I know that there GasSafe registration is to prove competence to work on Gas appliances. However does not mean they are any good - just safe.
Just thought worth re-telling of last week's boiler failure.
My boiler - Baxi Barcelona Heat Only, would start run for 15-20 mins or so then lock-out, it would then not reset for at least 15mins .. then would short run again.
It is under contract, and a local GasSafe engineer arrived next day.
He emptied the condensate trap, nothing else found on the boiler, left him to it for a while the returned and found him turning the static pressure up (way too high) on the heating loop side of my thermal store ... absolutely nothing to do with the boiler side issue. Pressure in the primary loop was fine and displayed as such. There are clear labels on the 4" gauges stating what pressure should be ... he then advised no problem, I'll dump excess pressure .. and operated the pressure release valve on hot water loop (mains pressure) .. I let him run for a while, and after about 4th jug full drain off, and him advising it's taking a while to drop, I explained he can't actually drain the incoming mains ..... and released the pressure in the heating loop myself using the correct valve.
He then advised its a PCB fault on the boiler, he will report it back to the contract company. I tried to reason that as it fails when it gets warm ( every time) could it be something other than the control board, he disagreed.
The next day contract company called me and as the engineer had advised it was a complex circuit board .fault and they had passed it to Baxi direct. Sounds like he bottled it ... did not have a clue on the boiler fault, or his abilities to resolve.
Took a while to get Baxi guy ... but when he arrived, was impressed -
He agreed with my reasoning that lock-out most likely due to overheating, he opened up and pointed out discolouration of the bottom left of the burner door, Proceeded to remove the door and found the bottom left screw was loose, and once the door was off. the seal in that area crumbled away like dust. Inside the ceramic burner had come apart ...... this combination was leaking heat into the casing, and causing the overheat .... electrode wiring also looked damaged by heat.
He fitted new burner, new door with seal & electrodes (had all the parts in his van) .... full emissions test, all 100%
The purpose of this post is to let others know how professional & skilled the Baxi direct guy was. The other guy while being GasSafe registered .... gave no confidence whatsoever.
(Now I have to find a new boiler, before the next failure - separate thread)