British Gas Homecare Agreement, Free Boiler?

saints1fan

BG came Sunday, but as the part ordered by the engineer on Saturday was allegedly required, nothing could be done.

BG were good to their word and arrived this morning at 9.15am. It was the same engineer who came Saturday, so he set to work and after about 90 minutes, he finished what he was doing. I asked if it was now fixed and he said.......................
................

..........no. He said that it needs another part and he would come back tomorrow afternoon. I can't remember exactly what he said it needed, but I think he said a PCB? If that sounds possible?

I aksed if he could do me a favour and speak with his area manager, as we cannot keep on having it fixed and then still be left cold and unable to wash. He promised he would, but just in case I have sent a text message to the manager, as he is off this moring, to ask for a call. from what I was told by the engineer, BG have now spent about £900 to £1000 on parts, let alon labour. Would it not have been easier to fit a new one, as we asked them to 10 days ago? Should I aks the manager to fit a new one?

jcorbygas

So after all this trouble it might not have been the heat exchanger in the first place!! Did you see the heat exchanger that they took out?
What is the make and model of your boiler?

Canucklehead

jcorbygas wrote: »

So after all this trouble it might not have been the heat exchanger in the first place!! Did you see the heat exchanger that they took out?
What is the make and model of your boiler?

Hi, Jackie: It is a Ferr:eek:li F24.....unfortunately the the OP doesn't live in Essex or Kent as he/she needs an experienced boiler engineer not a parts changer..all in all an unbelievable saga...my sympathies to the OP and family.

Canucklehead

jcorbygas

Hi Canucklehead - I wonder if BG were using sub contractors on this case - I would hope that proper BG trained engineers did not work like this.
As you say, it is a shame that the OP does not live closer and we could help out although OH would not really want to go out to a Ferroli - never fitted them and would never encourage people to have one!!

Jackie

Canucklehead

jcorbygas wrote: »

Hi Canucklehead - I wonder if BG were using sub contractors on this case - I would hope that proper BG trained engineers did not work like this.
As you say, it is a shame that the OP does not live closer and we could help out although OH would not really want to go out to a Ferroli - never fitted them and would never encourage people to have one!!

Jackie

Hi, Jackie: The OH has been headhunted (for lack of a better word) several times over the past couple of years to subcontract (not a snowball's chance in hell;)) He's never fit a
Ferr:eek:li but has had the misfortune to attend a few callouts down here through a local estate agent....he knocked that work on the head (long story!)

Canucklehead

Razor

EliteHeat wrote: »

The symptoms of a scaled HEX are reduced water flow rate through hot taps compared to cold and diminished hot water performance.

You have already been sold the part that should have prevented this.

There is no advantage in a powerflush, non whatsoever. At most, some cleansing chemical should be put in and let circulate for a little while, after which the system should be protected as normal via corrosion inhibitor.

This post seems to have been overlooked although it is the most relevant one here!

What was the flow rate like from the hot tap, was it measured?

Did the water go through cycles of being red hot than almost cold?

Did the boiler repeatedly cycle, (ignite, turn off, ignite etc)?

If not it wasn't scale in the secondary side of the hex!

I would be suprised if BG subcontractors were responsible, they would not have been paid for all these visits and no fix, whilst there are some excellent BG engineers there are also those who had an apprenticeship straight from school and have never worked in the real world where if they don't resolve problems they don't get paid and the kids don't eat. Something my local TSM totally agrees with. It can be too easy to pass the buck!

Another point to remember is that in some areas the installation engineers have been put onto servicing due to lack of work.

saints1fan

Hi All

Quick over view to answer the recent queries raised;

The flow rate was never fantastic, but we were told that this was because it was a small boiler.

The hot water has never gone hot and then cold.

The boiler never previously turned on then off etc.

The hot water just one day, turned into a trickle. That's when this all started.

Update: The area manager responded to my request for a call, for which I thanked him. (I am trying to be extremely polite and reasonable, so when I do blow my stack, I don't appear unfair) I asked the manager how long this would be allowed to continue, fix after fix, without success. He didn't give a straight aswer, which I expected. I then said that I will give them one more try to fix it, (they are coming tomorrow) and then I want a new boiler. He said, let's have this conversation after they have been tomorrow, which is fair enough, as you never know, they may have Harry Potter working for them and he could wave his wand and fix the boiler.

If they don't fix it tomorrow, is there any case history which I could quote to them, as a reasonable amount of attempts to fix a boiler, before expecting a replacement, particularly considering we are a family of 4?

In addition, does anyone have any contacts within the media, whom I could get in touch with about this?

Razor

Watchdog just love BG;)

Canucklehead

saints1fan wrote: »

In addition, does anyone have any contacts within the media, whom I could get in touch with about this?

Hi...try the Guardian capital.letters@guardian.co.uk (Tony Levene) or m.brignall@guardian.co.uk (Miles Brignall) ...recent feature in the Guardian on boiler service cover requesting readers to get in touch...I posted about this last week on the Utilities forum.;)

HTH

Canucklehead

saints1fan

Thanks canucklehead.

I will see if it is fixed tomorrow and then hit the media. You might see me in the guardian or on watchdog soon!