Service on a Vaillant Ecotec Plus 824

[Raji]

Hi

I have a Vaillant Ecotec Plus 824 which is due for is first service soon. The original installer has relocated so I have been looking for an alternative. Can someone in the know summarise what make up the service in this boiler. I had one say that gaskets/seals needed to be changed at the service and quoting a very high price. Appreciate anyones comments please.

Cheers
Raji

 

[Masood]

If you put your location one of our members local to you would be happy to give you a fair price. For your own safety we can't answer questions about gas appliances without seeing the condition.

 

[ambrosia]

if your engineer is telling you the gasket needs to be changed check how old the boiler is, gaskets have to be changed every 5 years or each time theyre taken apart

i'd get 2 quotes and go with the one youre happiest with

 

[Raji]

Thanks all

The boiler is less than one year old. No one has taken it apart I have only got price for he service. All I really wanted to know is what does a competent engineer do when servicing these boilers, so when i get more quotes and they say we do this and that I know its legit.

Cheers
Raji

 

[Scott_D]

It needs to be serviced to the manufacturers instructions to maintain the warranty. What needs to be done will depend on age, usage and the readings collected by the flue gas analysing equipment used. If you are not happy with your quote you could get another or post on here and someone may be local. If you are still not happy/don't trust the quotes you can get it serviced by the manufacturer but it will probably cost you more.

 

[Ermintrude]

Doubtful interesting !

 

[justalex81]

It's doubtful you will need gaskets for a boiler that's only 1 year old. Manufacturer states that an FGA analysis should be performed to determine if the burner needs to be removed for inspection. All other checks will need to be performed though. service on that boiler should be around £70.00+vat.

 

[Killy Bing]

It's doubtful you will need gaskets for a boiler that's only 1 year old. Manufacturer states that an FGA analysis should be performed to determine if the burner needs to be removed for inspection. All other checks will need to be performed though. service on that boiler should be around £70.00+vat.

Burner seals must be replaced on these each time the burner is removed as per MI's

 

[justalex81]

Burner seals must be replaced on these each time the burner is removed as per MI's

On the older model you were required to inspect the heat exchanger yearly and a new burner seal was required. on the new model you only need to open the burner up if it's using more/less gas than it should or the FGA readings are out:

Measure the gas rate during operation (see table 5.1 inside the chapter commissioning part I).
If the gas rate is lower than the minimum gas rate follow the maintenance instructions (column 2).

Check combustion by measuring CO and CO values, compare to table 9.2. If the measurement
is outside the tolerances follow the maintenance instructions (column 2). If a flue gas analyser
is not available check the ignition and burner flame picture through the sight glass, if incom-
plete combustion is evident perform the maintanance instructions (column 2).

http://www.vaillant.co.uk/mediaarchive/2013/10/ecoTEC-installation-servicing-2009.pdf

see page 37 of MI's

 

[Killy Bing]

On the older model you were required to inspect the heat exchanger yearly and a new burner seal was required. on the new model you only need to open the burner up if it's using more/less gas than it should or the FGA readings are out:

Measure the gas rate during operation (see table 5.1 inside the chapter commissioning part I).
If the gas rate is lower than the minimum gas rate follow the maintenance instructions (column 2).

Check combustion by measuring CO and CO values, compare to table 9.2. If the measurement
is outside the tolerances follow the maintenance instructions (column 2). If a flue gas analyser
is not available check the ignition and burner flame picture through the sight glass, if incom-
plete combustion is evident perform the maintanance instructions (column 2).

http://www.vaillant.co.uk/mediaarchive/2013/10/ecoTEC-installation-servicing-2009.pdf

see page 37 of MI's

So which part of my statement was incorrect?

The guy is quoting to actually service it, not bung in the analyser and off he goes after 20 minutes.

he has to gas rate it, visually check it and fga it, and if any of these are out he then HAS to do the maintanace service.
Well, good job he will have the seals ready ehh?

and even if it is within tollerences, is it not better to give it a proper service?

my bet is he has qutoed to do the maintanance service regardless.

 

[lame plumber]

So which part of my statement was incorrect?

The guy is quoting to actually service it, not bung in the analyser and off he goes after 20 minutes.

he has to gas rate it, visually check it and fga it, and if any of these are out he then HAS to do the maintanace service.
Well, good job he will have the seals ready ehh?

and even if it is within tollerences, is it not better to give it a proper service?

my bet is he has qutoed to do the maintanance service regardless.

hop off the old high horse, as stated you will only need to replace a seal if any of the criterea are out and cant be reset using fga readings. Chances of that happening are nil on a correctly commissioned one year old boiler. So £75 for carrying out these checks/adjustments and all are happy till next year.

 

[Nostrum]

Bunging a FGA in and hopping off after 20 minutes equates to a service if all parameters are met. Why pull the thing apart and charge for a £20 door seal un-necessarily?

Ive seen them 10+ years old with the silicone seals in pieces but still barely anything worth taking the burner out for (with the exception of the knackered seal itself!)

just because you can doesn't always mean you should.

 

[Killy Bing]

Hardly on a high horse, but if the guys quoting to do the maintenance service then fair play to him!!

 

[lame plumber]

as mentioned, why break open something thats working fine? do as MIs state, charge and onto the next, that way you'll make a profit and be able to do a repeat service next year and your customer won't be charged for unneccessary work.

 

[mutley racers]

I thought the hole point in the ratio's was because british gas did a study and when servicing boilers yearly that were within the ratios they found these boilers were breaking down more often than the ones that were just analyzed and not stripped. So if it is not really necessary, then just do as MI's say

 

[rbno22]

how about let by and tightness? taking the cover off and checking for leaks? gas rate? working pressure? inlet pressure? fga service ...or look through the letterbox service should be outlawed

 

[rbno22]

I thought the hole point in the ratio's was because british gas did a study and when servicing boilers yearly that were within the ratios they found these boilers were breaking down more often than the ones that were just analyzed and not stripped. So if it is not really necessary, then just do as MI's say

never seen MI's that says fga it then off

 

[TBServices]

never seen MI's that says fga it then off

Never serviced a worcester?

Anyway, too much info for an open forum?

 

[rbno22]

even a worcester mi,s say take the cover off to check for leaks lol

 

[justalex81]

No one said that safety checks wouldn't be carried out. Calm down people!

 

[rbno22]

anyway why wouldnt a massive company that still thinks it owns the world ....dont forget centrica also run the gsr....say just fga it lads and be gone .. money money makes the world go round

 

[rbno22]

at the end of the day you have to do what you have to do ..... just dont do it to me lol

 

[ambrosia]

Originally Posted by mutley racers
I thought the hole point in the ratio's was because british gas did a study and when servicing boilers yearly that were within the ratios they found these boilers were breaking down more often than the ones that were just analyzed and not stripped. So if it is not really necessary, then just do as MI's say
never seen MI's that says fga it then off

he's right, but should we really be saying serviced boilers are more likely to breakdown in an open forum, its kind of an industry secret, either that or BG engineer are particularly clumsy and likely to break your boiler

 

[Ermintrude]

Now what would they gain from that

 

[ambrosia]

Now what would they gain from that

I would be extremely doubtful if someone told me that BG engineers deliberately break boilers

Pimlico plumbers engineers...
actually i wont finish that sentence on an open forum