont seem to be used in the UK either.

There is a floor mounted Baxi but I dont know anything about its reliability although an ex-trainee fitted one recently.

Tony