urgent advice re failing boiler

sevenonine · 10 May 2017 at 12:30AM

My failing Alpha CB28 combi boiler has just caused me to panic. I've been topping it up to mark 1.25 when the needle falls below the green zone but today when I did so, it worked OK for a while. It then climbed to 3.5. So I did a bleed to bring the water level down to 1.25 which took ages. But my relief was short-lived because it quickly climbed to 3.5 again. It's now been 2 hours and the needle has been at mark 3 for the last hour.

I can use the hot water for short rinsing - and to brush my teeth - but I fear I'd be tempting fate to use it for heating, even for 15 mins.

An engineer looked at it at the weekend and opined it was not the PRV but the diaphragm/gasket that was busted.

Any advice on how to proceed? I need to keep it going for a week or two till I can get a new combi boiler installed.

Fuzzy39 · 10 May 2017 at 12:33AM

If you're at all worried about it, don't use it. Valliant boilers are great combi boilers if you are looking to replace it.

footyguy · 10 May 2017 at 12:40AM

sevenonine wrote: »

My failing Alpha CB28 combi boiler has just caused me to panic. I've been topping it up to mark 1.25 when the needle falls below the green zone but today when I did so, it worked OK for a while. It then climbed to 3.5. So I did a bleed to bring the water level down to 1.25 which took ages. But my relief was short-lived because it quickly climbed to 3.5 again. It's now been 2 hours and the needle has been at mark 3 for the last hour.

I can use the hot water for short rinsing - and to brush my teeth - but I fear I'd be tempting fate to use it for heating, even for 15 mins.

An engineer looked at it at the weekend and opined it was not the PRV but the diaphragm/gasket that was busted.

Any advice on how to proceed? I need to keep it going for a week or two till I can get a new combi boiler installed.

Sounds like you need a new diaphragm/gasket

Can be sourced for about £8 on a well known auction site it seems.

Always use a suitably qualified engineer if you are not competent yourself to fix it.

sevenonine · 10 May 2017 at 1:06AM

Thanks for recommending Vaillant; it's the top end of the range and I'm looking at the budget level - probably the Ideal Logic would suit my situation: a 3bed,1 bath terraced house, 7 radiators.

sevenonine · 10 May 2017 at 1:12AM

footyguy wrote: »

Sounds like you need a new diaphragm/gasket

Can be sourced for about £8 on a well known auction site it seems.

Always use a suitably qualified engineer if you are not competent yourself to fix it.

The engineer told me even if the part was available it would be a problem to remove the gasket and in view of the machine's age, other problems could arise.

I'd be better off replacing the failing boiler!

EachPenny · 10 May 2017 at 9:29AM

sevenonine wrote: »

I'd be better off replacing the failing boiler!

This is often the case, but it depends on the cost/availability of replacement parts and the number of hours (cost) of labour to fit them.

If you took your car to a garage with a flat tyre would you be happy being told you need to scrap the car and buy a new one? Would you then go back to that garage for other repairs or to buy a new car?

sevenonine wrote: »

The engineer told me even if the part was available it would be a problem to remove the gasket and in view of the machine's age, other problems could arise.

Its always possible for additional problems to arise, sometimes as a result of carrying out repair work. But footyguy has indicated the part is readily available very cheaply, it isn't a question of 'if the part was available'.

I would be considering changing my heating engineer.

Rubidium · 10 May 2017 at 12:44PM

sevenonine wrote: »

My failing Alpha CB28 combi boiler has just caused me to panic. I've been topping it up to mark 1.25 when the needle falls below the green zone but today when I did so, it worked OK for a while. It then climbed to 3.5. So I did a bleed to bring the water level down to 1.25 which took ages. But my relief was short-lived because it quickly climbed to 3.5 again. It's now been 2 hours and the needle has been at mark 3 for the last hour.

I can use the hot water for short rinsing - and to brush my teeth - but I fear I'd be tempting fate to use it for heating, even for 15 mins.

An engineer looked at it at the weekend and opined it was not the PRV but the diaphragm/gasket that was busted.

Any advice on how to proceed? I need to keep it going for a week or two till I can get a new combi boiler installed.

You have been told previously that the rise in system pressure is due to a defective expansion vessel.
Footyguy is talking out of his derrière if he thinks that you can get one for £8 e.g. here or here

You have previously stated that the boiler is leaking, so unless this leak is from the ineffective expansion vessel, depending on how much you were quoted to fix the fault that he found, then you either need to let him fix it or you need a new boiler ASAP, so stop procrastinating!

C_Mababejive · 10 May 2017 at 7:46PM

If the internal expansion vessel is a pain to have changed, then you can fit one externally on the system.

sevenonine · 19 May 2017 at 12:39PM

Rubidium wrote: »

You have previously stated that the boiler is leaking, so unless this leak is from the ineffective expansion vessel either.....fix it or you need a new boiler ASAP, so stop procrastinating!

Thanks, that's exactly what I have been doing - getting quotes for a new boiler. So I would like your help in deciding between two boilers I have been considering: Ideal Logic 24kWh or Glowworm (25kWh). I think around 24/25kWH output seems OK for my 1bath, 3 bed, 7 radiators terrace house. Please help ASAP!!

Rubidium · 19 May 2017 at 1:21PM

sevenonine wrote: »

Thanks, that's exactly what I have been doing - getting quotes for a new boiler. So I would like your help in deciding between two boilers I have been considering: Ideal Logic 24kWh or Glowworm (25kWh). I think around 24/25kWH output seems OK for my 1bath, 3 bed, 7 radiators terrace house. Please help ASAP!!

Sorry I do not have any personal experience of the models that you have quoted, however in this "Top Ten boilers for 2016" here there are no Glowworm and two Ideal.

This article here states that one in four boilers sold in 2016 were from Ideal Boilers.

You will get different recommendations from different fitters and in the end you will simply have to make your own choice based on the research that you have done and what you can get fitted locally at a price that suits you.

Hope that helps you decide.

urgent advice re failing boiler

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