Boiler Dead

[RedOnRed]

My 28 year old Ideal floor standing boiler was completely dead this morning, with no pilot light. I expected it to be the same fault it had last year which required a new gas valve to fix it, but it simply needed a new pump.

Alerted British Gas at 8:30am this morning and they arrived and had it fixed 3 hours later at 11:30am...superb.

I've got a Worcester Bosch Greenstar 28HE system boiler being fitted in 10 days, hopefully that will give me 28 years of pretty reliable service too...yeah, right!

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Don't quite see why a failed pump would cause no pilot light?

That's what you're paying for, surely?

[RedOnRed]

That's what I thought.

You're right it is, but a 3 hour response and fix is quite remarkable in my book. I work in an industry dictated by SLA's and this kind of service response is usually only reserved for the highest business critical down-times. Not moi's abode which was empty when they came to fix it.

Opt away from BG cover and go for the cheaper competition and you might see my point.

[rrh]

Last time I had to call BG their pre-arranged "morning visit" took place around 5pm - and only after numerous chasing from me. I asked the "engineer" (politely) why and he said he was busy. I gave him about three opportunities to say the S word but it obviously didn't enter his head.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

My Potterton Kingfisher is about the same age as your Ideal, and has broken down only once - which was the thermocouple. An easy DIY fix. If I'd had a BG service contract throughout this time it would have cost many times that of the original installation.

I have, however, cleaned it a few times (when it suited me) and also replaced the O rings between the segments of the heat exchanger after a small leak. For pennies.

BG make a fortune out of their 'cover' - and are very likely to say your system - or parts of it - can't be serviced anymore when it suits them. Regardless of the facts.

[Ed Sirett]

I doubt it has a an overheat cutout but if it did this could cause the symptom. The OH is in series with the thermocouple.