Tell me about boilers!

[steveseagull]

I have a valiant Eco Tech Plus 824 boiler which I think was installed in 2005 Obviously that is pretty old and it is doing the hot water going cold after a couple of minutes trick. The radiators work fine.

Anyone know what this might be?

On getting a new one, I have a studio flat which consists of two rooms (living space and bathroom)

In the bathroom I have a shower and sink and a radiator. in the living area I have a large radiator and two small radiators plus hot water in the kitchen area.

So it is a small place with not many radiators. Anyone know what sort of boiler I should be going for and how much the cost and installation would be (roughly?)

Cheers

 

[Sweet FA]

While you're waiting for helpful replies:

 

[maomao]

In case you've finished Hanoi Rocks and you're still waiting:

 

[sleaterkinney]

Check your pressure, there should be a panel you pop off the front and a gauge somewhere. You have to open and close two valves underneath.

Have you had it serviced?

 

[danski]

Could also be scaled up which means less volume to heat the water so reaches safety cut out level (too hot) too fast and runs cold, I think.

 

[Supine]

It may well just need a service. Much cheaper than buying a new one!

You can tell the age of a valiant boiler from its serial number iirc.

 

[MickiQ]

I have a valiant Eco Tech Plus 824 boiler which I think was installed in 2005 Obviously that is pretty old and it is doing the hot water going cold after a couple of minutes trick. The radiators work fine.

Anyone know what this might be?

On getting a new one, I have a studio flat which consists of two rooms (living space and bathroom)

In the bathroom I have a shower and sink and a radiator. in the living area I have a large radiator and two small radiators plus hot water in the kitchen area.

So it is a small place with not many radiators. Anyone know what sort of boiler I should be going for and how much the cost and installation would be (roughly?)

Cheers

Is it a combi? then if so there is a high possibility that the diverter sensor is bolloxed. It's basically a clip with a tremble sensor that fits around the output pipe from the diverter valve. When you run the tap it detects the vibration in the pipe of the water flowing through and triggers the boiler in hot water mode.
The reason you get hot water for a couple of minutes is that the water in the heat exchanger is already hot due to the CH being on and it being part of the circuit.
I used to have an Alpha CD32C (don't buy one of these fuckers whatever you do) and it happened regularly. The sensor would stick and British Gas would come out and replace it. They must have done it 3 or 4 times since it is a (one of many) common fault on the Alpha. The part should only cost a few quid (it is literally a plastic clip with a couple of wires) but you will need a proper gas engineer to do it since it's inside the boiler.
If you do end up buying a new boiler Worcester Bosch all the way the Alpha was replaced with a Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30Si about three years ago and it is a massive quantum leap in reliability and economy over the one it replaced.

 

[MickiQ]

And having gone downstairs to make myself a brew I have remembered there is a way to test my theory, Turn on the CH and turn the thermostat temperature up to something it has not got a hope of reaching. Wait until the CH is running then turn the tap on and see if the water still goes cold. If it doesn't then I would lay money it's the sensor. On more than one occasion I managed to fool my boiler that way long enough to get a shower out of it.

 

[steveseagull]

Is it a combi? then if so there is a high possibility that the diverter sensor is bolloxed. It's basically a clip with a tremble sensor that fits around the output pipe from the diverter valve. When you run the tap it detects the vibration in the pipe of the water flowing through and triggers the boiler in hot water mode.
The reason you get hot water for a couple of minutes is that the water in the heat exchanger is already hot due to the CH being on and it being part of the circuit.
I used to have an Alpha CD32C (don't buy one of these fuckers whatever you do) and it happened regularly. The sensor would stick and British Gas would come out and replace it. They must have done it 3 or 4 times since it is a (one of many) common fault on the Alpha. The part should only cost a few quid (it is literally a plastic clip with a couple of wires) but you will need a proper gas engineer to do it since it's inside the boiler.
If you do end up buying a new boiler Worcester Bosch all the way the Alpha was replaced with a Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30Si about three years ago and it is a massive quantum leap in reliability and economy over the one it replaced.

Lovely, that sounds about right. Yes it is a Combi. I want to squeeze as long as poss out of this one so will call an engineer.

Can you remember how much you paid for the Worcester Bosch and installation?

 

[steveseagull]

And having gone downstairs to make myself a brew I have remembered there is a way to test my theory, Turn on the CH and turn the thermostat temperature up to something it has not got a hope of reaching. Wait until the CH is running then turn the tap on and see if the water still goes cold. If it doesn't then I would lay money it's the sensor. On more than one occasion I managed to fool my boiler that way long enough to get a shower out of it.

Thanks, will give this a go later and report back!

 

[steveseagull]

And I do need a shower ha ha

 

[platinumsage]

We paid £2802 for a new Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30i combi boiler install in 2020, replacing an existing combi boiler.

 

[cesare]

I think our diverter valve is fucked cos heating fine but no hot water. Using the immersion for hot water is going to hurt, isn't it.

 

[bellaozzydog]

I have a valiant Eco Tech Plus 824 boiler which I think was installed in 2005 Obviously that is pretty old and it is doing the hot water going cold after a couple of minutes trick. The radiators work fine.

Anyone know what this might be?

On getting a new one, I have a studio flat which consists of two rooms (living space and bathroom)

In the bathroom I have a shower and sink and a radiator. in the living area I have a large radiator and two small radiators plus hot water in the kitchen area.

So it is a small place with not many radiators. Anyone know what sort of boiler I should be going for and how much the cost and installation would be (roughly?)

Cheers

Random boiler anecdote

I’ve had life/budget saving boiler cover on my house insurance
Two boilers died two boilers replaced

Cost= zero

Actual cost if I had to pay 4 grand +

 

[Supine]

Random boiler anecdote

I’ve had life/budget saving boiler cover on my house insurance
Two boilers died two boilers replaced

Cost= zero

Actual cost if I had to pay 4 grand +

And it only cost you 5 grand in house insurance premiums

 

[bellaozzydog]

And it only cost you 5 grand in house insurance premiums

Not yet

15 quid on the policy for emergency boiler cover

 

[danski]

I think our diverter valve is fucked cos heating fine but no hot water. Using the immersion for hot water is going to hurt, isn't it.

Sounds like you have a system with a cylinder? Won’t be a combi with diverter issues but could be (one of) the valve(s) in your airing cupboard.
It’s possible to open them manually using the built in lever.

Eta- could be something else but that’s the first thing I’d check

 

[cesare]

And it only cost you 5 grand in house insurance premiums

I was wondering if the house insurance premiums split out lifetime boiler cover (in the same way that legal assistance is an add-on). Would be interesting to know.

 

[bellaozzydog]

I was wondering if the house insurance premiums split out lifetime boiler cover (in the same way that legal assistance is an add-on). Would be interesting to

15 quid extra

 

[steveseagull]

Random boiler anecdote

I’ve had life/budget saving boiler cover on my house insurance
Two boilers died two boilers replaced

Cost= zero

Actual cost if I had to pay 4 grand +

Oh will look into this! I don't currently have house insurance

 

[cesare]

Not yet

15 quid on the policy for emergency boiler cover

£15 a year? Is there an excess? What's the small print re exemptions. We need kabbes

 

[cesare]

Sounds like you have a system with a cylinder? Won’t be a combi with diverter issues but could be (one of) the valve(s) in your airing cupboard.
It’s possible to open them manually using the built in lever.

Eta- could be something else but that’s the first thing I’d check

There's a valve but it's nowhere near the cylinder. It's also nowhere near the boiler

I'll edit it in the make if I can find it.

Edit - forgot to take my phone down with me. It's an old Worcester with a Sentinel X100 inhibitor. Earliest sticky label says 2006.

 

[bellaozzydog]

£15 a year? Is there an excess? What's the small print re exemptions. We need kabbes

I pay the excess insurance as well

I’ve paid it for probably 10 years so it will have added up but still in my mind absolutely budget saving

 

[cesare]

I pay the excess insurance as well

I’ve paid it for probably 10 years so it will have added up but still in my mind absolutely budget saving

Two boilers in 10 years Emergency engineers declare boiler beyond reasonable financial repair, replace on insurance, repair and sell on as refurbished. Everyone happy

 

[bellaozzydog]

Two boilers in 10 years Emergency engineers declare boiler beyond reasonable financial repair, replace on insurance, repair and sell on as refurbished. Everyone happy

I struggled a bit to get one engineer to declare the boiler beyond reasonable financial repair. He spent a week replacing components till he gave up

But the policy is worth every penny in my experience. Will be interesting to see if my policy price gets loaded next year

 

[danski]

There's a valve but it's nowhere near the cylinder. It's also nowhere near the boiler

I'll edit it in the make if I can find it.

Edit - forgot to take my phone down with me. It's an old Worcester with a Sentinel X100 inhibitor. Earliest sticky label says 2006.

Sorry if I wasn’t clear, just in case we are taking at cross purposes, I meant motorised valves, which often fail.
Unusual it’s/they’re not by the cylinder but not impossible.

 

[kabbes]

£15 a year? Is there an excess? What's the small print re exemptions. We need kabbes

£15 a year sounds cheap but I bet it’s a moneymaker. Most people forget they have this kind of cover so don’t use it, or it’s already covered anyway under a different insurance product or they don’t really need it etc. So it can be good value for the consumer and yet money making anyway. But honestly, home insurance is the one type of general insurance that I’ve never had anything to do with!

 

[cesare]

£15 a year sounds cheap but I bet it’s a moneymaker. Most people forget they have this kind of cover so don’t use it, or it’s already covered anyway under a different insurance product or they don’t really need it etc. So it can be good value for the consumer and yet money making anyway. But honestly, home insurance is the one type of general insurance that I’ve never had anything to do with!

Thank you!

 

[MickiQ]

Lovely, that sounds about right. Yes it is a Combi. I want to squeeze as long as poss out of this one so will call an engineer.

Can you remember how much you paid for the Worcester Bosch and installation?

The quote started at £3652 but by time they had finished applying discounts and the deal of the month (British Gas always seem to have a special deal on) it had come down to £2982. For that I got all the gubbins fully fitted including the boiler, the flue, Boiler IQ (built in remote diagnostics unit) and the full Hive control setup. This was in August 2019 and and they fitted it in October.
The one thing they would normally do but didn't in my case was flush the system because mine had been done 12 months earlier by BG and was on their records as being done. That would have probably added another £200-300.
It took 2 guys a day and a half to do but mine was a very straightforward one since they essentially took the old boiler out (which they disposed off) and put the new one in its place, all the pipework and electrics were already there in place.
I'd recommend BG Engineers to anyone, I wouldn't trust their IT dept to set the time on an alarm clock but after 30 years as a Homecare customer I have had nothing but good experiences with their engineers.
I paid for it all on 2 years interest free credit and £0 up front. As an extra bonus the monthly cost of my Homecare contract fell from £70 per month (due to the Alpha's chequered history) to £24 per month. Even if you're not a Homecare customer you get 5 years warranty on the boiler itself.
Personally I can't see how they made any money on the deal at all but I'm not complaining.

 

[danski]

.
Personally I can't see how they made any money on the deal at all but I'm not complaining.

They buy the boilers in bulk.
Our plumbers were complaining that they were stuck as BG had bought up all available stocks of the model they were fitting on site. Had to wait over a month before they could get any.