Long running boiler problem considering getting Vaillant 831

[jimmitee]

hi there - long story i'll try to cut short - ps pls excuse my poor technical knowledge!!

moved into house in 2002 that should have really had boiler with water tank set up (3 bed Vic semi). Instead house had the infamous Halstead finest gold combi!

Catalogue of probs (all safety lockout related - when heating on but usaully when using hot water) with the 'Finest Gold'

had new flu fan thing (did nothing)
had new PCB (fixed it for three months then)
had to have new gas valve - fixed it for 8 months

now back to safety lockout all the time when using hot water - it is more reliable when using heating only. We have small baby and simply have to have reliable water and heating

I have had enough of this boiler and am looking to just kick it into touch but without having a boiler / water tank installation - it's a long story.. am looking for the most reliable combi solution.

the challenges are:

I am not convinced that mains water pressure is consistently high enough at all times on my road I know it passes at most points during the day! (i.e. butnot so good early morning or in evenings) - a few of the boiler engineers have checked and confirm this. the fact that the guy next door to me converted the house the other side of him into a 7 bedroom mini-hotel with 7 ensuite bathrooms has probably not helped. I think there are lots of people on my road who start early like me and are all showering around 6am.

The house has 3 floors - on middle floor we have bathroom - where existing Halstead is installed. no bathroom on top floor and we have a shower in the basement floor. We use the bath once a day for baby in the evenings and we mainly use shower in evening and morning.

I am thinknig that the Vaillant 831 looks promising + the Magnaclean but am seeking your expert advice given the constraints of my house - water tank set up will present a number of spatial issues!

thanks

Jimmi

 

[gas4you]

Vaillaint is probably the best of the main stream boilers and I always fit the 831 as the minimum size, suggesting an 837 if the customer has lots of baths and has good incoming pressure and flow rate.

You will only be able to use one hot outlet at a time with a combi, especially so if your incoming flow rate and pressure are not too brilliant.

I would expect to see around 12-15 l/min flow and hopefully at least about 1.5 bar of pressure for most combi installations.

You will gain space with a combi as there will be no tanks needed.

You may however, need to have the gas pipe feeding the boiler increased insize, but your RGI would advise on this.

 

[jimmitee]

thanks Gas4you

i don't have much space where the existing Halstead unfinest fools gold is situated so perhaps the 837 would be too big a wallprint if you know what i mean?

 

[Deleted member 105431]

thanks Gas4you

i don't have much space where the existing Halstead unfinest fools gold is situated so perhaps the 837 would be too big a wallprint if you know what i mean?

I agree with gas for you, an 837 may not be utilised to it's full potencial if you have a poor cold mains supply but for your info it is the same footprint on the wall but is a little deeper (sticks out more). Your Halstead fools gold experience just goes to show that cheap isn't always cheerfull.

P.s insist it is all powerflushed and a magnaclean fitted.

 

[jimmitee]

i totally agree dangermouse - trust me i didn't buy the halstead it was already in the property when we bought it - halstead are shocking and their customer service stinks. surprised they are still in business. every engineer that has visited just looked miserable when they saw the boiler was a halstead!! i guess it's reputation in the trade is well known!

 

[jimmitee]

ok update - the engineer came to look at the Haltsead boiler (the one engineer out of the prevoius 7 that immediately diagnosed the two previous faults of gas valve and pcb and fixed swiftly). The engineer subcontracts for whowever provides my boiler insurance through Natwest banking.

He immediately said "oh no not this Halstead again!"

on investigation he said the system was full of sludge and this was the problem - he said a powerfulsh was required & this would cost circa £600(not covered on the insurance policy) he said I should replace the boiler at the same time as the Halstead was so problematic (I tend to agree with him here) and suggested an "Ideal" because he said the gas pipe was not 22mm so a Vaillant 831 etc.. although he could technically install it and it would work would not be covered by Vaillant waranty. I have recently had a new hardwood floor put down at a cost of several thousand so lifting this up to run in a 22mm gas pipe is not an option (I take it that the entire run of gas pipe would need to be increased in size the current run from gas meter to boiler is just short of 10m - on the same level and a straight run of pipe but under the wood floor!!) Obviously I will also ask for a magnaclean to be installed at the same time.

the engineer said he could privately install an "Ideal" but didn't mention which model but I guess one that works on 15mm gas pipe and power flush the system for £1700 inclusive

I was wondering if anyone could advise if this is correct (the advice) and the price seems reasonable with regard to the quote. I will post pics of the gas coming into the existing Halstead finest Gold as it looks like the gas pipe has been tapered down in some fashion to connect to the Halstead so I am not sure what size the gas pipe going under the floor actually is??

Many thanks

Jimmi

 

[jimmitee]

can anyone help please with advice?

 

[Deleted member 105431]

Ideal are worse than Halstead! Get the Vaillant fitted, looks like you've got 22mm gas from photo or perhaps rerun externally if need be. An 831 will work on 15mm gas dependant on routing (there may be a small drop in performance). AVOID THE IDEAL!

 

[shambolic]

Ideal are worse than Halstead! Get the Vaillant fitted, looks like you've got 22mm gas from photo or perhaps rerun externally if need be. An 831 will work on 15mm gas dependant on routing (there may be a small drop in performance). AVOID THE IDEAL!

Hey!!

 

[Deleted member 105431]

Ideal are worse than Halstead! Get the Vaillant fitted, looks like you've got 22mm gas from photo or perhaps rerun externally if need be. An 831 will work on 15mm gas dependant on routing (there may be a small drop in performance). AVOID THE IDEAL!

Hey!!

Nowt personal shambolic, have you seen the ecotecs? Maybe you could take one into the depot so the design team can see where they went wrong.

 

[jimmitee]

thanks dangermouse - sounds like i need a confirm on the gas pipe size - if 22mm confirmed i will definately go with the Vaillant. Are they preferred over Worcester Bosch please?

 

[Deleted member 105431]

thanks dangermouse - sounds like i need a confirm on the gas pipe size - if 22mm confirmed i will definately go with the Vaillant. Are they preferred over Worcester Bosch please?

Deffo better than WB imho, most in the trade would agree.