What's the worst boiler job?

[Jock Spanners]

Evening all,

I didn't get in until 7 o'clock this evening thanks to yet another Worcester hydroblock removal job. I was asking myself what I'd done to deserve two in one week. Why you have to virually dismantle a whole boiler just to change a PRV is beyond me. It set me thinking about what boiler repair is worse. I can't think of one.

Jock

 

[Scott_D]

This is why I have no interest in boiler repairs.
Directed one to Alpha for a fixed price repair yesterday as it looked a nightmare

 

[king of pipes]

Had a nightmare with a Baxi neta Tec with a leaking Hydroblock this week £200 on parts 3 visits worst thing was you couldn't see where it was coming from got there in the end but a right pinta they have got to be one of the poorest boilers , lesson learned if I get another one the whole lot get changed , Worcester's I agree can be trouble sometimes better to remove the whole boiler from the wall sometimes . Cheers kop

 

[quality]

Had a nightmare with a Baxi neta Tec with a leaking Hydroblock this week £200 on parts 3 visits worst thing was you couldn't see where it was coming from got there in the end but a right pinta they have got to be one of the poorest boilers , lesson learned if I get another one the whole lot get changed , Worcester's I agree can be trouble sometimes better to remove the whole boiler from the wall sometimes . Cheers kop

Baxi neta Tec combis can be a nightmare I have found

 

[hammers4spanner]

Return manifold on worcester always a pain

 

[Stanios]

Easiest repair can turn into a nightmare with a wrong customer. Had a simple aav replacement on an Ideal then chased up for payment twice before customer confronted me with a photo of leaking external filling link (that wasnt leaking when I did the work). Refused to pay until I sorted that for free.

Isolation valves leak half the time and going through whole explanation to the customer is also annoying.

Any work on old boiler really whatever you touch may break or spring a leak. Had a glow worm where pcb died when we turned the power off via spur.. Sometimes just draining old boiler is enough to disturb a diaphragm or loosen some rust to break the whole thing. Only thing makes it worthwhile is smug feeling when you see a quick repair and have the part in the van to boot.

Most customers also tell a story of a previous plumber who couldn't fix anything (but charged per hour plus call-out) or that they were told boiler needed replacement and couldn't be repaired. Then you get stuck in and realise the other two blokes despite being useless at repairs are laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[Jock Spanners]

I agree Stanios. Before I even take the cover off an old boiler I tell the customer what else might happen. I explain that boilers have the same lifespan as a car. (There's not many people driving 15 year old cars but I have about six with 15 year old Baxi 105s). Whenever someone new rings up for a boiler 'service' I ask them when it was last serviced and if it's working okay. Frequently they tell me something like: 'It hasn't been serviced for a while (meaning never) and the hot water isn't very warm. I then say to them: 'So you want the boiler repairing?' I frequently lecture new customers with boilers that have never been serviced. I say: If this boiler goes wrong it can poison you, it can electricute you, it can flood your house or blow the house to pieces. Why wouldn't you service it?' They never argue with me!