Worcester Bosch 32CDi Compact Condensing Combi Boiler questions

bery_451

Hi,

I had this boiler installed last year so yeah I would say its a modern boiler.

So far no problems with it.

The questions are:

- Shall I assume modern boilers are like modern car engines where annually it needs to be mechanically serviced like replacing filters/pumps/parts as well as cleaning maintaining some parts too?

- What's the difference between a old style boiler and modern boiler when it comes to servicing?

- Where can I find a Gas Safe engineer in Birmingham that will actually service my boiler? I do not want to sign up to boiler monthly protection plans including annual service from big energy companies where some idiot once a year comes and does a simple 2min emission test by sticking some prong in the boiler vent and say it's all good with the boiler.

- When I do a mot for my car the mot tester checks emissions for my car so when it comes to my boiler I do not want a mot for my boiler I want an actual service for my boiler you know what I mean. A gas safe engineer that will actually have boiler parts on him that will be used to change replace boiler parts and maintain clean certain parts of a boiler using a brush as well as carrying out obvious checks of the boiler that should take no less than a hour.

- If i'm paying up to £100 for a boiler annual service or even more I want a actual boiler service not a emissions test and obvious checks lasting 2 mins and bye bye which I believe is the biggest scam going mostly by big energy companies with their so called boiler monthly protection plans including a joke annual service.

- As already mentioned above, where can I find such a gas safe engineer or a Worcester Bosch specialist in Birmingham that will actually service the boiler? I can't seem to find any online except in the google results big energy companies offering their monthly boiler protection plans that I want to avoid.

matelodave

Unfortunately the complexity of modern boilers means that they are nowhere near as reliable as the old fashioned sort and they cost lots more to fix when they go wrong.

If you dont have your boiler serviced regularly (usually annually by a manufacturer accredited gas safe engineer) then you'll probably forfeit your warranty, so look at the warranty conditions to see what you need to do to ensure that it continues.

Spare parts for modern boilers are very expensive so it's worth maintaining the warranty or putting the cost of a maintenance contract into a savings account so you've got enough money to pay for something going wrong.

John_the_Boy

Check the Worcester Bosch web site, they offer their own servicing and also list accredited WB technicians who could do the service.

daveyjp

If the boiler has been installed correctly there should be very little actual maintenance for a few years.

Our boiler is 7 years old. Once the front is off its as clean as the day it was installed, so no need to clean anything. There is no sign the combustion chamber gasket is failing, so that isn't touched. The sump is emptied and cleaned out, the pressure vessel might be depressurised and repressurised. Gas pressure check at the meter and emissions test undertaken.

It takes about an hour including a quick check of the gas hob, CO monitor test and the paperwork. Cost £50.

jaybeetoo

Why don’t you use the person who installed the boiler?

DavyJones61

Why don’t you use the person who installed the boiler?

Perhaps the person who installed the boiler worked for a company that has closed down and is no longer contactable?

That happened to the company that installed my heating system.

The_Fat_Controller

I have my WB boiler serviced by the manufacturer on an ad hoc basis as I am away a lot of the year.

The main checks on the service are the combustion figures, gas pressure and a check of the outlet temperatures.

My burner and heat exchanger have not been touched since new (8 years), the igniter module has been changed to an upgraded version.

If you do get a serious issue, WB technicians have a diagnostic machine that they can plug in to check the system.

bery_451

John_the_Boy wrote: »

Check the Worcester Bosch web site, they offer their own servicing and also list accredited WB technicians who could do the service.

Im on their website and cannot see there what WB would do in a service indicating to me that their service is just a emissions test right?

bery_451

daveyjp wrote: »

If the boiler has been installed correctly there should be very little actual maintenance for a few years.

Our boiler is 7 years old. Once the front is off its as clean as the day it was installed, so no need to clean anything. There is no sign the combustion chamber gasket is failing, so that isn't touched. The sump is emptied and cleaned out, the pressure vessel might be depressurised and repressurised. Gas pressure check at the meter and emissions test undertaken.

It takes about an hour including a quick check of the gas hob, CO monitor test and the paperwork. Cost £50.

So the actual physical work done on the boiler service was the sump emptied and cleaned and the pressure vessel repressurised?

Who did your service and is this like a minor service or is there like a full service for cars for example where more work on parts are done?

bery_451

The_Fat_Controller wrote: »

I have my WB boiler serviced by the manufacturer on an ad hoc basis as I am away a lot of the year.

The main checks on the service are the combustion figures, gas pressure and a check of the outlet temperatures.

My burner and heat exchanger have not been touched since new (8 years), the igniter module has been changed to an upgraded version.

If you do get a serious issue, WB technicians have a diagnostic machine that they can plug in to check the system.

So its like a mot test checks meaning no actual servicing work being done except your igniter module has been replaced after 8 years?

Boilers sound like the perfect combustion machine if just require service only once every 8 years unlike combustion engines in cars requiring servicing every year.

Frankly i hear alot of boiler breakdowns and it got me thinking is it due to lack of servicing due to not neglect from customer but hardly any actual boiler service engineers out there except only idiots with their emission testers charging alot of money for a 2mins reading of emissions.

This whole boiler service market requires a serious audit. With the winter already with us expect more boiler breakdowns.

The_Fat_Controller

WB have never touched the pressure vessel when servicing my boiler, it's one of those "if it isn't broken, don't fix it items" according to the technician, as long as the working pressure is in the normal range it is not touched.

Apart from a gas check at the boiler, flue gas analysis and a run a full output, not much is actually touched