Ravenheat piece of junk!

[Myprecious]

Hi,

Please can someone help, we purchased a crummy Ravenheat, whitestar LS80T about 3 years ago. It was corgi installed within a couple of weeks of purchase.

Within the first year we had to call an engineer out who repaired it under warrenty (the microswitch on D-valve was replaced). The thing just packed up, but the engineer got it working again, however the casing rattled so loud, and the hot water would run hot and cold from our kitchen sink, warm for our bath (if you slowed the flow of the running water it would run boiling hot)!

Bugger me if the following year the damn thing conked out again. This was not funny as the warrenty had run out and of course Ravenheat feel they are exempt from the sale of goods act - products being of merchantable quality!! Anyway we paid for a Corgi engineer to come out, he took the thing apart, put it back together and hey presto without him replacing anything or finding a fault the boiler suddenly started working. The engineer replaced the PCB as he felt this is what the problem was.

The boiler was still noisy and water even more tempremental, I could run a whole bath with water that went hot, then cold, then hot - the final result a cold bath. Yes it conked out again, the same engineer came out and again replaced the PCB under warrenty. The water still runs hot and cold - but at least I can now get a decent bath.

Guess what? The boiler has stopped working - great! Then it started working again - quick in the bath!

We have spent about £700 trying to repair the thing - at the moment we just don't have the money to buy a decent one, I kind of feel that as tempting as it is to take a hammer to the wretched thing and post it back bit by bit to ravenheat .... we really need to have one last ditch attempt at fixing it - at least until we have saved for a decent boiler. So if anyone feels sorry enough for us and can help with their advice - I would be eternally grateful.

Thanks

 

[ChrisR]

Was the system thorougjly cleaned wen the new boiler was installed?
Dirt is the usual cause of going hot - cold - hot.
The secondary heat exchanger could be cleaned out or replaced which would work for a while.
Unless there's a different problem of course.

 

[HarrogateGas]

I find it incredible that you slate this boiler YOU bought. Its the cheapest boiler on the market at the time and B&Q and the like were virtually giving them away for little money. What do you expect when you spend so little on the one household appliance that keep you and your family warm and clean? I suggest ripping it out and putting in something that costs substantially more and you will no doubt find is morte reliable too.

Spending £700 on an appliance that cost little over £300 is plain silly!

Id cut your losses and get rid.

 

[Agile]

That boiler is capable of good service but only if its properly installed on a clean system.

As Chris says the hot-cold is a symptom of a blocked plate heat exchanger which results from the installer not cleaning the radiators when he installed it.

We would have charged £840 to install that boiler properly. I suspect you had it installed for £300 or less.

The difference is that we clean the system properly and give a guarantee! Your installer does not seem to have featured at all in your repairs. Your current repairer seems unable to identify that the plate HE is blocked.

Changing PCBs is an expensive exercise done by many people who are unable to diagnose a fault.

Ravenheat provide a very good back up to anyone who takes the trouble to install their boilers properly!

Tony

 

[DP]

Tony do you know the OP (Myprecious) as you are able to quote a price of £800 odds.

I have hard enough time pricing an installation having visited a property, let alone come up with a precise figure site unseen. Do you have a set charge for cleaning/ powerflushing a system regardless the size of property, or do you charge per radiator.

How do you know what route the gas line would take and length of run or are you guesstimating for the biggest bore.

I ask these question to better understand how others price jobs. I am regularly asked to quote for replacement combis when the client does not know what make and model they are after. Perhaps you pricing method may well be the one to adopt. Please explain.

 

[Agile]

I quote a fixed price to replace a combi boiler of £840 plus the cost of the boiler.

Thats quoted sight unseen! I dont waste time giving free quotes and lots of advice on site. I just ask a few questions on the phone.

If some need a little extra work and others a little less then so what?

It covers upgrading the supply for up to 3 m, if further, then thats extra at about £20 per meter in 28 mm.

I deal with the water as I choose according to whats required. But I give a full guarantee on everything!

Tony

 

[superdupergasman]

3 breakdowns in 3 years aint that bad...believe me there are people out there far worse off with other boilers.

Why not get a Homecare agreement with British Gas, they will repair the boiler for an increased premium and give you cover for the rest of the year. then after first year the cost will reduce and you get an saftey inspection thrown in.

If you pay out £300 this year at £25 a month at least you wont havea hidden bill.

 

[gas4you]

Tony do you know the OP (Myprecious) as you are able to quote a price of £800 odds.

I have hard enough time pricing an installation having visited a property, let alone come up with a precise figure site unseen. Do you have a set charge for cleaning/ powerflushing a system regardless the size of property, or do you charge per radiator.

How do you know what route the gas line would take and length of run or are you guesstimating for the biggest bore.

I ask these question to better understand how others price jobs. I am regularly asked to quote for replacement combis when the client does not know what make and model they are after. Perhaps you pricing method may well be the one to adopt. Please explain.

I always do a site visit before quoting, but usually a combi for combi swap comes out around £1900-£2000 + VAT, or a BBU out and combi in around £2400+ VAT.

So really I suppose I could adopt Tony's method, but the thought of losing out on one job really bugs me

I have never really had a problem with quoting, unless it is for a big job lasting about 4 weeks or so.

 

[Agile]

So really I suppose I could adopt Tony's method, but the thought of losing out on one job really bugs me
.

You could lose a job or two Dave and give a shorter lead time ( which would get you more jobs anyway ).

I give a budgetary quote over the phone. I can give 20 quotes a day!

There is a massive difference between sunny Norfolk and smokey London. When the third world CORGIs fit a boiler for £250 and the Lithuanians for £150 I dont expect to get the job at £840 when its for a third world landlord. Some just put down the phone on me when I tell them that price! I am not going to waste my time. I also say "goodbye" when they ask for a discount or a lower price!

If its a nice English person in their own home and they respond well to my £840 then I will sometimes call round to meet them if I am not too busy.

Tony