Boiler Service

[crabbie]

Hi all,
new to the forum and have joined as I need a bit of advice and reassurance. I work for a firm and have done so for a few months. I have been training to complete my gas safe so am not qualified until later next year. Can I just pick some of your brains on servicing. When it comes to servicing a boiler, should I be stripping the appliance down as per manufacturers instructions. The reason I ask is since I have been training I havnt once stripped a boiler. I might be being over cautious, but once I am qualified I want to know what is the right and wrong way to do things. I have always been told that the manufactures instructions are law and should be followed at all times. I am concerned that I am not being trained correctly and a service at the moment takes about 30-40 minutes. If anyone can confirm what i think is right then i would appreciate it before I start doing things on my own from later next year.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

at the moment what do you do in a normal gas check/service?

 

[dave1]

A simple way of awnsering this is, check the mi's if your not doing it to that your not doing a service. Chances are it's more of a safety check you are doing going through 26.9 can't say much more in a public forum I guess.

 

[buckley plumb]

Most modern boilers state in manual if analyser results are OK no full strip down req. Major burner removal 3 Years depending on manufacturer

 

[TFGplumbing]

For example you don't have to strip most WB boilers unless you get a negative flue pressure less than whats stated in the MI

 

[Gary80gas]

If your just starting servicing book yourself on the manufacturers servicing courses, always get the MI and worry less about how long its taking.

 

[Allgoode]

Always follow M.I's & you wont go far wrong,
Andy

 

[crabbie]

Thanks for the responses everyone. At the moment the services we carry out are a visual check, followed by 26:9 checks. We clean out the odd burner if it is on a negative pressure boiler, but sometimes im told to just blow out any debris so it looks like we have taken the burner out. I might just be being a bit anal, but if someone came to service my boiler and charged £70, I would expect to get the service I was paying for. Seems more like safety checks than actual servicing. I will be attending some Manufacturer's courses next year so that will most certainly be helpful.

 

[spanner]

Yes Always adhere to the MI and the 26:9 checks, Before and After you Carry out any task of "work" on Gas Appliance/s

 

[buckley plumb]

Thanks for the responses everyone. At the moment the services we carry out are a visual check, followed by 26:9 checks. We clean out the odd burner if it is on a negative pressure boiler, but sometimes im told to just blow out any debris so it looks like we have taken the burner out. I might just be being a bit anal, but if someone came to service my boiler and charged £70, I would expect to get the service I was paying for. Seems more like safety checks than actual servicing. I will be attending some Manufacturer's courses next year so that will most certainly be helpful.

Some of the burner door seals are over £20. I do feel as if I have done a service on the older boilers as the burner comes out

 

[spanner]

Never done one before. Have bled all the air out for system pump feels like it's working. Took the bleed screw out with pump running and nothing. Checked the pump for live it's live. .. should have put a screwdriver In the centrifugal part to check that it was actually turning.

 

[Millsy 82]

The problem is the larger companies started doing safety checks and now it seems that this is what is called a service, if you say to a customer that you have to strip the boiler and then replace the seals and charge extra for it then most of the time they say they didn't do it last time and they don't want it done.

Also a lot comes down to time as well, if you work for a company that piles on 8-10 services a day then you do not have time to strip the boilers down on every service so if it passes all the checks then that is it.

I'm not saying it is right but it seems to be the way that it is heading and even a lot of manufacturers state as long as they pass the checks you don't have to strip the boiler.

Using the worcester as an example if I go out to a new customer and they have a 4 yr plus old boiler I recommend a full strip down and replace the gasket for an additional charge of gasket if they say no and it passes everything then I note down on the service sheet that I recommended a new seals to be fitted but they refused. Obviously if it failed then I would say I need to strip down and it will cost x amount extra if they still refuse follow unsafe procedures and AR or ID boiler.

 

[spanner]

Sounds genuine. But the average is three years to replace bust door seals. Don't know whether it means over 3 years period of time or 3 years of usage. But I'd be careful, it is a bit of a tricky one. Especially if you get a good reading, it all looks good under casing and the there's been no problems in the past.
Does the MI state that, to change boiler combustion door seals after 3 years..