Worcester haters club member!

GrahamM · Oct 23, 2014

Lay down the scene:
15yr old Worcester 28CDi hemed into upstairs airing cupboard with about 50mm to sides and 150mm below boiler.
One burst expansion vessel with no reasonable option to fit a remote replacement.

One replacement vessel ordered up.

About 4hrs after removing pump, plate heat exchanger, APS, fan, flue box, lifting main heat exchanger and a lot of pushing and pulling the new vessel was in. There was a few coffee breaks though so could have maybe cut time down a bit.

Nightmare job I dont wish to repeat. Could not have made it any more difficult if they tried!:censored:

Rickster123 · Oct 23, 2014

This is why I only do installs. I'd have a selection of screws and washers left over at the end of that. I haven't got the patients for it. It must've had multiple existing water leaks after 15 years surely?

Ermintrude · Oct 23, 2014

It's a hard life would have just removed boiler . And done it in floor

Leo21 · Oct 23, 2014

Ermintrude said:
It's a hard life would have just removed boiler . And done it in floor

I would have just removed boiler!

Toxic Ted · Oct 23, 2014

I would have walked away.....

arran197 · Oct 23, 2014

I bet it was a good feeling when it was all done though? I've done it myself on an old Vaillant, boiler off the wall. Had to cut and then reconnect the gas pipe too. Took me ages, but felt good when it was all back up and running.

Leo21 · Oct 23, 2014

arran197 said:
I bet it was a good feeling when it was all done though? I've done it myself on an old Vaillant, boiler off the wall. Had to cut and then reconnect the gas pipe too. Took me ages, but felt good when it was all back up and running.

But then your at home and the phone rings! Is it that boiler with a random drip? Do you answer the phone, decisions decisions.

dmheat · Oct 28, 2014

Grim job that!

dave1 · Oct 28, 2014

Good old worcester! And people swear by them.... I just swear at them.

townfanjon · Oct 28, 2014

Toxic Ted said:
I would have walked away.....

LOL, Ted I would have walked with you pal

Billy Bob Bob · Oct 28, 2014

Ermintrude said:
It's a hard life would have just removed boiler . And done it in floor

i would have stuck it in a skip and fitted a duotec,i hate Worcesters with a passion

Nostrum · Oct 28, 2014

Ermintrude said:
It's a hard life would have just removed boiler . And done it in floor

and then never got the o rings that go in the jig to re-seal!

The most soul destroying times of my career have been spent stood in front of a CDI.

GrahamM · Oct 28, 2014

These ok lifting off wall? Looks to be a heavy lump of a boiler.

solutions · Oct 28, 2014

Dont lift it off

solutions · Oct 28, 2014

GrahamM said:
These ok lifting off wall? Looks to be a heavy lump of a boiler.

Just cut the wall around it and push it out with the end of a hammer that way you dont actually have to touch the rechid thing.

millar2000 · Oct 28, 2014

**** one. did you give him a price before doing the job

northcarr · Oct 29, 2014

The new compacts look awful to work on. I just don't understand why they make things hard to get at and why custards think they are the best I wouldn't put one in my house is what I tell people who ask for them :45:

bewsh · Oct 29, 2014

They generally are pretty reliable and seem to have all the big companies fitting them so word gets around. But they are an absolute pain in the arse to work on. But the customer doesn't care about that, they don't have to try get their hands in amongst it all 🙂

kris · Oct 29, 2014

Ive always liked worcester ( cdi classics anyway ) the i range is garbage and the compact is very plastic, when theyre fired up you hear the plastic creeking, defo going off them , i fit alot of classics, and yesterday fitted a 30cdi system boiler and which now comes with cable pre attatched , but because using splan see trying to get another cable in with the stupid position earth cables and that stupid plastic wire clamps, defo drive you mad, need better design than that p!sh frame, compared to the ideal simplicity to fit and work on but i will say the worcester burn better than ideal, and i suppose at least you can adjust the worcesters,

Nostrum · Oct 29, 2014

I hate Worcester products but I will admit to liking the fact they have the gas valve settings on the data badge and that as you say, you can adjust them. Not fond of the 'is what it is' approach that Ideal have.

TFGplumbing · Oct 29, 2014

Okay hands up I do favor Worcesters for installs, I like their Jigs.
But the do have some a r s e hole designs that I would never ''thank Worcester for''

Millsy 82 · Oct 30, 2014

I carry a couple of o ring packs for the Cdi in the van just incase I have to strip them apart.

What I hate on them is the ISO valves I was stupid and rushed so turned them off and both flow and return leaked! It would of been quicker and easier to take the boiler off the wall to swap them instead of stripping everything out of it.

Leo21 · Oct 30, 2014

northcarr said:
The new compacts look awful to work on. I just don't understand why they make things hard to get at and why custards think they are the best I wouldn't put one in my house is what I tell people who ask for them :45:

My my thoughts exactly.

solutions · Oct 30, 2014

northcarr said:
The new compacts look awful to work on. I just don't understand why they make things hard to get at and why custards think they are the best I wouldn't put one in my house is what I tell people who ask for them :45:

They are awfull to work on. Had to fit one while subbing with a mate the other day what a heap a $hi7. Stupid sliding expansion vessel that wants to fall out if its plastic runners when you hang the bracket and numerous other ridiculous design choices. I outright tell customers who ask for them that they must be mad and I wont fit them.

bigads28 · Nov 1, 2014

I've done that expansion vessel job about a dozen times now and can the boiler back up and running in about 2.5 hrs. No so the first time though! You have to follow the instructions on this job, there are no short cuts, which is where most fall down and where I did the first couple times. Now it gets stripped a new diaphram is also fitted and all the plastic manifolds are replaced, no messing about. Price 4 hrs and all those bits, the plastics are cheap. That way you get the job done on the second visit and its 100% for your customer and they think you are the mutts nuts when in reality all you did was not take any short cuts and just got the job done.

I like any of the classic range, great to work on. The heat exchanger is easy to service and parts are accessible. The Junior range are a pig to service and the heat primary heat exchangers are pants. Other than that they are pretty reliable.

First impressions of the Compacts for me aren't good due to access but they ditched the round heat exchanger which is good. The case fixings seem very fragile. I will have to get into the guts of one properly and see how easy they are to strip.

Nostrum · Nov 1, 2014

bigads28 said:
The Junior range are a pig to service and the heat primary heat exchangers are pants. Other than that they are pretty reliable.

Really?

I've replaced nearly every part in these over the years, both hydro blocks, pumps, gas valves, fans, pcb's, turbine adapters galore.

In fact I think the only part ive never replaced due to failure is the electrode leads, although replaced one set because a mouse had chewed through it!

bigads28 · Nov 1, 2014

Nostrum said:
Really?

I've replaced nearly every part in these over the years, both hydro blocks, pumps, gas valves, fans, pcb's, turbine adapters galore.

In fact I think the only part ive never replaced due to failure is the electrode leads, although replaced one set because a mouse had chewed through it!

Yeah the odd fan and pcb but not to the point where I'd say it was an issue. Never a hydro block, but then that's something I've very rarely had to do on any boiler. Soft water and pressure rarely above 4bar if that makes any difference.

There is one thing that's starting to worry me though and thats the electrodes collapsing into heat exchanger and the boilers getting scorched beyond repair. I notice the new electrodes come with a small heat shield to try and stop the gasket crumbling.

deandive · Nov 1, 2014

Worcester " the installers choice" rubbish not this installer, we fit them on one HA contract the other three use valiants. There is not one single big thing that is wrong with them just loads of little things, like having to run the condense through the wall in 1"1/4, the jigs that don't quite line up, the flue screws that won't quite catch, and the condense trap you have to fit yourself. Grrrrrrrrr hate them