Ideal Logic combi boiler: broken fan or dodgy plumber?

FataVerde

My boiler stopped giving hot water and heat after my regular plumber came to check a minor radiator leak. After he left, the boiler stopped giving hot water and heat (it was working fine for hot water before; I hadn't had a chance to check the heat). The boiler kept listing the whole menu from 1 to 6, asking to reset the boiler, bleed the radiators, fill system to 1, etc. Because the arrow was jittery above 2, I first bled radiators. I then repressurised the system because the arrow went too low. I sent my plumber pictures of the pressure gauge showing 1,5. 

My plumber came back a week later when I was away and said the boiler's fan has water in it and needs replacing and gave me a quote of £470 plus VAT for a new fan and kit. Or replacing the boiler for thousands. Luckily, I asked for a second opinion so my friend who lives at the flat let another plumber in who basically just repressurised the system from the valves and said it's good to go. He didn't open the boiler. My friend says there is hot water and heat at the flat now. He also said the boiler would make a loud noise if the fan was the problem.

I am so confused. None of this makes sense. I had set the pressure right before calling the plumbers and still could not get hot water or heat. Did my original plumber mess with the boiler? I can't think of an alternative scenario in which all this would make any sense.

Bendy_House

You will probably never know for sure. But it does sound as tho' you had a narrow escape.

A few things that, I think, can be said;

1) Yes, if a fan is starting to fail, it's usually pretty obvious by the noise - screeching/vibrating is typical. However, if it has completely failed, then it'll be quiet...

2) Most boilers will stop working for safety reasons if the pressure drops to below, ooh, around 0.6 bar. Once topped up (try and keep it to just above 1 bar, say 1.2), then it should start to work fine again. It might need resetting, but hey.

3) Water in the fan? Hmm, that's a new one to me. It's possible, but it would mean something more serious is amiss than just a kaput fan. For instance, it might be rainwater coming in the flue, or a leak from the heat exchanger - both of these should elicit a "I'll fix the main problem, and then replace the fan..." type response.

4) There remains a chance that the first plumber was right - he opened up the whole caboodle, found a wet fan, closed it all up again, and reported to you. The second plumber has set the boiler running - which has a WET FAN!

But that seems unlikely.

In any event, if there's still something amiss, then the boiler will let you know - it'll stop working again, and perhaps the second plumber will have a proper look this time

FataVerde

Bendy_House said:

You will probably never know for sure. But it does sound as tho' you had a narrow escape.

A few things that, I think, can be said;

1) Yes, if a fan is starting to fail, it's usually pretty obvious by the noise - screeching/vibrating is typical. However, if it has completely failed, then it'll be quiet...

2) Most boilers will stop working for safety reasons if the pressure drops to below, ooh, around 0.6 bar. Once topped up (try and keep it to just above 1 bar, say 1.2), then it should start to work fine again. It might need resetting, but hey.

3) Water in the fan? Hmm, that's a new one to me. It's possible, but it would mean something more serious is amiss than just a kaput fan. For instance, it might be rainwater coming in the flue, or a leak from the heat exchanger - both of these should elicit a "I'll fix the main problem, and then replace the fan..." type response.

4) There remains a chance that the first plumber was right - he opened up the whole caboodle, found a wet fan, closed it all up again, and reported to you. The second plumber has set the boiler running - which has a WET FAN!

But that seems unlikely.

In any event, if there's still something amiss, then the boiler will let you know - it'll stop working again, and perhaps the second plumber will have a proper look this time

Thank you for your very helpful advice before. It's time to stop playing detective and hope the boiler is fine and I just had a dodgy plumber. I now found out from my friend that it was a colleague of my regular plumber and every time that guy comes he suggested extremely expensive and unnecessary repairs.

Bendy_House

Yup, I guess just see how it goes. Fingers crossed

The second plumber seemingly didn't go any further than a re-pressurise, so if the boiler fails again - with an ok pressure - then perhaps you can invite him back to investigate this?

JohnB47

What does ".....who basically just repressurised the system from the valves....." mean? I've never heard of that.

If it is what it sounds like, perhaps some air pockets got into the system after the first plumbers visit and the second plumbers work blew them out.