Implications of heavy boiler corrosion for pipework?

[Florine]

Hello. Having mentioned in another thread that our condensing boiler (Potterton Gold) has just been condemned, it's got me wondering. We moved in last summer and got the boiler checked (and I thought, serviced, although we've since been issued a service reminder) then under a British Gas Homecare contract. The house had been empty possibly for up to 10 months. I don't think I was in the room when the boiler was stripped down, so didn't see the state it was in, but the engineer didn't comment adversely on it.

Now, after running it fairly lightly, I'd say, over the winter, it's been condemned, and frankly I'm not surprised. Liquid in the bottom of the casing, a lot of corrosion and/or mineral deposits at the bottom, and so much at the side that if it hasn't actually perforated under there already I think it would be about to ...

All this has got me wondering just how much of it may have happened since we moved in, and what the implications might be for the state of the pipework as well? Are we liable to get an unpleasant shock when we get a replacement boiler fitted?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Hello. Having mentioned in another thread that our condensing boiler (Potterton Gold) has just been condemned, it's got me wondering. We moved in last summer and got the boiler checked (and I thought, serviced, although we've since been issued a service reminder) then under a British Gas Homecare contract. The house had been empty possibly for up to 10 months. I don't think I was in the room when the boiler was stripped down, so didn't see the state it was in, but the engineer didn't comment adversely on it.

That will be an absolutlely mininimal service, just to ensure it is safe.

All this has got me wondering just how much of it may have happened since we moved in, and what the implications might be for the state of the pipework as well? Are we liable to get an unpleasant shock when we get a replacement boiler fitted?

Try bleeding some water out of a radiator, that might provide a clue as to the condition. It should be clear and clean. Consider having it flushed if not, though some boiler installers might insist on that. Also include a filter with a new boiler.

 

[Mister Banks]

My boiler had been serviced by British Gas under a Homecare contract for the last 8 years, I have now cancelled the contract and had a service carried out by a local heating company. The local company didn't do anything different to British Gas!

 

[Florine]

Trouble is, we have a vulnerable adult in the property. Most local companies can't commit to urgent call-out if we lose heating in the same way BG can.

 

[kidgreen61]

Trouble is, we have a vulnerable adult in the property. Most local companies can't commit to urgent call-out if we lose heating in the same way BG can.

Good luck with that in the middle of winter when they haven't enough staff to cope.

 

[gas112]

potterton gold combi water in bottom of combustion chamber.
why was it condemned what did they say is leaking .
9 times out of ten it is just the corrugated condense pipe split and new part is 15 quid .

 

[ChrisJP]

You say the boiler was serviced with no adverse comments, then you used it for a period and then it was "condemned". Who did the condemning? Was it another service person that you brought in because you'd noticed a fault? If so what was the fault?
Be aware that some service people just condemn boilers (and indeed other pieces of kit) because either they can't be bothered, or they don't know how, to repair them.

 

[ianmcd]

me thinks you need a proper engineer , not a new boiler

 

[Florine]

The fault was that the pilot light had gone out and that the reset button wasn't working, so we - including the engineer - initially thought it might just be a spare part that was needed, until he dismantled the thing. Believe me, the corrosion is so bad in places that what's left is probably only wafer-thin

Harry says the original check would have been a minimal safety check, not a service, which I hadn't realised - but that would make more sense.

The boiler is now dripping, which I hope is only the water in the bottom finding its way out, so I've put newspaper and stuff underneath so I can monitor it.

 

[Florine]

Just to update on this, we finally got a new boiler installed last week by a local company. The engineer said the casing was "rotten" - I think he was quite surprised at how bad it was - and wondered if it had been running at unusually high temperatures or something. The real damage was at the back and not visible until the boiler was actually removed, which was pretty much what the guy from British Gas had predicted.