Combi Boiler Service, What should be done?

FrugalMav

Hi

I recently paid for an annual service on my greenstar 24i boiler for the first time since i moved into my new house, problem is i thought the engineer i hired had done it very quickly and did not do anything other than give it a visual inspection and take readings then give me a gas safe certificate. Im sure when i have had my boiler serviced in my previous property it took longer to carry out and the heat exchanger was cleaned well with a brush then hovered out which was not done on mine this time. Should the heat exchanger be cleaned out with a brush every time a service is performed?

Thanks

Woolco

This is something that concerns me. In my flat I had an NPower Home Team contract, the breakdown cover with a service and the guy came and had a little "hoover" and lots of wire brushes and done the service fine. At the end of the year I cancelled the contract. Then about 8 months later I called British Gas for a fixed price repair as my radiator was coming away from the wall.

They fixed that but when he was inside the boiler he said the heat exchanger needed replacing and this cost me about £400. He had one in the van. He did show me the heat exchanger and it looked half burnt.

Anyway my mum and dad have British Gas service cover and I go there when the engineers come once each year to service it. They do not use a "hoover" or anything that I can hear. During the last service, the engineer said the boiler was very dusty inside and we would need a power flush. This was over £1000.

We done this and some of their radiators did start heating better (they have 11 older radiators over 2 floors in an older property) but it did make me wonder what do these engineers do on an actual service.

daveyjp

Last time mine was done.

Remove cover
Check for leaks and corrosion, none found
Check for excessive dust, none found
Check for any error messages, none found
Pressure check when running hot water
Emissions check
Gas meter pressure drop check
Clean sump
Depressurise and recharge pressure vessel
Check gas hob
Check CO detector
Sign off
Raise invoice on ipad
Took about an hour.

Woolco

daveyjp wrote: »

Last time mine was done.

Remove cover
Check for leaks and corrosion, none found
Check for excessive dust, none found
Check for any error messages, none found
Pressure check when running hot water
Emissions check
Gas meter pressure drop check
Clean sump
Depressurise and recharge pressure vessel
Check gas hob
Check CO detector
Sign off
Raise invoice on ipad
Took about an hour.

That don't read like a consumer just having had a service on their boiler.

glennevis

Last time my Worcester combi boiler was done ... exactly the same as daveyjp's list above.

markin

@Woolco
As the is a gas fire under it i would think any heat exchanger would look half burnt, I think its only when water is dripping it would worry me.

It could be worse British Gas could have slapped a condemned sticker on it. That will be 6K for a replacement.


The burner should at least be opened and inspected, and all seals checked
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dncZ0PxOS8U

Norman_Castle

Im sure when i have had my boiler serviced in my previous property it took longer to carry out and the heat exchanger was cleaned well with a brush then hovered out which was not done on mine this time.

My old boiler was always opened up and cleaned out, new boiler has never been cleaned. I think there are different requirements for old and new boilers.

roddydogs

Its all very well listing a check box, but unless you stand over the engineer whilst hes doing that how do you know its been done?

neilmcl

A WB greenstar combi doesn't require cleaning out with a hoover.

OP, when you say quick, just how quick are we talking? I've never had a service on a WB boiler take longer than 40 mins, actually slightly longer because they have to open up and check the Magnaclean which is upstairs under the bath.

Dan-Dan

neilmcl wrote: »

A WB greenstar combi doesn't require cleaning out with a hoover.

OP, when you say quick, just how quick are we talking? I've never had a service on a WB boiler take longer than 40 mins, actually slightly longer because they have to open up and check the Magnaclean which is upstairs under the bath.

Why is the magnaclean under your bath?

southcoastrgi

[QUOTE
The burner should at least be opened and inspected, and all seals checked[/QUOTE]


Why in the video did he carry out a tightness test again at the end ?