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Grandee oil boilers - Any experience
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View the thread, titled "Grandee oil boilers - Any experience" which is posted in Boiler Advice Forum on UK Plumbers Forums.
Don't touch it with a barge pole, they are the biggest piece of brown stuff ever made. I look after one near scotch corner, its had nearly 800 spent on it in 18 months and its only 3 years old. Topped off with an upward firing burner that is a real pain to remove and nowhere to hang it whilst doing a service.
Expansion vessel goes really quick, far too small, nearly impossible to replace always end up with additional vessel, condensate unit leaks, danfoss valve on the combi leaks, sika flow switch on the combi leaks.
Wouldn't recommend this boiler to my worst enemy.
The only other oil wall mounted was a worcester, but I don't mind them. Even with two of us it took some getting on the wall, all down to the fact that the wall it was going on was only a couple of inches wider than the boiler so no room to get hold and hang it on the brackets. It went up in stages. Floor onto milk crate, milk crate to stool and then onto brackets.
Expansion vessel goes really quick, far too small, nearly impossible to replace always end up with additional vessel, condensate unit leaks, danfoss valve on the combi leaks, sika flow switch on the combi leaks.
Wouldn't recommend this boiler to my worst enemy.
The only other oil wall mounted was a worcester, but I don't mind them. Even with two of us it took some getting on the wall, all down to the fact that the wall it was going on was only a couple of inches wider than the boiler so no room to get hold and hang it on the brackets. It went up in stages. Floor onto milk crate, milk crate to stool and then onto brackets.
Thanks for the info. What are their floor standing boilers like (just out of interest)?
The only other wall hung Grandee boiler on my rounds was chosen because the plastic fuel tank was in the way of a balanced flue for a floor mounted boiler and the wall hung boiler could be placed so the flue clears the tank by about 6 inches 😱 Needless to say it's not like that anymore!
Mostly round here it's the old Trianco wall mounted boilers with the funny shaped combustion chamber cover which always warps and is near to impossible to prevent fumes leaking out unless you use a full tube of fireseal silicone and clag it together..
Anyone fitted the Grant wall hung boiler? I nearly always go for Grant normally.
The only other wall hung Grandee boiler on my rounds was chosen because the plastic fuel tank was in the way of a balanced flue for a floor mounted boiler and the wall hung boiler could be placed so the flue clears the tank by about 6 inches 😱 Needless to say it's not like that anymore!
Mostly round here it's the old Trianco wall mounted boilers with the funny shaped combustion chamber cover which always warps and is near to impossible to prevent fumes leaking out unless you use a full tube of fireseal silicone and clag it together..
Anyone fitted the Grant wall hung boiler? I nearly always go for Grant normally.
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Not had the pleasure of the floor standing ones yet.
Most of the wall ones I see are Trianco, then HRM Wallstars and the last, can't remember the name but its wall mounted external with a dirty great big grp cover over it. Always rains when I have to go to it but at least the cover acts as a big brolly 🙂
Not a fan of the grant, especially the combi's or t bags as I like to call them, spend a lot of time fixing leaks on them, very much of a muchness with the firebird combi.
Commissioned a couple of Grants for a lad I know, he spent ages with his little 10mm bender and created this fantastic oil line and then stuck it together with soldered straight connectors, should have seen his face when I told him the good news.
Most of the wall ones I see are Trianco, then HRM Wallstars and the last, can't remember the name but its wall mounted external with a dirty great big grp cover over it. Always rains when I have to go to it but at least the cover acts as a big brolly 🙂
Not a fan of the grant, especially the combi's or t bags as I like to call them, spend a lot of time fixing leaks on them, very much of a muchness with the firebird combi.
Commissioned a couple of Grants for a lad I know, he spent ages with his little 10mm bender and created this fantastic oil line and then stuck it together with soldered straight connectors, should have seen his face when I told him the good news.
Just to add to the above I am referring to Internal ones.
I have a couple of Worcester external in-wall ones and both are rattly things with funny square box baffles which always seem to warp and twist. The glass rope is hard to keep in position when the internal bit slides in and out.
Actually the only decent looking in-wall ones I have come across are the external Triancos - the only complaints I have had about them is they are a bit fiddly but they seem well built enough.
I have a couple of Worcester external in-wall ones and both are rattly things with funny square box baffles which always seem to warp and twist. The glass rope is hard to keep in position when the internal bit slides in and out.
Actually the only decent looking in-wall ones I have come across are the external Triancos - the only complaints I have had about them is they are a bit fiddly but they seem well built enough.
E
ecowarm
Grant wall hung [DLMURL="http://www.grantuk.com/products/oil-fired-boilers/high-efficiency-condensing-boilers/vortex-eco-wall-hung-condensing-range/"]Vortex Eco Wall Hung Condensing Range | Grant UK[/DLMURL]
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K
kimbo
I agree with ecowarm go with the grant
T
Tec help
Hi, just found this thread, the old Grandee boilers have had troubles in the past, but so have many of the boilers out there. Grandee oil boilers is now run by a privately owned engineering company who have redesigned the boilers, making them even more robust and reliable. The factory is based in the west midlands and would welcome anybody to come and see the new boilers. Simon, if you are struggling with tecnical problems please call 01214542244 we would be happy to help, and the danfos valve is long gone, we now use a myson valve. Best regards the Grandee team.
M
ManchesterGas
Possibly got one sorted now as it was 10 months ago!
Edited due to typo!
Edited due to typo!
The only thing i struggle with on the grandee boilers is how poor they are. Good luck with the redesign, but I won't be putting them on my must install short list.
L
lance
Trabant, springs to mind.
I personally have had too many problems with them over the years, wouldn't fit one.
Any w/h oil boiler is always a bit of a compromise (not to mention a back ache getting it hung!) only use them if no other sensible option and then only grant.
Good luck with the relaunch, though would have though you would be better with a new brand name also!
Any w/h oil boiler is always a bit of a compromise (not to mention a back ache getting it hung!) only use them if no other sensible option and then only grant.
Good luck with the relaunch, though would have though you would be better with a new brand name also!
SInce the post I serviced two of them and repaired another. On two the pressure relief valve had failed and for a relatively simple task it took about 3 hours to sort - I had to remove nearly all the pipework and equipment inside the boiler casing to be able to get at it. Also the burner is hung underneath and awkward to work on. There doesn't seem to be a hook to hang it on the framework so you need to position a stool under the boiler with a stack of yellow pages to rest it when its out. Finally I needed to add a 2 pipe system to one of them and there was hardly any space to come through the wall and fit a second loop. The cases are a nightmare to get back on with all the wires and pipes.
As Simon says I have had to replace the o rings on the Sika flow switches several times and I assume this must be because they are too close to the hot pipework and keep perishing. I have replaced the o rings in the Danfoss 3 port valve on one of them twice (the last time with silicone rubber o rings and so far so good) and I assume this is also the case.
So no, I have to agree that IMO they are one of the worst designed boilers around and its a no-no for me.
As Simon says I have had to replace the o rings on the Sika flow switches several times and I assume this must be because they are too close to the hot pipework and keep perishing. I have replaced the o rings in the Danfoss 3 port valve on one of them twice (the last time with silicone rubber o rings and so far so good) and I assume this is also the case.
So no, I have to agree that IMO they are one of the worst designed boilers around and its a no-no for me.
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L
lance
Mind you, Worcester condensing oil boilers , are something to behold.
I usually light up a Hamlet and read my "Totalrubbish" magazine after being near one...
I usually light up a Hamlet and read my "Totalrubbish" magazine after being near one...
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E
ecowarm
But they have a shiny Worcester badge on the front and a pretty casing! (hiding loads of plastic tat :disappointed🙂
Just to reiterate my grumbles about Grandee boilers. I was called to service one today. The burner is slung underneath with a tangle of hoses and cables near to impossible to shove inside the casing and get the casing on. The casing itself is a nightmare to get on and off properly. There is no hook to suspend the burner onto when taking it out for servicing, it is nigh on impossible to properly clean out the combustion chamber, there is little space to fit a second pipe to the pump for a 2 pipe system. Changing the Pressure relief valve is a total nightmare and to cap it off, there is no sampling point on the boiler itself so one has to constantly walk round the outside of the property to read the combustion analyser, then back again to make adjustments, then back again and so on. The boiler was at the rear of the house and each time you had to go through the house, put your boots on, go across the lawn and over the veg patch to get the the flue, then back again and again!!
After doing that, I was almost thinking that the Trianco Centajets (although I believe them to be the work of the devil) really aren't all that bad!
GRRRRRR!!!
After doing that, I was almost thinking that the Trianco Centajets (although I believe them to be the work of the devil) really aren't all that bad!
GRRRRRR!!!
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