Help, elderly mum without hot water and heating! 3 days now

nadeembutt786

Its back to cold again... which is an absolute bummer, was beautiful and warm..

grumpy_codger

Do you hear the pump working? It has to work in all 3 modes. If it doesn't the boiler will heat the small amount of water inside and stop.

Do you see the 3-way valve position changing when you switch the mode?

RavingMad

nadeembutt786 said:

nofoollikeold said:

1. If the hot water is working, the boiler is working, and the fault lies elsewhere in the system.
2. Check the system pressure is sufficient.  Should be around 1.3 bar.
3. I'd suggest you need a heating engineer who can do a much more thorough diagnosis of the system.  
4. What are the symptoms?
4.1 Central heating called for, boiler fires (or not)?
4.2 Runs for a few minutes then stops? 
4.3 Any error codes?
4.4 Was the 3 way valve replaced entirely, or just the actuator head?

1. Hot water is now not working, was working fine when the heating was off, i turned it on and now lukewarm water and still no heating.
2. Boiler was just serviced, cant see anywhere where it says system pressure...
3. I only it were that easy
4. No heat and no water
4.1. Have a tado, calls for heat, boiler fires 
4.2. Yes
4.3 No
4.4 - Both replaced

4.2 Actually runs only for a few minutes then stops when you call for heat/water?

In theory the boiler shouldn't stop as the house hasn't reached the desired temperature?

WIAWSNB

nadeembutt786 said:

Actually just checked the document again in the boxt app and it says that a chemical cleaner was used during installation "mc1" and "mc3". I dont remember them doing this but then again, wasnt watching 24/7

"We will provide you with 24/7 emergency helpline for things like a broken boiler, electrical failures, blocked or burst pipes or if you’ve lost your house keys. Max. £1,000 per claim" AND Legal protection. Wonder which is worth doing?

From what you have described, mainly because of the checks carried out by the engineers, it would appear that 'sludge' is at the root of your problem.

'MC3' is a chemical cleaner, and this is usually added to the old system and allowed to circulate in order for it to loosen any built up sludge. The dirty system water is then drained, the new boiler installed, fresh water added, and 'MC1' - a corrosion inhibitor - added to give the whole caboodle ongoing protection.

With old systems like yours, especially ones whch are 'vented' (you have a small F&E tank in the loft), it is common that sludge has built up to a significant level over the years, and - frankly - a dose of MC3 ain't going to shift it. Sludge compacts down to a thick layer, usually building up in the bottoms or radiators, and in pipework which has bends and valves fitted. An old system like yours should really have been 'power-flushed', which is a more intensive method, with a dedicated pump, strong chemicals, and a large magnetic filter to collect the loosened sludge.

This is what the installation instructions for your boiler states;

I ain't going to pick through whether - technically - the requirements of BS 7593 have been met, but will just state the pretty obvious conclusion that (based on what we have been told) your system was not cleaned to an adequate standard. If your MainX in the boiler is blocked, for example, Bosch will not cover it under their warranty.

I would suggest that your case is with Boxt, and for that you need your Legal Protection.

It's great your folks have this, as it's free, will give you the correct legal advice on how to pursue this, and will back you up - in court if necessary - in order to achieve the correct outcome.

So, personally, I wouldn't call on the 'emergency helpline' in the first instance, as this could confuse the situation - too many folk involved. Instead, write out the facts, as briefly and succinctly as you can, and call up your LP.

Meanwhile, there is no reason for your folks to be cold, tho' they might need to restrict themselves to one main room with an electric heater. Also, really worth having the immersion heater replaced, just in case the boiler fails again in the future.

Summat like:

1) Xth July 2020. New WB 24Ri boiler installed by Boxt (invoice to hand). 

2) Boiler came with 10-year warranty, conditional on annual servicing - this has been carried out each year by...

3) 20th April 2025 - the boiler stopped working. X came out, replaced the divertor valve, but this didn't resolve the issue. X concluded issue could be within the boiler - whch he wasn't qualified to work on.

4) Contacted Boxt who sent out...

That sort of stuff, so you are completely clear in your own mind, and also can relate to others, what has occurred.

Call up your LP.

I'd also be inclined to message W-Bosch themselves, and ask their opinion on the situation. (Bear in mind at all times that you don't know what the issue is - you are simply relating the situation.)