Repair or Replace Recommendation?

[monoecho]

!Hi, am hoping someone can advise on whether I should repair, or replace, my Glow Worm Economy Plus 50F conventional boiler?

I am not requesting technical advice on how to do this - merely a basic recommendation from a professional as to whether it's worth repairing my boiler.

(Croppie has accepted this proposal - as I'm not actually asking anyone to tell me how to do this myself).


Currently the boiler is not working - I have had an engineer check it over - so took some photos at the same time.

The fault is possibly due to insufficient airflow through the heat exchanger: when you switch it on, the piezo igniter just keeps clicking but you don't actually get ignition. The fan is working. When you remove the 2 exterior covers, so that the gas jets are exposed, and then switch it on it ignites immediately: the GSR showed this to me when on-site.

I have attached a pic of the heat exchanger - which looks pretty clogged to me - so seems a reasonable assumption that no air is being drawn through it - and hence no combustion.

I'm no expert, but the GSR did quote for repair £1000 and replacement £2700.....this seems expensive to me for a 15kWh boiler that only has to run 2 sinks, one bath and 5 rads.


So, bearing in mind the photos - do you think this heat exchanger really is 'toast'? i.e is it worth me bothering with a repair - or should I just get some more quotes for replacement?


Any help anyone can give would be much appreciated.

 

[Howsie]

Get a new GSR engineer is my recommendation.

 

[monoecho]

...because the quotes are too high?

 

[Howsie]

Pretty much but always worth getting a couple more opinions at that level of expenditure.

 

[Richie_77]

Is it kettling badly?
Are there any leaks on the exchanger?
Is it costing a fortune to run?
If no to all these clean it out and see how she goes

 

[monoecho]

Is it kettling badly?
Are there any leaks on the exchanger?
Is it costing a fortune to run?
If no to all these clean it out and see how she goes

That's what I wondered about - having someone to clean it up - at least that way I could get a bit of extra time to get some more quotes in without freezing my bits off...

When the case was open, I couldn't see any leaks - and no it isn't costing a fortune to run. Not sure what you mean by 'kettling' though.

The other issue is, that so far, no one has wanted to bother cleaning it...at £100 per hour, I'm not overly keen on getting more engineers to check it over either.

Wish I could charge £100 per hour :-(

 

[Howsie]

Get another GSR in. £100 is ridiculous!

 

[Mike Jackson]

Whereabouts are you? £100 an hour is a bit steep. There may be someone from here that can have a look at it for you. I'd certainly be looking a bit further at the problem before going for a new boiler.

 

[monoecho]

Whereabouts are you? £100 an hour is a bit steep. There may be someone from here that can have a look at it for you. I'd certainly be looking a bit further at the problem before going for a new boiler.

Thanks - that's what I thought, so far have tried 5 firms and all are charging in the region of £85 - £95 pph + VAT...so £102 per hour min.

Reckon I will spend more time looking for a more reasonable rate - but here in High Wycombe (Buckinghamshire) all the trades (except mine! - I solve peoples IT issues), seem to have high charges.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

i will happily fit you one for less then you have been quoted