Servicing my Vaillant boiler

[Tibbot]

He will fill it in if checks indicate no further service required.

I don't doubt filling the book is all you want, but if your burner seal gives way or main heat exchanger leaks as a result of not having the full service, the only thing Vaillant will offer is an expensive repair or monthly subscription.

I advise customers to have a full service initially then short services/inspections for one or two years in between.

 

[GavThePlumber]

Sorry, but Agile has give you some misinformation in this thread.

 

[Merlin5]

He will fill it in if checks indicate no further service required.

I don't doubt filling the book is all you want, but if your burner seal gives way or main heat exchanger leaks as a result of not having the full service, the only thing Vaillant will offer is an expensive repair or monthly subscription.

I advise customers to have a full service initially then short services/inspections for one or two years in between.

Ah, ok fair enough. So let me make sure I understand this, as I want the warranty to be absolutely valid so I don't have expensive repairs, even if he fills the book in. Are you saying that he should definitely install a new seal regardless of the condition of the current one, drain the appliance to check/recharge the expansion vessel, clean out the trap and do checks? But would the inspection actually show him if the seal needs replacing or if draining is needed? How much would a full service cost including the £20 for the seal? All I know is that before today, I was going on the quote of £90 to £100 for Vaillant to service it as that's what I was told last year by the guy who installed my central heating. Or he would have done it for £80 to £90. Is a full service even more than £100?

 

[Tibbot]

The seal needs replaced as it has to be disturbed to service it and no you can't reuse it. The chances are Vaillant will not fully service it either but then they can't then blame themselves, can they. An independent who does a proper job is best. If you had that in the first place, that installer would have looked after you.

 

[Merlin5]

The seal needs replaced as it has to be disturbed to service it and no you can't reuse it. The chances are Vaillant will not fully service it either but then they can't then blame themselves, can they. An independent who does a proper job is best. If you had that in the first place, that installer would have looked after you.

So you're saying Vaillant probably wouldn't fully service it but would presumably still honour the warranty if the seal breaks, yet wouldn't honour it if someone else didn't do a full service? I think I better call Vaillant just to double check on the exact warranty requirements and ask them exactly what their service or inspection would include that keeps the warranty valid. Not doubting your expertise, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to speak to them directly anyway and get it from the horses mouth so to speak.

 

[Tibbot]

No-one knows what is required until it's inspected. A combustion check with a digital tools may be enough, though that won't indicate expansion vessel (that has to be done manually). What I'm telling you is that IF a full service is required, you won't get it included in your inspection fee.

 

[Merlin5]

No-one knows what is required until it's inspected. A combustion check with a digital tools may be enough, though that won't indicate expansion vessel (that has to be done manually). What I'm telling you is that IF a full service is required, you won't get it included in your inspection fee.

Yep, I totally I understand what you're saying about a full service not being included in the inspection fee. And if the inspection shows it's needed, then fine, I'll have it done, but you haven't as yet given me an idea of what a full service should cost, or approximately what you would charge. What I'm not quite grasping is why you say a full service SHOULD be done automatically (from what I can gather from you, not based on a inspection but just change it anyway) in the first year and then only inspections for a year or two after that. If you think a seal really needs to be replaced after only a year of use just as a matter of course while it's basically still new in order for me not to incur expensive bills, then logically, why would you not think it needs to be replaced every year and have a full service, especially when the boiler is obviously older? I'm not trying to be difficult but maybe I'm just being a bit thick.

 

[Bunnyman]

A seal is not required on every service who told u that heat engine only needs inspection every 3 years with a seal change

 

[Merlin5]

A seal is not required on every service who told u that heat engine only needs inspection every 3 years with a seal change

Tibbot said "A service would mean a new seal worth £20.." and that he recommends a full service initially. I took this on face value and assumed it means a new seal every full service.

 

[Bunnyman]

Nope , service do tanks condense trap etc check gas rate and pressures , heat engine removal not necessary on service, unless u want to of course? I do on some if its my first visit and I'm unsure of the history, then seal will b replaced . Then flue gas analysis

 

[Tibbot]

I'll try again.

The seal must be replaced if it's disturbed, period (MI's).

The seal has to be disturbed to clean deposits from the heat exchanger.

Combustion probe tests may prove this to be unnecessary in which case no seal is disturbed.

I advise full service initially as;
1). If I've not fitted it I can't be sure of it's history and won't rely on records completed by others.
2). If I have fitted it, the first year will give indication as to how long I can leave it to next full service eg 1,2 or more years (I've seen some caked with deposits in less than 2 years and others clean after 4 years without a service).

 

[Bunnyman]

Well your the expert

 

[Tibbot]

you haven't as yet given me an idea of what a full service should cost, or approximately what you would charge.

I can't tell you what other people will charge you and what I charge is irrelevant as I won't be doing it.

However if someone quotes you for a service they should explain they can't confirm they'll get away with only a combustion sampling check until they visit.

Vaillant are conscious that asking to open their chamber means a new seal. Their seals are expensive because when they used cheaper seals some boilers caught fire.

 

[Tibbot]

Well your the expert

It's the same procedure as you use.

 

[Merlin5]

Thanks Tibbot, I'm a bit clearer on your points now.

The commission date on the checklist I linked presumably can be verified by Vaillant, ie, commissioned in January and so there's only a year's history involved. But yeah, fair enough, I take your point that if you didn't install it yourself originally, you'd prefer to do a full service initially.

Well, thanks for your advice. I'll definitely talk to the engineer when he comes in January and mention a full service, as he won't know the history either. I fell out with the engineer who installed it last year because he was so busy he took forever to return my calls when I tried to get him back to finish some things (it was during other building works I was having done) so he won't answer my calls now. Pity because it would have made more sense to use him as he at least knows the history. But he was a pain in the arse to get hold of.

I appreciate you can't tell me a full service cost. I'll guess that after £65 for an inspection, it would probably then be about another £100 or so for the actual service/seal change, drainage, etc. Or maybe I'm way off and it'll cost another £200.