Boiler repair

Dinks786

Worcester came and fixed my combo boiler in august, flat fee of £380, all good but I haven’t used the heating since until turning it on this weekend, it doesn’t work though hot water has been fine, Worcester say this is outside the 30 day window post repair (only just) and I will have to pay the £380 flat fee again for them to come out even if it’s because the parts replaced in august are faulty, I’ve raised a complaint but not confident they will budge, seems grossly unfair, what should I do? 

Aylesbury_Duck

Dinks786 said:

Worcester came and fixed my combo boiler in august, flat fee of £380, all good but I haven’t used the heating since until turning it on this weekend, it doesn’t work though hot water has been fine, Worcester say this is outside the 30 day window post repair (only just) and I will have to pay the £380 flat fee again for them to come out even if it’s because the parts replaced in august are faulty, I’ve raised a complaint but not confident they will budge, seems grossly unfair, what should I do? 

I'd ask them for evidence that they tested the system after the "fix".  Otherwise, they have no evidence the system was working when they left.

What I suspect has happened is that a diverter valve has stuck in the position for hot water only.  The boiler is clearly working, otherwise you'd have no hot water.  I've had sticking T valves twice over the years.  Sometimes they can be unstuck using a manual switch, sometimes with a judicious whack, and sometimes they just need replacing because they've got scaled up or are just seized.  If that is what's happened, then it may be nothing to do with Worcester.  I'm in a hard water area and I run my heating for 10 minutes once a month over summer just to keep things moving.

You may be better off getting a recommended local plumber to check the system.  If s/he deems it's related to the work Worcester carried out in August then you have something proper to go back to Worcester with.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Hello OP

2 choices really either have Worcester out again and get them to put on paper what is wrong and claim back the second fee if it turns out the first job wasn't done correctly or 2 either a) pay someone independent to inspect and then go back to Worcesterand insist they repair without fee and refund you for the inspection b) pay some independent to inspect and fix then claim the cost of that.

Option 2 b would be my choice (although I would tell Worcester such beforehand so they have a chance to reconsider their position), services must be carried out with due care and skill and should that not be the case you are entitled to seek damages for breach of contract, the 30 days they mention is nonsense (or perhaps valid if offered as a no questions asked warranty but that doesn't allow them to wash their hands after 30 days).

Worth noting the issue may be seperate but if you paid a flat £380 for them to simply "fix your boiler" and it doesn't work, ruling out someone damaging it through misuse/user error (which is why you need the inspection to clarify) I don't see how they could have fixed it sufficiently?

If you paid them £380 to fix a specific aspect of the boiler and the problem is something else that may just be bad luck.

Dinks786

Really helpful responses thanks, I appreciate it

born_again

What was the actual issue they fixed in the 1st place?

Dinks786

They replaced both the fan and the PCB because they weren’t able to definitively identify the cause, the problem started whilst drawing hot water, light kept going out and constantly needed to be reset 

Aylesbury_Duck

I'm suspect the problem isn't the boiler and is probably a sticking valve.  Have a look in the airing cupboard for a section of pipes arranged in a T, with a plastic box on top or on the side with some electrical wires connected.  Have someone turn heating on and see if you can hear any noise from that box.  You may hear it straining or clicking, which suggests it's stuck. It may be silent, which may mean it's completely failed or that there is some sort of problem elsewhere, such as the thermostat or maybe the boiler.  I suppose it's possible the heating controls have become 'divorced' from the boiler so it's not getting the message that heating is needed.  Hot water will be provided by the boiler when you turn the tap, of course.

HillStreetBlues

Is the pressure ok?

oldagetraveller1

"Worcester came and fixed my combo boiler"

Should it read combi, not combo?

If so it's doubtful there is a h.w. cyl. and external diverter valve(s).

Aylesbury_Duck

oldagetraveller1 said:

"Worcester came and fixed my combo boiler"

Should it read combi, not combo?

If so it's doubtful there is a h.w. cyl. and external diverter valve(s).

I assumed a combi boiler.  I assumed there was no cylinder but would they not have a diverter in the system, to open or close feed to the radiators?  I don't know, I've always had a cylinder set up and never owned a combi.

born_again

Dinks786 said:

They replaced both the fan and the PCB because they weren’t able to definitively identify the cause, the problem started whilst drawing hot water, light kept going out and constantly needed to be reset 

So this is not the same problem then.
How old is the boiler? Might be better to bite the bullet if it is old & get a new one.

Clearly the repair worked as you are getting hot water. I would find a local co (local facebook groups are good for recordation's) & get one of them to look at the issue.