Advice about decrepit boiler - repair or replace

dryjoy

I’d be grateful for some advice and opinions on the situation with our boiler, please.

We’ve had our annual boiler service, and been advised it is in dangerous condition and can’t be used. The main problem is with the heat exchanger.

We have a British Gas homecare boiler plan, so the BG engineer has been out.

His advice was:

• A repair is a possibility. They would have to order a new heat exchanger. He advised that if we go for this option, although the callout fee of £50 would cover the repair, our future homecare premium would go ’through the roof’, because it’s such an expensive repair (probably > £1000 inclusive of labor).
• He said we might as well get a new boiler (using a 4 years interest free credit offer currently available from BG) as it would be a better deal with the warranty etc, maybe even cheaper to go for this option than facing an increase in the homecare premium.

So my first question:

• Is this indeed how homecare works? Would we likely be subject to a huge increase in our premium if we go through with the repair?

The homecare plan includes the possibility of a replacement boiler, if it’s less than seven years old (which it is, but out of warranty).

• My interpretation of what it says in the homecare booklet is that if we were to go through with the repair, and then they were unable to complete it, we would then potentially be able to get a new boiler under the homecare cover, but they wouldn’t cover this if we went straight for a new boiler at this stage (i.e. choose not to go for the repair). Does this seem to be a correct interpretation of how it works?

The engineer expressed some doubt about whether they could get the heat exchanger. Apparently it’s listed as a ’special order’ part, and could take a few weeks to find out whether it is actually available. So I think if we opted for the repair and they couldn’t get the part, we might then be able to claim for a new boiler. But on the other hand, if the turns out to be available, then we might have been better off just paying for a new boiler based on the advice of the engineer.

It’s difficult to decide the best course of action. All advice and opinions welcome.

HampshireH

I've known a few people whose boilers under a BG scheme have had "irrepairable" and "condemned" boilers that they have then had the engineer upsell a replacement in exactly the same way due to scarce parts etc.

Each time a non BG engineer has been able to source these special parts quite easily and at far less expense.

I would get some quotes first before deciding. It may 100% be more cost effective to replace but it does seem like a BG sales tactic, scaring people into replacements and new deals

CSI_Yorkshire

Boiler has become dangerous and possibly un-repairable whilst being less than 7 years old?

That doesn't sit right with me.

Section62

dryjoy said:

It’s difficult to decide the best course of action.

If it were me I'd find a local independent gas boiler engineer, preferably one specialising in your make of boiler.  Ask them to quote for a replacement heat exchanger.

Then after recovering from the shock of hearing how cheap it is compared to BG's solution, ask the independent engineer to verify there is a problem with the heat exchanger before replacing it.

FreeBear

Section62 said:

dryjoy said:

It’s difficult to decide the best course of action.

If it were me I'd find a local independent gas boiler engineer, preferably one specialising in your make of boiler.  Ask them to quote for a replacement heat exchanger.

Then after recovering from the shock of hearing how cheap it is compared to BG's solution, ask the independent engineer to verify there is a problem with the heat exchanger before replacing it.

I would certainly get a second opinion, but say nothing about the BG engineer's opinion - Last time I had a boiler "condemned", no one was willing to give a second opinion if I let slip on the initial report.

7 years is not that old for a boiler, so I wouldn't call it decrepit based on that alone - Post the make & model, and we will soon tell you if the heat exchanger is obtainable, and what sort of price a new one actually costs.

If you do decide to replace the boiler, get some quotes from independent local suppliers, not BG. And then cancel the Homecare plan. Put the premium that you would have paid in to a savings account, and use that to pay for an annual service & any repairs.

ThisIsWeird

Exact make and model of the boiler, please, dryjoy.

This must be the main exchanger - the 'engine'. That should sooo not fail in 7 years. Some makes and models do have a 'history' of this - I wonder if yours is one of them?

Who installed this boiler, what warranty did it come with, and - from what you say - please confirm it's had annual services ever since? 

These services will have cost you circa £100 per annum? So you've already forked out ~£700 to 'maintain' that boiler?! Hmmm. Are you ready for a fight?!  

Do you have Legal Protection included in your house insurance?

Or, one simple current option - which I'd be very tempted to act on - is to tell BG to get on with it, after all, it's a young boiler. And then - if their premiums really do go 'through the roof', to simply cancel the contract.

Then have it serviced, say, every couple of years - more than enough - by a trusted local GS.

NannaH

They will try anything to get you to not have it repaired and therefore pay an inflated price for a new boiler.
A few years ago,  our old boiler needed a new heat exchanger,  BG tried every trick to not repair it,  couldn’t get the part, offered us a half price new boiler etc.  We insisted and they left us with no heating for nearly a fortnight in December,  lucky we had a hot tank/immersion heater.
I don’t remember our premiums increasing afterwards. 

Call the boiler manufacturer and ask for a ‘fixed price repair’  quote then call BG and say they either do it or pay for the fixed price repair. 

Can I suggest when it’s sorted,  you go with Your repair instead.  Same cover for probably half the price.  

FreeBear

ThisIsWeird said: Then have it serviced, say, every couple of years - more than enough - by a trusted local GS.

If the boiler is out of warranty, you could possibly get away with a service every other year depending on how much use/abuset gets. In warranty, it needs an annual service.

ThisIsWeird

FreeBear said:

ThisIsWeird said: Then have it serviced, say, every couple of years - more than enough - by a trusted local GS.

If the boiler is out of warranty, you could possibly get away with a service every other year depending on how much use/abuset gets. In warranty, it needs an annual service.

If it's still in warranty, then dryjoy just doesn't have a problem!

dryjoy

Thanks all. Will post back this evening with make and model. 

A couple of bits of relevant info:

It is definitely out of warranty (it’s 6 years old, warranty was 5). 

It was actually a non-BG engineer who comes to service it each year who initially diagnosed it as needing a new heat exchanger. His view was that it is not worth repairing and would probably be better off with a replacement. 

We then called out BG as we took out a home care plan with them start of this year (as this boiler has been trouble from the start) and they agreed with that diagnosis. The non-BG guy also wants to sell us a new boiler. 

It has been serviced every year. 

Really appreciate the advice. More info later. 

ThisIsWeird

dryjoy said:

Thanks all. Will post back this evening with make and model. 

A couple of bits of relevant info:

It is definitely out of warranty (it’s 6 years old, warranty was 5). 

It was actually a non-BG engineer who comes to service it each year who initially diagnosed it as needing a new heat exchanger. His view was that it is not worth repairing and would probably be better off with a replacement. 

We then called out BG as we took out a home care plan with them start of this year (as this boiler has been trouble from the start) and they agreed with that diagnosis. The non-BG guy also wants to sell us a new boiler. 

It has been serviced every year. 

Really appreciate the advice. More info later. 

I appreciate it is out of warranty, but there are some major components such as the MainX - which have no moving parts - that should last the expected life of the boiler. And 6 years simply isn't good enough. Almost certainly there's a case to be had via the CRA 201 - goods should be expected to last at least 6 years, and your example has been serviced annually.

What is the actual problem - what are the symptoms?

Who installed the boiler? Was a magnetic filter fitted as well? Was your system 'flushed' clean?

Do you have LegProt?