British Gas Power Flush-advice urgently needed please

[littlewren]

Hello,

 

Please excuse this long post and sorry for posting it on the other thread too, I thought more people might read it if I posted separately.

 

I had British Gas out on the 1st October this year to do their annual boiler/maintenance check. The system is nearly 26 years old and I was worried in case the boiler failed the tests. The engineer did his checks, including a room test (apparently a new thing they do) turned on the central heating and left saying that everything was fine. He left me the checklist which has everything ticked ok and a comment that said: ASV. ROOM TEST. ALL OK.

 

Then, 2 days ago (29 days after the maintenance check) I received a phone call from a woman at British Gas who told me the engineer had made a note that I needed a power flush to my system and that it would cost between £500-700 but that I could have a Corgi registered person to do it for slightly cheaper. I listened to her and told her I couldn't afford anything like that at the moment. She told me that if I didn't have one before my annual maintenance agreement was up for renewal, then although British Gas would come out to me if I had a problem with the central heating, I would have to foot the bill and my direct debit payments would be reduced to take this into account. I asked when my renewal was and she told me the 24th November!

 

I stumbled and stuttered my way through the rest of the conversation, asking her: 'so if my central heating broke down on, say, the 25th November, you would fix it but send me the bill.' She said yes.

 

I told her again that I knew nothing about this and that the engineer hadn't mentioned anything at all to me about a power flush, but she just repeated that I won't be covered in future.

 

I then phoned British Gas, got a very rude man who sullenly told me he wasn't an engineer and couldn't help me and with a yawn asked me did I want to make a complaint? I told him no, I just wanted to know why I wasn't told about this at the time. He said he'd get someone to call me that afternoon, no call came.

 

I phoned again half an hour later, hoping to get someone more helpful, which I did and he told me he would get someone to look into it for me and phone me back as soon as possible.

 

Yesterday, no call had come so I phoned again around 3pm, this time a woman answered and when I told her I was still waiting for a call back, she told me someone had tried to ring me at 1.50pm. I told her no-one had tried to ring me, I had been in all day and hadn't used my phone at all. She told me she would get the woman 'who tried' to ring me urgently. Still no call.

 

So here I am, 2 days later, worried sick and wondering where on earth I can find anything up to £500-£700. Even half of that I can't afford at the moment.

 

I can't find anything in the small print that mentions anything like this - but I bet I've missed it.

 

Can someone please advise as to what they would do in my circumstance?

I just don't have the money to pay for a power flush at the moment.

 

Many thanks in advance,

 

Carrie

[picassojess]

I had BG round last month to replace some bits and was told I need a power flush - quoted £810!

Engineer said the silting was really bad.

BG threatened that they might not keep replacing parts under my service contract if I didn't get it done.

I have had a service contract with BG for 15 years - why suddenly is there a major problem? He said that when I had my boiler replaced (10 years ago) the installer (not BG) should have put some chemicals into the system - and this wasn't done, apparently.

I have not got - nor am ever likely to have - this much money!

What am I to do?

BG engineer warned me not to get anyone in privately as they would mess up the house!

[ScarletPimpernel]

You are not alone; have a look at this thread...

[buzby]

BG are famous for this. I dumperd them in 1992 for trying this on after my 'free annual service' and after 7 years of cover with only three call outs, each time they only agreed to fix the problem at at the time (air lock) NOT resolve the issue - fitting a £50 purgomatic valve. Then the 'power flush' was offered at £250, but an independent firm wanted £110.

 

Clearly in hard water areas this may be a requirement but my engineer advised a standard flush - at £20 would achieve the same effect.

 

Needless to say, BG do not cover my system anymore.

[EYEBALLS01]

BG seem to have turned into those unsavory `sign now and get a reduction`jockeys I thought we`d seen the last of.

 

They told me 5 years ago that I needed a power flush although the system was running perfectly. At that time it was going to be about £500 which I didn`t have so I left it.They also said that my fuse box whist perfectly safe ,was not up tp spec! Another £500 so no again. My friend who is a registered electrician and safety tester had a look at it and was astonished and said there was nothing wrong with it

 

Two months ago we decided to have a new kitchen fitted and to replace our old,still working perfectly,boiler for a new smaller one to go in a kitchen cabinet.

 

I got a quote through the kitchen company,from a local firm who quoted £3900 for an `A` rated boiler,7 rads,1 heated towel rail and thermostatic valves.

I had a young BG salesman around for a quote and it was £4400 for just the boiler. When I laughed and told him about the other quote he started warning me that it may not be a good job!

Somehow he then came down to £2800 for the boiler with a £100 discount if I signed there and then!

I told him that my first problem was the price,the second the drop in price when I didn`t fall at his feet and the third which I must admit I did lecture ona bit on was his sign today discount before he fled!

Try and get it in writing from BG that they will not cover your boiler if not powerflushed. There are other service contracts with other firms that you can use. Good luck

I`m a 53 year old who is not afraid to argue my point but I am sure that there are some (including my 78 year old mum) who still see BG and their ilk as the only options.

[CAZZA1]

Hi, new to this so i'm not replying but posting for urgent advice!!

First of all, on Sunday evening (5 days ago) when i switched on my heating, it tripped the switch and none of my plug sockets worked....engineer (who looked about 12!) cane the next day....replaced the pump in the boiler.....now this is where i'm a bit confused....He attached a hose to a downstairs radiator and placed the end of it in the garden...was this a power flush???......it only said that pump was replaced on the checklist he left me with.....he swtiched on heating and all radiators worked but i noticed the bathroom radiator went warm then cold approx 30 mins after he left....called them out again, he fiddled with the boiler again, changed the TRV on the radiator and it became hot again....but yet again, 30 mins after he left, it went cold.....called them out AGAIN (3rd time lucky?)....this engineer brought an older man with him who then asked if i had mice as they could chew thru wire making fuse box trip when i switched it on....i moved into the property 5 years ago and there was one mouse!...but since getting a cat...there hasnt been any since so i advised him that that wasnt the prob...to cut a realllllyyyy long story short (if i can!)...he fiddled with the boiler, heating came on including the cold bathroom radiator, and he advised me that i need a new timer....(strange that since he left, it hasnt tripped once?? hmmmm)...BUT however, the same problem occured with bathroom radiator....hot, to warm, to cold in approx 30 mins, and staying cold....totally baffled!.....spoke to customer services who asked if engineer had recommended power flush..i said no....but now after reading some posts, i'm a bit wary to haveit done!....i have the homecare 200 agreement and he advised me that i would not have to pay for a powerflush....i hope this is correct!....waiting for yet another engineer this morning now...this will make FOUR visits in one week, in LIVID to say the least! so i dont envy him when he eventually arrives!!!.....any clues to what the problem could be???....bathroom radiator was bled too but still no joy???

[buzby]

The hose outside the door scenario wasn't a power flush, but a 'draining' of the system to allow the punp replacement, nothing more.

[brian_the_gas]

Cazza. You probably have an air lock in the system, the result of the drain down is the likely cause. Why he had to drain the system is the mystery, there should be a valve each side of the pump to isolate it from the system (for pump removal purposes). Having said that, the valves may well have been faulty (not turning off fully) dont worry about this though. A good honest plumber will sort the air lock out for you, with minimum fuss.

Littlewren. If your rads are getting nice and warm (no difference in the time it akes to get your house nice and cosy) and there is no knocking and banging when your heating is on, tell em to bugger off and find your self another company to look after you. Sit back and relax.

Merry Christmas

Brian.

Edited December 18, 2009 by brian_the_gas

[buzby]

Mystery? Are the pumps you get ready primed? NOT draining down is sloppy in the extreme and can store up problems for later - the air mifgt be trapped at the first rad, but might not. Doing it this way with a full bleed is IMHO a professional solution.

[brian_the_gas]

You dont have to drain down to prime a pump. Why do you think there is a valve each side of the pump, it is for this exact reason - to allow pum exchange WITH OUT having to drain down. I am a plumber, and the answers I gave are from 30 yrs experience. There is nothing wrong with a full drain down, its just another way to justify extortion IMHO!

[buzby]

Why is there a valve? There isn't on the 4 systems I've owned - but are you telling me that even IF you isolate the pump, its installation does not induce AIR into the circuit?

 

Of course it will, as I said earlier, it is not ideal to add air to a circulatory system. I'd certainly question any tradesman that didn't drain and prime my system after a pump exchange or rad replacement.

[brian_the_gas]

This is my last reply.

The pump has a bleed nipple, which is for BLEEDING the air out of the pump, and a large screw at the impellor for PRIMING. And for your information it is essential to put isolation valves before and after the pump.This enables changing of the pump without the need to drain down thus preventing problems in the system like AIR LOCKS and the need to replace an INHIBITOR in the system which prevents corosion.Incidently cazza1, check that he did indeed replace the inhibitor (chemical to neutralise the fresh water) because if he didn't your system is open to corosion. Buzby, you have helped me on a few occasions when I have needed it, but this time I'm afraid your out of your depth. I object to you'r "sloppy" remark, and as far as I can see your knowlege of plumbing is as extensive as my knowlege of brain surgery.

I shall leave it at that, other wise it will get out of hand and after all it is the season of good will. Little wren, picassojess I hope you find a decent plumber, there are some about .

Kind regards

Brian.

Edited December 18, 2009 by brian_the_gas

[brian_the_gas]

For who ever is interested

changing a central heating pump

[buzby]

It goes without saying, that a bleed nipple is pointless if there is no isolation either side of the pump. Your right, I'm not a plumber, but I'd be impressed if you can conjure isolation valves out of thin air where they do not exist, but hey - I've never suffered a cellar full of water after removing the pump with no means of holding the decending water - but you'll probably tell me you'd freeze the pipes so it wouldn't be a problem.

 

So, peace & love regardless.

[brian_the_gas]

Sigh..... as I said in my first post, there SHOULD be a valve either side of the pump, if it was installed correctly in the first place. Now if there aren't valves then thats what i call SLOPPY! Stick to what you know buzby, and leave the rest to the profesionals. It's people like you that give us honest trades men a bad name.

The End

[buzby]

Give me a break Brian - your use of the language is pretty hit and miss. 'There should be...' can be taken as an almost certainty your hoped-for isolation vavle is in place. You've not established yet there was any at the OP's address, and would you not think it reasonalbe if there WAS, this would have saved a system-wide draining?

 

I've yet to come across a plumber to would do needless additional work for the sake of it (charging for it, is of course a different matter). As for it being 'installed correctly' - regulations change, as do requirements. There are obviously incremental changes to specifications over the years, which would ultimately result in existing installations being deemed 'not to code', something you don't appear to take into account. 'Sloppy'? Nope.

 

As for leaving it to the professionals - have you read these threads? Many of the problems here have been CAUSED by professionals - keep on insulting and showing your lack of maturity if you must, but don't for one minute think that because someone claims to be professional, they can do a better job than someone who isn't.

[brian_the_gas]

Again, if you read my first post I said if there were valves they may have been faulty. Hence as they could not be turned off, then a drain down would be necessary. The whole point of this forum is to help people who in one way or another have a problem to resolve. I have found my self in this position a few times and had sound advice from members on here that have cleared my vision. In an effort to give something back I responded to an sos call that fell into my area of work (that I know a good deal about). I offered some honest advice gained from years of experience, then get all this grieff from some one who thinks he knows it all and you think I am insulting you! Your rantings sugest you have some serious issues of your own that need to be resolved.

You are not qualified enough (at all) to continue this debate. Just need to read up a bit on the subject (theres plenty of plumbig forums where you will find help) as you have not a clue. This isnt an insult, just point of fact. If I dont respond to your next little rant, please excuse me as I cant be arsed.

Brian.

[EYEBALLS01]

Come on lads it`s Christmas!