Boiler won t high fire, new boiler time?
Boiler won t high fire, new boiler time?
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8-P

Original Poster:

3,100 posts

280 months

Saturday 22nd November
quotequote all
Hi All

I have a 14 year old Glow worm system boiler, serviced every year. Never had any problems, working nicely as I sit here, same company have serviced it for the 10 years we’ve been here, they did all our radiators and unvented cylinder too.

They came yesterday and the engineer suggested it could be expensive to fix and it could be time for a new boiler rather than ploughing a load of money into an older boiler.

Notes below - any thoughts welcome, I don’t understand high fire, the rest I get, ish. Time to bite the bullet ?

On investigation found boiler not entering high fire.
Found signs of combustion chamber leaking.
Found flue seals perished and require replacement.
Unable to complete boiler service.
Recommend replacement boiler.


Dave.

7,772 posts

273 months

Saturday 22nd November
quotequote all
Did he not condemn it?

rix

2,891 posts

210 months

Saturday 22nd November
quotequote all
No expertise at all but that sounds like quite a dramatic prognosis - assuming the leaking is down to those perished seals and they are replaceable? Think I would be seeking a second opinion?

GasEngineer

1,907 posts

82 months

Saturday 22nd November
quotequote all
What model glow worm is it OP?

Flue seals easily replaceable.

When he said combustion chamber leaking did that mean leak of products of combustion or does he mean the heat exchanger is leaking water?

It will have a modulating burner which can adjust the burner between low and high firing. You can check it yourself by listening to it when it switches on from a cold start. Once up to temp the burner should quieten down.

Have you noticed any issues with your heating or hot water not being hot enough?


8-P

Original Poster:

3,100 posts

280 months

Saturday 22nd November
quotequote all
Dave. said:
Did he not condemn it?
Apparently one of the seals is ok so does not need condemning.

8-P

Original Poster:

3,100 posts

280 months

Saturday 22nd November
quotequote all
GasEngineer said:
What model glow worm is it OP?

Flue seals easily replaceable.

When he said combustion chamber leaking did that mean leak of products of combustion or does he mean the heat exchanger is leaking water?

It will have a modulating burner which can adjust the burner between low and high firing. You can check it yourself by listening to it when it switches on from a cold start. Once up to temp the burner should quieten down.

Have you noticed any issues with your heating or hot water not being hot enough?
Not noticed any issues at all. It does quieten down, seems to function just fine.

It’s a Flexicom 30hx

GasEngineer

1,907 posts

82 months

Saturday 22nd November
quotequote all
8-P said:
Not noticed any issues at all. It does quieten down, seems to function just fine.

It s a Flexicom 30hx
Another check for high fire below. Best done when system is cold. Switch on heating and/or hot water and turn stat up first. Don't let it run too long before exiting the function.

Press the “reset” button on the controls fascia, release and
immediately press and hold in the “+” button. After
approximately 5 seconds “Hi” will be displayed. Pressing
the mode button when “Hi” is selected will force the boiler
to maximum rate, the display will flash between “Hi” and the
“default display” this will indicate the boiler has been forced to
maximum.

Exit the forced rate function, press the “mode” and “+”
buttons simultaneously, this will reset the boiler to the default
display.