British Gas Power Flush Issues - long one, stick with it

kirstyk_3

I am looking for some help and advice from people who may have had the same problem.

A couple of months ago our heating stopped working and so having the homecare 400 service with BG i rang them and they sent some one out the next day. Within a couple of minutes he had said that we needed a powerflush that would cost somewhere in the region of £700. He said that the pump had seized because of all the gunk in the pipes. I said that i wanted to get a second opinion and would get back to them , however the second opinion that i was going to get never came of off and so because it was very cold at the time, and with two small children in the house, i agreed to let british gas do the work. They came out the following week and did the powerflush on the friday. the engineer spent all day doing it and replaced the pump, and another part (a 3 way something or other!)and as he left, we went away for the weekend. When we came back on the sunday, the heating still wasnt working and so again i called BG who sent someone out. The engineer came and replaced a faulty part near to the pump and the heating started working!

I am now is dispute with BG as to whether the system needed flushing out at all. I have spoken to the manager and he has explained that the part they fitted on the friday was faulty and thats why the heating still didnt work, but having read different posts on here, i think that it realy wasnt worth the powerflush and maybe a new pumped would have done it.

I am stuck now as to what to do next as we have had the powerflush and they are seeking the money for doing it. My sister in law lives 3 houses down and she had a plumber come out and look at her heating system and he said that it was completly clear, and that in a house of this age (9 years) you wouldnt expect the system to need flushing out.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what i can do now? any suggestions gratefully accepted

adaze

You can try a letter I guess. But my gut feeling would be that the money is gone. Basically you paid them for a power flush, which at £700 is fricking ridiculously priced, unless you have a massive house, our last one cost about £150 I think. This didn't actually fix the problem, but I don't what the contract was, did you sign anything? If their contract was to fix the problem for £700 and they have now fixed the problem then they have fulfilled the contract.

It would be worth a letter to say that the powerflush didn't fix the problem and whatever they did the second time did. Try putting in something about un-necessary work. The real problem would be proving anything, it could be that the powerflush did fix the problem but also moved some sludge which then blocked something else, which they then replaced... without proof you are unlikely to get anything, still fingers crossed for a good will gesture!

adaze

P.S. Never EVER use British Gas, though I guess you realise that now

philgee

I think you have probably said goodbye to the money, as you have agreed to have the powerflush done.

I used to live in a newish house, with microbore piping. We did have a couple of blockages once, but I resisted having an expensive powerflush and did it myself, by removing the radiators and cleaning them with a hose pipe. Draining and refilling the system with Sentinel cleaner for a week, and using the central heating pump itself to shift the blockages, then repeating the process and refilling with Sentinel inhibitor cured the problem. Cost about £40 plus a couple of afternoons work.

Live in an older house now with standard 15mm pipes, with a pressurised system, so shouldn't hopefully ever have this problem again.