Glow-worm meltdown

[SilentMike]

a service and a brakedown is not the same thing, not all that diffrent from a car service if you had a problem with your car would you take it for a service?
you'll have to have the new one serviced if you want to keep your warranty

 

[Ray Stafford]

Lich, if some of the posters come over as a bit defensive, its because they come across this all the time, and its an unrealistic expectation.

Its good practice to get your boiler serviced for the same reason that its good practice to get your car serviced - both for safety reasons, and for fuel economy. In both cases there are sometime parts that need routine replacement, but you don't expect a warranty on your whole car for the price of a service.

The analogy is a pretty good one - if you get your car serviced, and they fail to notice a badly worn brake pad, or an obvious oil leak, then you have grounds to complain. But they can't check everything, and you don't expect them to.

If you notice something specifically wrong with your car, you don't take it for a service you take it for a repair, or you do both - book the service, but specifically ask the mechanic to check out the problem you noticed.

On an 11 year old car, lots of things are waiting to go wrong. The same applies to an 11 year old boiler. Some will go on for ages with minimum work, some will start to cause problems long before their 11th birthday.

It virtually impossible to tell which is which in advance.

 

[Whn1]

If any of you wants your websites updated for 125 quid an hour, I would be happy to help, but please not thatI dont do weekend callouts, and any code I have written only has a 24 hour warranty.

Not really selling yourself here.

 

[lich]

Ray,

Thanks for your wise words. I do realise that I have just been unlucky on this occasion, if I had asked my wife to tell the service guy about the fan, he might have looked at it and replaced it, and the boiler might have lasted a couple of years longer. I have to say, I would have thought the fan was a pretty important component, and one could reasonably expect it to be part of the service drill, especially for such an old boiler, but we live and learn.

Cheers,

Lich

 

[lich]

Not really selling yourself here.

My point entierly.

 

[SimonG]

Thanks for the sensible responses I received, but I can't help noticing a bit of a defensive note in some of the other posts.

I accept that in this case, it's just one of those things and they guy who serviced the boiler is not to blame.

BUT - I am an 'end user' and I don't know or give a stuff what is says in the service manual, I just wanted to get my boiler sorted out before the winter so it wouldn't pack up in midwinter.

It is a bit of a bummer that I took that precaution, only to find that the boiler packed up anyway.

It sounds to me as if I may as well _not_ bother to employ anybody to service my boiler in future, since it is likely to break down at a random time anyway, at which point I get it repaired or replaced as required.

If any of you wants your websites updated for 125 quid an hour, I would be happy to help, but please not thatI dont do weekend callouts, and any code I have written only has a 24 hour warranty.

Nothing defensive, people just don't like to read that customer is trying to shaft an engineer that has done a good job.

From the sound of it you thought you had a problem with the boiler and called for a service, which wasn't technically correct and then 'forgot' to tell the engineer that you thought the fan was noisy.

I bet it wasn't serviced in October 2011.

 

[dancinplumba]

125 squid ? far far to cheap imo. even if fan replaced would have still leaked.....

 

[P J F PLUMBING]

it worked before you touched it and i only wanted it serviced you touched it last heard this a million times

 

[Roger Welton]

Whilst the fan may have failed, it certainly isn't the cause of the boiler leaking water. When they fail the boiler just stops. They are a moving part, and subject to high temperatures so do have a limited lifespan, they are however replaceable, though in you case it sounds like the main heat exchanger is leaking also which is terminal.

 

[lich]

it worked before you touched it and i only wanted it serviced you touched it last heard this a million times

?????

 

[lich]

Actually - it was ....

 

[lich]

Whilst the fan may have failed, it certainly isn't the cause of the boiler leaking water. When they fail the boiler just stops. They are a moving part, and subject to high temperatures so do have a limited lifespan, they are however replaceable, though in you case it sounds like the main heat exchanger is leaking also which is terminal.

OK - Good information. Thanks.

 

[lich]

Nothing defensive, people just don't like to read that customer is trying to shaft an engineer that has done a good job.

From the sound of it you thought you had a problem with the boiler and called for a service, which wasn't technically correct and then 'forgot' to tell the engineer that you thought the fan was noisy.

I bet it wasn't serviced in October 2011.

Actually - it was.

 

[hammers4spanner]

your getting a new boiler now anyhows so does it matter??

 

[Whn1]

I'll service it for you next year if you like.

 

[lich]

Yup. I am getting a new boiler and it's going to cost me almost 3 grand all told. Since I am not a plumber, that is hard to find .... 😉


But like I said - thanks to those people who posted sensible replies!

 

[Reg Man]

Thanks for the sensible responses I received, but I can't help noticing a bit of a defensive note in some of the other posts.

I accept that in this case, it's just one of those things and they guy who serviced the boiler is not to blame.

BUT - I am an 'end user' and I don't know or give a stuff what is says in the service manual, I just wanted to get my boiler sorted out before the winter so it wouldn't pack up in midwinter.

It is a bit of a bummer that I took that precaution, only to find that the boiler packed up anyway.

It sounds to me as if I may as well _not_ bother to employ anybody to service my boiler in future, since it is likely to break down at a random time anyway, at which point I get it repaired or replaced as required.

If any of you wants your websites updated for 125 quid an hour, I would be happy to help, but please not thatI dont do weekend callouts, and any code I have written only has a 24 hour warranty.

The annual service is recommended to ensure the boiler is safe and functioning at the time of the service. There is no way anyone can guarantee that the boiler will function without breakdown thereafter, especially on an 11year old appliance. Sorry if some of the responses and analogies have sounded a little defensive or negative. Personaly I think you have done very well with this appliance.

 

[Howsie]

If you write the code and it has a bug in it then its your fault. If I service a boiler and it breaks down due to wear and tear then its not might fault. It's quite binary don't you think?

 

[lich]

I'll service it for you next year if you like.

I might take you up on that 😉 !

 

[hammers4spanner]

so what boiler ?