Valliant Plus 418 Heat Exhanger broken after hot water tank

[Tibbot]

The manufacturers would state an annual combustion (emissions) check and then only a service if unsatisfactory results. This could mean all ok for years until all not ok. In my opinion this leads to premature failure as the heat exchanger is not robust enough and I would advise a full service, each year, as a minimum!

I have seen these not touched for 4 years looking better than some after 1 year. Point is you can't tell without opening and then replacing expensive seal.

Your alternative is to replace the boiler with something that doesn't use that heat exchanger. Intergas make an 18kW model which will directly replace yours. It's heat exchanger is in a different class.

 

[justhomeowners]

Hi

Hmm - I don't know for sure (!) but I believe it's unvented. I can't tell you for sure if it was flushed or cleaned when they fitted the boiler - we just put our trust in what they said to do. If they'd have suggested flushing we'd have certainly had it done though.

Presumably not cleaning/flushing is not a good idea?

Thanks

 

[Phill Peck]

If it wasn't flushed and the system is currently in poor condition it is likely it would invalidate your warranty.

 

[justhomeowners]

Hi

Is it standard practice to flush the system when installing a new boiler?

Presumably if they did then we could turn to the warranty?

Thanks

 

[Phill Peck]

System must be flushed to bs7593 as a requirement of the benchmark certificate and the manufacturers warranty


Doesn't mean it gas been though

 

[justhomeowners]

Thank you all.

I really appreciate your time and expertise in this. They are coming in next week to fit the part so I'll be more knowledgeable and can ask the right questions thanks to you guys.

I'll certainly be asking about the flushing when it was fitted!

Many thanks,

 

[Phill Peck]

They are coming with a new heat exchanger?

Would it not be best to find out if it's covered by the warranty 1st ?

 

[justhomeowners]

Hi

I agree - they won't confirm or deny that it's covered by the warranty. We've been without the boiler for over a week now and still have the issue of if the new water tank plumbing setup is correct so they're saying get the boiler fixed and we can see what's what.

I do agree that not knowing isn't helpful. I'm putting my trust in them (since they've been sorting heating for some 10 years now) and hoping that this trust isn't ill placed.

I'll certainly let you know here what the result is as you guys may be able to help with more advice along the way.

Many thanks

 

[Phill Peck]

You can do as you wish but there is no claiming back for warranty
Either vaillant fix it or u pay someone to do it

 

[justhomeowners]

Hi

Ah that's interesting. I think a conversation is needed with them first then before they fit it!

Thanks for the heads up on that.

 

[Phill Peck]

I would contact Vaillant and ask them to attend.

Tbh I'm not u huge Vaillant fan these days.
However they made it and gave you a 5 year warranty. Let them come and fix it. They have engenders coving the whole country. I'd expect them to respond quickly. It's worth finding out before shelling out for a heat exchanger.

I've not bought a Vaillant heat ex. But if expect they are not cheap

 

[Agile]

As I said earlier, I have never seen one as bad as that before.

But unfortunately my question has not been answered by anyone.

I still don't know if it can be successfully cleaned up.

My expectation is that it could be retrieved.

If the tubing is not leaking then I would expect it to be repairable.

My thoughts are that it has never been correctly serviced. Anything approaching that state would give unacceptable flue gas measurements and would then require it to be opened.

So my opinion is that it has been caused by inadequate servicing but even so it could probably be cleaned up to work again!

Tony

 

[justhomeowners]

Thanks Tony

It's a problem for sure. It has been serviced each year from installation but wouldn't know the specifics of what is or isn't done. All I know is that we pay for it and the engineer spends and hour on it each year. Of course it's only when something goes wrong that any of this comes into question.

From what I've learned here from the replies from you helpful guys is -

A) the system may not have been flushed when fitting the boiler 3 years ago

B) the heat exchanger is faulty and has developed a crack which was pushed over the edge when the new hot water cylinder was fitted and the air within the system pushed it to destruction

C) the material shown in the photos is the insulation panel which has disintegrated - presumably caused by a leak, it getting wet and it breaking down?

D) the heating engineers are not committing to confirm or reject that the replacement part and fitting is covered by the warranty but are keen to fit it and get us up and running again. As mentioned here that's a concern as it cost cost me £'s to replace it when either it could be fixed or perhaps looked at by Valliant first.

A key question to me seems to be - what chance do you think that the engineer would know from looking at the boiler what the problem is? You guys seem to know and yet the engineers are saying they don't know what has caused it to break and they've not seen it before?

From what I gather an supplier and fitter doesn't act as the in-between customer and manufacturer in these cases (like perhaps a car dealer would when a faulty part is found on a car and they speak with them and inform the customer?) It's sounding like that's left to the customer? I may put a call in to Valliant just as a precaution

Many thanks again all!

 

[jeff the gasman]

It's nothing to do with your new cylinder, that's for sure.
Whoever services your boiler, doesn't
Jeff

 

[Agile]

Thanks Tony

D) the heating engineers are not committing to confirm or reject that the replacement part and fitting is covered by the warranty but are keen to fit it and get us up and running again. As mentioned here that's a concern as it cost cost me £'s to replace it when either it could be fixed or perhaps looked at by Valliant first.

Many thanks again all!

You seem to be dealing with all this as if you were a bystander and just watching.

Unless Vaillant are involved this is not going to be covered by the warrantee.

Most unlikely the installers will be expecting to pay!

Once they have fitted a new HE then you are obliged to pay for it because you agreed with their actions just by standing by watching them do it.

It is your boiler and you need to proactively control it and ask the installers relevant questions and best in writing too.

A good installer ( like me ) will always interact between the boiler and the manufacturer if there are any issues requiring a warrantee claim.

Tony