Is this chap an honest injun?

[haggler]

My hot water has been taking a while to come through and sometimes going cold then hot.
Boiler is a Potterton Performa 28. System was powerflushed a few years back and inhibitor added.
A limescale filter is fitted on inlet pipe.
As I have a BG Homecare plan I got them out yesterday to investigate.
The engineer that attended did the following. Turned boiler to hot water only then ran tap water got warm after about 30 seconds or so. Then he told me that the boiler was sludged up and i need a magnaclean filter installing or He could not do any work to sort problem under my coverplan. He said that boilers are not installed without them and company clearly states in contract that damage caused by sludge or scale not covered unless we install recommended engineer items.
He did not attach anything tonthe boiler at any time and never had any covers off. I asked if there could be a temperature sensor faulty or suchlike and he asked if I was a time served gas safe engineer? Obviously I am not but I could not grasp how he arrived at conclusion without actually doing anything to the boiler?
He told me that I had three choices. Choice one was to have the filter fitted then he could sort my problem and boiler would be properly covered. Choice two was he could repair today but it would happen again and I would not be covered. Choice 3 was to go elsewhere and cancel cover. Feeling pressured i have gone ahead and scheduled the fitting of the magnaclean next thursday but no money is taken till job done.
your thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated. I am thinking of cancelling but have not a clue when it comes to such things.

 

[Millsy 82]

Get some one else in. You can't just tell like that. Even if you get someone in to diagnose and see if the "engineer" was correct.

A lot of companies use sludge as a get out clause and I'm surprised he never tried to sell you a powerflush

 

[bigads28]

That bloke sounds like a mouth piece!!!

So first off was your powerflush done by BG? If it was it carries a lifetime warranty and you shouldn't be sludged up again. They should be back doing it again.

Option 2 HAS to be done to find the cause of the fault and to check that sludge is the issue. If it is refer back to the flush if done by BG.

My option is complain. BG are an insurance company any because of that they are under extreme pressure from the FSA to ensure customer satisfaction. Don't be shy, phone in and say you've felt pressured into buy this filter to get your boiler fixed. The eng didn't check anything else so must have used xray vision to diagnose. You want a different eng to FIX it before you consider the filter, oh and to speak to his manager. Drop going to the FSA in there to make them jump a bit more.

Don't worry about getting the bloke in trouble he'll be fine but how many other folk is he playing this game on?

 

[haggler]

That bloke sounds like a mouth piece!!!

So first off was your powerflush done by BG? If it was it carries a lifetime warranty and you shouldn't be sludged up again. They should be back doing it again.

Option 2 HAS to be done to find the cause of the fault and to check that sludge is the issue. If it is refer back to the flush if done by BG.

My option is complain. BG are an insurance company any because of that they are under extreme pressure from the FSA to ensure customer satisfaction. Don't be shy, phone in and say you've felt pressured into buy this filter to get your boiler fixed. The eng didn't check anything else so must have used xray vision to diagnose. You want a different eng to FIX it before you consider the filter, oh and to speak to his manager. Drop going to the FSA in there to make them jump a bit more.

Don't worry about getting the bloke in trouble he'll be fine but how many other folk is he playing this game on?

I just rang Bg mentioning some of the above. The call handler said it seems he was just trying to sell you a filter. They are sending a Senior engineer out this afternoon to look at the boiler. Call handler said that if there was something else causing the issue how was original engineer to know? I will report back on the outcome. Thanks guys for listening to a joe schmo that knows nothing and taking time to reply

 

[stevetheplumber]

I just rang Bg mentioning some of the above. The call handler said it seems he was just trying to sell you a filter. They are sending a Senior engineer out this afternoon to look at the boiler. Call handler said that if there was something else causing the issue how was original engineer to know? I will report back on the outcome. Thanks guys for listening to a joe schmo that knows nothing and taking time to reply

i had a job where the fan was burnt out and bg had said it was sludge and wanted seven hundred pounds for a power flush and they had sent four engineers of ascending rank to say the same
so question every one, at worst i would imagine you need a secondary hex post your location some one here\ maybe local

 

[T & H Plumbing]

I can't stand BG they offer these stupid home care cover policy's

1 small independent plumbers/Gas engineers can't compete with it
2 you get idiots advising you
3 there in it to make as much money as possible and don't give a hoot about the customer

Dude I would cancel your policy and get a local gas man out do your homework and search a good one, I have worked for centrica the company that owns BG and they are only focused on money, I'm not gas myself but giving u a recommendation without investigating inside the boiler stinks
Hope u get it sorted

 

[SimonG]

How much did bg want for installing the filter?

 

[Dotty]

How much did bg want for installing the filter?

Probably an arm, leg and love spuds......,

 

[Toxic Ted]

Probably an arm, leg and love spuds......,

You are such a sceptic John.....the poor BG guy might actually have X-ray vision.......

 

[haggler]

I can't stand BG they offer these stupid home care cover policy's

1 small independent plumbers/Gas engineers can't compete with it
2 you get idiots advising you
3 there in it to make as much money as possible and don't give a hoot about the customer

Dude I would cancel your policy and get a local gas man out do your homework and search a good one, I have worked for centrica the company that owns BG and they are only focused on money, I'm not gas myself but giving u a recommendation without investigating inside the boiler stinks
Hope u get it sorted

Engineer attended and told me that with the symptoms I was describing where the water was getting hot then cooling then getting hot again he was certain that the heat exchanger was clogged with gunge. Mentioned a few of the points on here about them not checking the corrosion inhibiter etc etc. To cut a long story short they have offered to replace the heat exchanger with a new one free of charge and will drain the system and refill with correct amount of inhibitor. They still insist that the magnetic filter is a sensible precaution and I have agreed to have one fitted. Once the coverplan period is up I will cancel and use a local heating engineer in future and save the cover money into bank in case of breakdowns. Once the heat exchanger is renewed i hope that it should be fine for a few years. Thank you guys for your time and advice.