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linda24

Hi, we currently have a Glow Worm boiler, we’ve had this 10 years now and the water gets hot but then goes cold. It is apparently the heat exchanger that’s gone. We’ve contacted a few plumbers and they all say that it’s done well to last 10 years and would be better replaced than getting heat exchanger. We’ve had 3 quotes, 2 say a Baxi Platinum, another said Worcester Bosch. My sis has WB, got it a few years ago and is very happy with hers, one plumber says though that WB are plastic inside and Bexi are copper so stronger. Also 10 yrs guarantee with Bexi and 5 with WB. Which would you go for, in a 2 bed bungalow. Many thanks.
eta: we have a newish filter and been told that we shouldn’t need a flush is that right?
 
Baxi all day long, the Worcestor is an over priced pony.
The Baxi is not only cheaper, but easy to repair. That Baxi design has been around over ten years, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
 
Put it this way - I'm a gas engineer, I had to make a choice, I have a Baxi in my own home.
 
I'll offer a customer's perspective.

I've recently bought a Worcester which I chose largely because it was the exact same model my installer has in his own house. I often use this as a buying-criterion. It doesn't guarantee you'll get the best boiler on the market but it makes commissioning and keeping it working correctly a matter of personal pride for the installer. :)

My WB had a seven year warranty (five +1 for an approved installer and +1 for a magnetic filter IIRC). The Worcester Bosch service network has always seemed pretty good to me. After the warranty has expired they currently offer fixed price repairs, which will make fix/replace decisions easier in due course.

I'm pretty sure that installing any modern boiler will require the existing pipework and radiators are flushed. There are several types ranging from the Full Monty (powerflush) that takes about a day and costs accordingly down to the cheap and cheerful quick rinse with a £10 worth of cleaner.

I think you need to choose the installer and model together as a package. There's more to a good heating system than just buying a boiler.
 
I think we’re going for the Baxi and a power flush for peace of mind. Thanks for all the replies.
 
They are good, the back up is excellent. But hugely overpriced imo.
 
Hi, no as that wasn’t mentioned.

We decided to go with the Baxi and when we asked about a flush,(we used to used BGas and they said we could do with a power flush a few yrs a go) the engineer asked about the water in the rads, we told him some rads are new and the water has never looked very dirty when they’ve been taken off just a bit of dirt. . After a bit of looking online etc though, and some sites saying you should always have a powerflush with a new boiler, and being unsure, I said we would rather have a powerflush done for peace of mind. The engineer said it shouldn’t need it, I see it has a boilermag filter on (we had that fitted a few months ago). He said he will check when he fits the boiler though, it should just need a flush about £60-£100 unless it looks really sludged then he will have to hire a powerflush to do that. Does that sound right? or should we stick with a power flush, about £400, we don’t mind paying that if that’s the best thing to do, eg will it affect the warranty if not etc. and would you have the powerflush for peace of mind. I just don’t want it fitting then a few months down line having to have a powerflush. I rang Baxi and asked them but they basically said it’s up to you really.

Thanks.
 
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Get it power flushed and a good quality mag filter fitted and add inhibitor to satisfy baxi on your warranty if they find dirt on a breakdown you could loose out regards kop
 
I believe that at the minute. Some Baxi's from plumb centre come with a Adey filter
 
Sorry to be bit late to the thread, but for anyone else who ends up in this situation - here's a thought;
The fault with the Glowworm was apparently a blocked heat exchanger. How can a gas engineer recommend installing a new boiler without power flushing the system ? This shouldn't be done anyway, but especially when the boiler to be replaced was 'killed' by a blockage ?!?!? Also, manufacturers will not usually attend a boiler on a fixed price repair if the heat exchanger is blocked. They will insist on you having the system power flushed before they attend! Oh well . . . . . . All the best with the new boiler!
 
Power flushes aren't always necessary, unless you work for brittish gas.
 
Thanks, we’re presuming it’s the heat exchanger. My hubby looked up the code fault when the water was going cold and tripping out, on various F’s. It’s been F5, 6, 7 and 14, and getting worse, and when the plumbers who came to do the quotes came out, he said having looked up the code it all points to the heat exchanger? The two plumbers said yes it sound like it and it’s not worth repairing, after 10 years better fitting new boiler. Bit concerned now, I will mention the heat exchanger being blocked when he comes tomorrow and getting it powerflushed. The chap that’s fitting the boiler is Baxi registered and been plumbing 26 year so thought he should know his stuff?
 
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Just make sure he fits a decent quality filter, Magna clean pros are the best in my opinion.
I've never actually come across a totally blocked heat exchanger, only partially blocked. Which means tepid or hot then cold hot water delivery. The heating normally works, just not as well as to should.
It probably is time for a new boiler, but glow worm do a one fixed price repair fee for around £300.
Does the boiler work at all?
 
I'm sure you're in good hands and your plumber will do it right! Colour of the water is not always the 'everything is fine' that you want it to be. If the water is black, then you have a high concentration of dissolved FE O - and a flush is definitely recommended. However, dissolved FE O is not a problem - it's the lumps at the bottom of the rads and pipes that kill boilers. These are not dissolved and if they move through to the boiler - well that's what filters are designed to intercept with their magnets ! It's only when the water is drained out that you see what is in the bottom and waiting to sprint around to your boiler.
Don't want to be pessimistic, but a flush should be allowed for until it can be proven that it really isn't necessary. All the best ! Mik.
 
Hi there,

WB are good boilers especially the cdi but I'd highly recommend the Atag eco boiler with a weather compensation sensor. If you'd upgrade your Radiator valves to thermostatic you will safe up to 17% throughout the year. It is a top range boiler but @townfanjon isnt wrong either viessmann do. great boilers too so it is down to you really.

The question is would you like to safe and willing to pay a little more than I'd say Atag.

But you can see each engineer will tell you something different as everyone has his favourite brand.

You may look into the Atag boiler, you are also able to control your system from smartphones, tablets.

And yes, it would t make a sense to repair a heat exchanger after such old boiler unless you haven't got the money to install a new boiler.
Very often is the case, when you repair a part inside the boiler not long after the repair the next part shows some issues. And later on goes in fault mode. So you will be quite annoyed after spending couple of hundreds pounds because you expect that the engineer will solve the issue, he may did and the but the boiler is old and the next part went faulty. It will look bad for the engineer because you will say he didn't fix the issue or he touched something he shouldn't have. So basically all the blame goes towards the engineer which makes him look useless, or not efficient enough.

I hope it helps you

Kind regards,

Ron
 
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Thanks Leo21. the water gets warm/hot, runs a few mins then trips out. It’s got worse over time. It would reset itself at first and after a while get hot again, it was like overheating., This week to get a bath we’ve had to run the water a few mins turn it off before it got cold, and adding boiled kettle and repeating until there was enough water for a bath. Can’t run it too long or it cuts out.
 
Cheers Ron, we’ve decided on the Baxi as that’s what was recommended. I haven’t heard of the Atag before. What you say is helpful though and I feel a bit better after reading your post.
I will have a chat with the engineer tomorrow about the flush and trust him, the onus on him! If he says the gentle flush is enough and 6 months down the line it needs a powerflush he should sort it for us then?
 
Cheers Ron, we’ve decided on the Baxi as that’s what was recommended. I haven’t heard of the Atag before. What you say is helpful though and I feel a bit better after reading your post.
I will have a chat with the engineer tomorrow about the flush and trust him, the onus on him! If he says the gentle flush is enough and 6 months down the line it needs a powerflush he should sort it for us then?
I wouldn't have one for baxi, I'd always go for top range boilers, but as mentioned earlier each installer will recommend different brands and models. However, once installing a new boiler you'll require a power flush as well as a Magnaclean filter close to the boiler ( return pipe )!
If the engineer is registered with Atag or wb i am sure you can get longer warranties. Atag offers a lifetime warranty on the heat exchanger and will give you 7 year warranty but can be extended to 10 years.

It's worth spending more.
 
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