Can anyone help/ advise re Gas Boiler problems

jintyb

I’m having a nightmare with my Worcester Greenstar Boiler. I’ve had BG Homecare engineers out several times but it’s still not right. When it starts up its making a gurgling noise like bubbling water then it gets louder until it it cuts out completely. Sometimes resetting it works but not always successful. The boiler is 10years old. I have a BG boiler and heating cover policy but I feel its a total waste of money. Do I need a new boiler?

tacpot12

You should not need a new boiler after 10 years. Your current boiler should be repairable. I would keep calling BG out until they have repaired it. You might consider making a complaint and asking for the return of all the premiums you have paid. That should get their attention, but I would wait until they have been a couple more times before complaining. Always complain in writing and keep a note of the dates when they attended and when you called them each time.  

You might also call Worcester Bosch directly to see if they can tell you what the gurgling noise indicates. You could offer to send them a recording. My guess is that it is a blockage.

ThisIsWeird

jintyb said:

I’m having a nightmare with my Worcester Greenstar Boiler. I’ve had BG Homecare engineers out several times but it’s still not right. When it starts up its making a gurgling noise like bubbling water then it gets louder until it it cuts out completely. Sometimes resetting it works but not always successful. The boiler is 10years old. I have a BG boiler and heating cover policy but I feel its a total waste of money. Do I need a new boiler?

Hi Jinty.

Could you describe what the engineers have tried so far?

And, does your boiler have a magnetic filter on the return pipe? If so, when was it last checked? Can you do this? It would be good to know if it's catching anything.

Have you bled any radiators? If so, anything come out?

Lorian

You need a new boiler servicing person.

ThisIsWeird

I wonder if the auto air vent is sticking and not releasing air inside the boiler itself?
Mine goes into what sounds like a 'purge' mode whenever it's drained, like when replacing the P2P exchanger, and you can hear the air being expelled. Must be effective, as my rads don't need bleeding, so it's seemingly sorted internally. 

ThisIsWeird

In answer to your Q, Jinty, I'd give BG another go, and if they fail get a local reputable GasSafe out. 
If they fix it, then you'll know that BG have been incompetent, so claim back at least last year's premium.
Has BG tried telling you you need a new boiler? If not, then it sounds as tho' even they think it must be ok for a few years more - unusual of them! 
10 years is not 'old', just getting on a bit. It should be fixable, especially as it sounds like a specific issue, and it's otherwise ok.

When the time does come for a replacement, please strike BG off your list. Overpriced at best.

jintyb

ThisIsWeird said:

jintyb said:

I’m having a nightmare with my Worcester Greenstar Boiler. I’ve had BG Homecare engineers out several times but it’s still not right. When it starts up its making a gurgling noise like bubbling water then it gets louder until it it cuts out completely. Sometimes resetting it works but not always successful. The boiler is 10years old. I have a BG boiler and heating cover policy but I feel its a total waste of money. Do I need a new boiler?

Hi Jinty.

Could you describe what the engineers have tried so far?

And, does your boiler have a magnetic filter on the return pipe? If so, when was it last checked? Can you do this? It would be good to know if it's catching anything.

Have you bled any radiators? If so, anything come out?

Hi there, many thanks for you replies, much appreciated. I'm not sure about the magnetic filter or if it's been checked.
We had BG out last Sat and the guy " removed and cleaned blocked condensate trap and sealed the flue externally" The flue hadnt been sealed apparently. This is what all the previous engineers have done. By Thurs the boiler was again making the same noise and pilot light flickering off and on. My husband bled the radiators and two of them let out a lot of air. On Friday it was ok in the morning, by evening it was playing up again. All last week it was extremely windy here and it felt like the wind was blowing in the flue! We are also occasionally getting a wee pool of water under the boiler. BG installed this boiler replacing an ancient Potterton which we never had a problem with other than they couldnt get parts for it. Sorry for the long story. 

ThisIsWeird

The longer story is what we need!

Make and model of boiler, please. And the 'type' - is it a combi, or heat-only.

And... does it have a pressure gauge? If so, what does it read when cold, and how does this change when the CH gets to full operating temp?

Meanwhile, catch all that 'water' - it may be condensate, in which case it'll be slightly acidic and could etch stuff.

With a torch, can you trace where the drips are coming from by looking at the boiler from below? See the white plastic pipe - that's the condensate pipe. Trace it all the way up into the boiler, and see if the drips are coming from anything there.

Oh, and when were the rads last bled to release that air? Could you try that again on the same rad(s)? Anything?

jintyb

@ThisIsWeird Its a Greenstar 12i 
I cant see the pressure gauge or the part of the pipe as it’s enclosed in the casing. 

The rads were bled on Wed when the air came out and again on Friday when no air came out. I’ve attached a couple of pics. I’ve just taken them, that water is on top of my microwave it has only appeared this morning. 

ThisIsWeird

Greenstar Ri.

I understand it's a 'heat-only' boiler, and since there's no pressure gauge, yours will be on a 'vented' system, so you'll have a wee black F&E tank in your loft?

Ok, that rules out what I was 'hoping' for - a bust expansion vessel.

If it's really 'gurgling', and does this as soon as it comes on - ie when it's still pretty cold - then that is almost certainly 'air' in the water. A different sound could be 'kettling', but that's more of a hissing-gurgle, literally like when your kettle is coming to the boil. That would suggest overheating - the water being literally brought close to the boil. But I'm guessing yours is more a bubbly-gurgle, like when you break wind in the bath?

(Sorry - but these descriptions are taken from the BG handbook. Honest...   )

There are no motorised valves inside that boiler (that I am aware of), and it's as basic as it gets - and hence usually very reliable, from what I read.

Has it settled down since you last bled the rads - is it working fine now (apart from the drip...)?

If the gurgles start up again - especially if coupled with the boiler tripping out - then there's clearly something significant amiss. Someone suggested earlier that it could be a blockage, and that's probably a good call - a restriction in the pipe could cause a pressure swing that could draw air down from the vent pipe above the F&E tank (but that's not for you to concern yourself about - not a DIY task.)

Or possibly it's not 'air' but hydrogen, produced when the insides of your rads are corroding... This could happen if the inhibitor level has not been maintained over the years.

You need the guys back to sort that leak in any case. Meanwhile, a bowl with a piece of kitchen paper in it so's the drips don't splash.

Albermarle

Greenstar Ri.

I understand it's a 'heat-only' boiler, and since there's no pressure gauge, yours will be on a 'vented' system, so you'll have a wee black F&E tank in your loft?

Ok, that rules out what I was 'hoping' for - a bust expansion vessel.

I have the same boiler ( about 7 years old) . It is part of an Unvented system . Above the boiler there is a separate small cylindrical red tank, with a pressure gauge.

There are no motorised valves inside that boiler (that I am aware of), and it's as basic as it gets - and hence usually very reliable, from what I read

Correct the motorised valves are outside the boiler, so easy to get to, and yes so far the boiler has proved reliable.

OP - Can we have a photo of the hot water tank/system just to clarify what system it is?