WARNING VAILLANT 837 commbi boiler

[sssteiner]

Hello

On the 19/11/2008 a Corgi Registered Heating Engineer installed a Vaillant 837 combi boiler, he recommended stating the boiler was at the top end of the market and reason for the much higher price.
The heating has not worked correctly from new only providing hot water, today the 13/3/2012 the same heating engineer called again to fix and was unable leaving with just the hot water working and no heating at all.
We have a small wood burner in the main room and either plug in electric oil filled radiators or fan heaters in all the other rooms.
I have contacted Vaillant and requested a replacement boiler and I would pay for the installation, I await their reply but I am not holding my breath.
We have had over 3 years of problems with no proper central heating and we would not want anyone to suffer as we have so,
I strongly advise no one should consider buying a Vaillant 837, with its flawed design, cheap components, poor construction and most important of all ignore any heating engineer, plumber etc who recommend these boilers as they provide regular work which is expensive.

 

[lightning]

Have an 837 myself, one hell of a boiler, more likely if you had a problem its not the boiler but the person who installled it.

I suggest you get another engineer if he cant fix it, as theses are not rocket science to work on

 

[sssteiner]

Hello

The Vaillant 837 boiler is rubbish science which should never have made the market , if and that is a big if it was repairable it would last a couple of days at the most and then break down again, thanks but no I am not prepared to keep paying out, you have to say enough is enough and besides in the last 3 years I have found heating engineers really are simply installers, many times when a problem occurs they kindly inform you to contact the manufacturers customer service and may I add regardless whether they reply or not to my request for an exchange boiler, Vaillants customer service is terrible bordering to the impolite.

 

[mickyg]

Why have you left it 4 years to request a new boiler? What did vaillant find on warranty visits?

the ecotec plus series are superb boilers, so yours has probably been installed wrong.

 

[ALEC1]

Its a great boiler, with great controls, the only variable in installation tends to be the installer and his thoroughness and attention to detail...plus of course his selection of materials and components.

what do Vaillant say about the install? And how did you find the installer? And why aren't you taking this all up with him?

 

[sssteiner]

It has been 3 years or 3 winters and Vaillant would not attend stating I should contact the installer.
I repeat, break down and a regular income for any one saying otherwise.

 

[ALEC1]

Not really, you clearly do not understand our industry at all

Boilers come with a guarantee, and vaillant's was from memory three years...

did you install the boiler?

 

[sssteiner]

The installer, he came today with his son who was also qualified and they left with no heating telling me to contact Vaillant, which I have done.
What else can I do, well I have decided to scrap the boiler perhaps leave it for now as the summer is around the corner and fit a solid fuel Aga for next winter, okay there more work and dirty but flame to paper to wood, air intake adjust, flue damper and WWWWWWWWWWWarmth, now that sounds and feels great.

 

[sssteiner]

Vaillant gave a 2 year warranty, do you know your industry.

 

[sssteiner]

I have just spotted your last question, no I did not install the boiler.

 

[Boilerman2]

To try and answer some of the OP's points;
1) Not all heating service engineers are Installers, I have NEVER installed a system in my life!! I maintain & repair boilers & systems.

2) If your boiler was installed correctly, the system cleaned before commissioning, the Benchmark book completed and warranty card sent to Vaillant, you WOULD recieve service from the nationwide team of directly employed Service Engineers NO QUESTION.

3) It strikes me that your installer, who took your money is showing little interest in you as a client why is that? surely he could contact the manufacturer? of course if he is not Gas Safe Registered they will not talk to him!!

4) I do not always recommend Vaillant, but they are without doubt in the top 5 best boiler makers currently in the UK

I suspect there is a story that is not being told!!, one involving and illicit install and non-notified work all to a poor standard! - of course I could be wrong

 

[Andygasman2010]

Vaillant are a top manufacturer and produce some great boilers. I've seen 100s, you've seen 1 (I assume) Sorry but you've been unlucky! Obviously there's a lot more to it than we can see in this thread so there's no point in speculating about the reasons.

For any consumers reading this, I wouldn't worry.

 

[plumbplumb]

Valliant built there name and reputation on producing sub-standard boilers at a high price and ignoring customers

I doubt this entirely.
Maybe a bored sparky at work

 

[D_Hailsham]

On the 19/11/2008 a Corgi Registered Heating Engineer installed a Vaillant 837 combi boiler, he recommended stating the boiler was at the top end of the market and reason for the much higher price.
The heating has not worked correctly from new only providing hot water

It may not be a badly designed/made boiler but the wrong boiler for your house.

How big is your house?

In what way is the heating not working correctly? What are the exact symptoms?

 

[gaswizzard]

Fitted 100s with little or no problem , I suggest the installer is the issue here , and no I don't work for vaillant nor do I have any interest.