Any Corgi Registered Plumbers round here?
 

I know its a long shot, but we have had two sodding companies now not send anyone out when they said they will and now tell us they have no-one available.

Our combi boiler (I will never have another one again is giving us grief, here is a quick description copied from an e-mail from the boilers manufacture to my wife that she than forwarded to me:
The pressure gauge shouldn't move at all. The fact that it is suggests there is a problem, especially if we haven't fiddled with it. It could be one of 2 things:
1) An expansions vessel problem where someone has used the filling loop and left the valve open slightly

2) The pressure vessel is compromised i.e. the diaphragm inside isn't functioning properly so the water has nowhere to expand to. To check this one you can attach a tyre pressure gauge to the red cylinder thing (his words) at the back of the boiler. The norm is one bar. IIf you press the middle of the red cylinder, like releasing pressure from a tyre, and water comes out it is definitely the diaphragm that needs replacing. If not it is likely there is a problem with the pressure vessel.


I am down in Wellingborough, not expecting to get someone down today but at least for the end of next week.

Anyone out there can help/know a good plumber?

Cheers

Rich

Re: Any Corgi Registered Plumbers round here?
 

I'm not a plumber but is your boiler a Volkera?

Oh, and hi!! You've been away a while.:)

Re: Any Corgi Registered Plumbers round here?
 

Its a Brittany Combi

Yeah, life has kept me busy but always pop in and out the forums :)

Cheers

Rich

Re: Any Corgi Registered Plumbers round here?
 

Hmm. My Volkera required topping up every other day a while back. The indications that this was required was the falling pressure. A plumber we new fixed it on two previous occasions but wrapped his hand in on the third...mainly because Volkera's are a **** to work on. SO we got one of them service contracts with British gas, waited a month or so and then let them know about the defect - which the nice man sorted. When we took out the contract, there was a six or so week gap from then until they did the first visit to establish a datum...hence we were quite lucky and didn't have to fork out extra cash. I just check the pressure monthly now and top it up as required. It's a combi, nothing wrong with that but it is not a very good make. We might go for something more'ozone friendly' when we need to replace it.

Re: Any Corgi Registered Plumbers round here?
 

Is the pressure just going up slightly or is it going up and releasing pressure out the pressure release valve? The pressure will go up slightly on most combis so its nothing to worry about. and if it does go up and discharge out the pressure relief then its most likely your expansion vessel. If its just dropping pressure then its a leak.. If im not clear then give me a few details on what i've suggested! Oh and im a corgi registered heating engineer :smt023.. hth Rich

Re: Any Corgi Registered Plumbers round here?
 

Thank you, its a shame you are in Somerset!

ok, I turned the red cylinder at the back of the boiler as the manufacturer asked me to. Water came out confirming their theory the diaphragm is not working properly. An idea how much this would cost to fix?

Would you happen to know a good and reliable engineer for my area?

Cheers

Rich

Re: Any Corgi Registered Plumbers round here?
 

Expansion vessels can cost as little as £30-£40 but it could cost alot more upto £100 at most (I don't think you'll be paying that don't worry), you would have to get the correct size one for your boiler ofcourse to take the expansion. I expect if someone was going to fit an expansion vessel it would be easier to just tap it into the flow or return rather than take your boiler to bits. They'd just leave the old one in. If you look in the boiler instructions it should tell you what size vessel you need. I've not come across too many brittany boilers yet, i expect if you put in the boiler details on the net it'll come up with a few parts for it and some prices. As for decent reliable engineers in your area i can't help you their.:(

Re: Any Corgi Registered Plumbers round here?
 

My boiler is a Vokera combi and it's just died :sad:
Heating engineer came out this morning and looked at it and said said the heat exchanger is cracked and leaking - it's certainly made a mess of things, lots of corrosion, etc
He reckons we need a new boiler, but I'd be interested if we could get anway with replacing the heat exchanger - I reckon a new boiler won't leave much change out of a grand or two . . .

Re: Any Corgi Registered Plumbers round here?
 

Leave it till it goes bang...

then claim on the house insurance....

and yesabout £2k to change one...sorry

Re: Any Corgi Registered Plumbers round here?
 

Depending on the model of your Vokera the most expensive heat exchanger I've found is £170ish so if you don't want a new boiler just find someone that will fit you just the heat exchanger.

http://www.pricerightheating.com/Sho...Product2Id=361

As already said you won't get much change out of 2k for a new boiler to be fitted. I can see why your engineer recommended a new boiler though, once one thing goes on a vokera the rest is likely to follow. We always fit vaillant boilers as a company and in the 2 years I've been working for them we have fitted hundreds nearer thousands of them, and been back to only a few for breakdowns down to faulty pumps ect, all changed under warranty of course. Anyway good luck with getting it fixed. Rich.