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

 

[Howsie]

IT 1st & 2nd line support pays better than you're average plumber and you don't have to deal with the crap we do.

See what I did there?

 

[monoecho]

IT 1st & 2nd line support pays better than you're average plumber and you don't have to deal with the crap we do.

See what I did there?

Yep I think I understand. But then I run my own business so i'm 1st, 2nd and 3rd line - and I do have to deal with crap - just a different sort. (E.g. Customer "I've really no idea why it won't switch on"...I open up the case and there's wine all over the fried motherboard!)

 

[monoecho]

Many Thanks for all the advice - if anyone needs some free advice from me (anything IT / computing related) pm me with the details and I'll try and help.

 

[monoecho]

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

What even from Northampton? Seems a long way to travel - I'm in High Wycombe.

 

[Rickster123]

Yep I think I understand. But then I run my own business so i'm 1st, 2nd and 3rd line - and I do have to deal with crap - just a different sort. (E.g. Customer "I've really no idea why it won't switch on"...I open up the case and there's wine all over the fried motherboard!)

did you fix mine?!

i think it's time to replace personally. I wouldn't spend money on a boiler of that age in that condition. Get 3 quotes in tho because that price is excessive unless you have asked to convert to a combi?

 

[SafeGasInstall]

What even from Northampton? Seems a long way to travel - I'm in High Wycombe.

I have just moved up here , from Ruislip West London ! I still work in London and High Wycombe is 1h drive so not far at all for me ! You will be looked after

 

[GArlington]

Ask your gsr to try cleaning the hex properly.

Once it is clean try to run it again. If it works let it be until it dies completely - it is not worth spending ANY money on.
Get local GSR plumbers, NOT big companies, to give you quotes. You should be looking for hourly rate of around £50 and the total cost of installing new boiler of about £300 + cost of the boiler itself (around £700-1000).

 

[franky]

Who on earth installs a new boiler for £300? Its £900 for a install with a powerflush
were there any complications that pushed up the price like long flue runs or a gas pipe upgrade?

 

[TBServices]

Ask your gsr to try cleaning the hex properly.

Once it is clean try to run it again. If it works let it be until it dies completely - it is not worth spending ANY money on.
Get local GSR plumbers, NOT big companies, to give you quotes. You should be looking for hourly rate of around £50 and the total cost of installing new boiler of about £300 + cost of the boiler itself (around £700-1000).

LOL okay mate. We really shouldn't be discussing pricing on here, whether it be to say someone is too expensive, or otherwise.

 

[Whyme]

£100 per hour (or even close) you southerners should be ashamed.....im moving down south and send my money back..

 

[anz]

Ask your gsr to try cleaning the hex properly.

Once it is clean try to run it again. If it works let it be until it dies completely - it is not worth spending ANY money on.
Get local GSR plumbers, NOT big companies, to give you quotes. You should be looking for hourly rate of around £50 and the total cost of installing new boiler of about £300 + cost of the boiler itself (around £700-1000).

Are you for real?

How can you possibly say that a boiler swap is £300, when you have no idea of what the requirements are.

Why would you recommend this guy to start stripping and cleaning his own boiler, there are many complications that could occur, not just leaks.

If he wants it back up and running he'll be better off paying a Gas Engineer, to service and repair it.

There'll be someone in the area who does a decent job at a decent price.

 

[Whyme]

Are you for real?

How can you possibly say that a boiler swap is £300, when you have no idea of what the requirements are.

Why would you recommend this guy to start stripping and cleaning his own boiler, there are many complications that could occur, not just leaks.

If he wants it back up and running he'll be better off paying a Gas Engineer, to service and repair it.

There'll be someone in the area who does a decent job at a decent price.

£300 labour he meant i think and it is cheap but hayho if he can do it for that then fair play i say.. like you say though looks like it just needs a good cleanout and tlc..

 

[anz]

£300 labour he meant i think and it is cheap but hayho if he can do it for that then fair play i say.. like you say though looks like it just needs a good cleanout and tlc..

I know he meant £300 labour.

What I'm saying is, how can he say that when he hasn't even seen the job?

It is cheap, people who read that are going to be thinking they're getting ripped out when quoted a higher price.

 

[monoecho]

If I could get anywhere near £300 labour and £700 - £1000 for the boiler, I would probably buy immediately. But frankly, as yet, my first quote was £2700 and I haven't found anyone willing to work for less than £100 per hour. Buckinghamshire is dam expensive it seems to me - as I have found similar jobs in Staffordshire for around £1200.

There is no way I'm going to do the job myself - however simple - it's just not worth the risk.

I would never tell my customers to service the inside of their own computer - while much less of a risk than messing with a gas appliance - you can still get a 20A +300v wake up call

 

[Destroyer2813]

Ask your gsr to try cleaning the hex properly.
.
Once it is clean try to run it again. If it works let it be until it dies completely - it is not worth spending ANY money on.
Get local GSR plumbers, NOT big companies, to give you quotes. You should be looking for hourly rate of around £50 and the total cost of installing new boiler of about £300 + cost of the boiler itself (around £700-1000).

We don't advise people do DIY gas work on this forum it KILLS, and I think you should consider the ramifications of your post

 

[Dotty]

I'm actually more concerned about the suggestion that the op cleans the heat exchanger himself, which he has correctly said he wouldn't attempt.

The UKPF position on DIY and boiler repairs is that they do not mix. Unless you can be proved competent - through training and the registration with the Gassafe Register - you are breaking the law as laid down the Gas (Installation and Users) Safety Regulations. Plus there is the very real danger you could kill yourself and your family.

Stay safe. Call in a gsr.

And thank you Monoecho for following my advice.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

I visited job just 1h ago and will be sending a quote for boiler change later on today or tomorrow !

 

[Howsie]

Knackered then?

 

[SafeGasInstall]

me , no ! We went brent cross from there for some Japanese sushi and shopping and now home getting everything ready for tomorrows install in SW6
i drive a Transporter with cruse control not a Landy lol

 

[SafeGasInstall]

if anyone likes sushi pls google EAT TOKYO

 

[Dotty]

Love sushi. Used to disgust me mates when we went fishing out of brighton and I'd have fresh mackerel sashimi. Mouth's watering now.

 

[Howsie]

And surprisingly filling!