Vaillant Combi Boiler Advice

[Jake5734892]

Hello all. I have a Vaillant VCW242 combi boiler, which I believe has been in the house for 20+ years. It hadn't been serviced for a while so I got it serviced earlier in the week.

The person who serviced it informed me that there was a major problem with it and that temperature gauge was broken so the water would just keep getting hotter and hotter and the boiler was overheating, which is a big risk. I was informed that the boiler is unsafe to use and that it should be repaired or replaced as soon as possible.

Apparently the service person couldn't get hold of the correct parts for it and so is advising a new boiler be installed.

Now I know almost nothing about boilers so I am trusting what the professional is telling me but wanted to know what other people thought before I go out and get a brand new boiler installed.

One issue that was raised was that the water was coming out scalding, which it certainly was - around 65C from the hot tap. Since the service person left, I adjusted the hot water screw (flow adjustment?) thing underneath the boiler and the water coming out of the hot tap is now around 56C, much cooler. I filled up a 10 litre bucket and it took around one minute, which I believe is the recommended flow to get a 35C temperature rise. The cold water coming out of the tap is currently 20C, so this seems like it adds up pretty well.

If I turn on the central heating (thermostat set to aorund 25C and the radiator knob set to 5), the temperature gauge doesn't do anything - it sits in its lowest position so I'm pretty sure that at least the visible gauge is broken as it doesn't move at all. But does this also mean that the temperature controller/modulator is also broken? In the manual it says that the thermometer gauge display is for the central heating flow temperature and not the hot water, so how are these things linked in terms of the water dangerously overheating?

The boiler does also make some kind of crackling noises when the central heating it on, which I am not sure it to healthy. Audio link here: Boiler Noise - Clyp

So I'm not sure whether to go ahead and get a new boiler seeing as I've been told continuing to use my current one is dangerous, or whether I should get a second opinion from someone who perhaps knows this particular boiler better.

Thanks a lot for your time.

 

[hammers4spanner]

If you had a car for 20 years and it was making odd noises and had been flashed up as dodgy ...would you keep it ?

 

[king of pipes]

Time for a upgrade the old boiler has served you well get it swapped before winter gets here, if we get snow and frost like last year you will be kicking yourself when the old one breaks down and chances are we will be flat out on other work and you will be left in the cold . Kop

 

[Rob Foster]

20 years for a vailant shows how good they were - we fitted nothing else back then. do not expect a new one to last that long - 5 years for some makes and a bit longer for others. I would keep the old one running because i can fix these things. I dont know whats best nowadays sorry price is a good guide and price of bits when it eventually goes wrong - pump/diverter etc.

 

[fixitflav]

20 years for a vailant shows how good they were - we fitted nothing else back then. do not expect a new one to last that long - 5 years for some makes and a bit longer for others. I would keep the old one running because i can fix these things. I dont know whats best nowadays sorry price is a good guide and price of bits when it eventually goes wrong - pump/diverter etc.

I agree with that. If the service person couldn't source spares, maybe he didn't try hard enough! I found a site which listed an NTC and a thermometer (couldn't tell whether either controls the temperature so OP would need to investigate) both less than £25. If that fixes it maybe it will go for another 20 years.

 

[hammers4spanner]

I agree with that. If the service person couldn't source spares, maybe he didn't try hard enough! I found a site which listed an NTC and a thermometer (couldn't tell whether either controls the temperature so OP would need to investigate) both less than £25. If that fixes it maybe it will go for another 20 years.

If he couldn't source spares then maybe he was to busy to end up endlessly running around to find a part. Easy to be a busy fool in business

 

[fixitflav]

If he couldn't source spares then maybe he was to busy to end up endlessly running around to find a part. Easy to be a busy fool in business

That's why I suggested the OP tries to find it himself.

 

[hammers4spanner]

That's why I suggested the OP tries to find it himself.

WOULDN'T FIT IT IF CUSTOMER SUPPLIED PART

 

[Rob Foster]

WOULDN'T FIT IT IF CUSTOMER SUPPLIED PART

I agree with you. The customer shall not dictate to a fully qualified engineer - nor should that engineer do anything he feels unhappy with. I said that I would if it was my 20 year old boiler I would look after it myself. In the area of GAS SAFETY the engineer is the man.
How many of you have been put under pressure by a big customer to PASS a not so good property ? anybody that says no is not doing enough business. I ALWAYS dealt with this with my fitters and always told the owners exactly what they could do with their lolly -not acceptable on here

 

[fixitflav]

I agree with you. The customer shall not dictate to a fully qualified engineer - nor should that engineer do anything he feels unhappy with. I said that I would if it was my 20 year old boiler I would look after it myself. In the area of GAS SAFETY the engineer is the man.
How many of you have been put under pressure by a big customer to PASS a not so good property ? anybody that says no is not doing enough business. I ALWAYS dealt with this with my fitters and always told the owners exactly what they could do with their lolly -not acceptable on here

I'm not suggesting dictating to anybody, or trying to get them to do something dodgy. Either the service man didn't explain it well, or the OP has misquoted, because a faulty simple temperature gauge would not cause the HW to overheat, just stop you reading the temperature.
The man said the boiler should be repaired or replaced, so presumably thought it could be repaired, but he was unable to source the parts. Sounds like he didn't tell the OP what parts were needed. I can understand him not wanting to spend time trying to source parts, but if the OP wants to, and checks with the gas man what parts are needed before buying, he might be happy to fit them at his hourly rate, at OP's risk whether or not it was a success.
Gas men are often quick to recommend a new boiler, but you said yourself a new one might only last 5 years, on that basis it could be worthwhile trying to fix the old one.

 

[hammers4spanner]

I was told by vaillant that parts on these boilers are now thin on the ground.

 

[Rob Foster]

I'm not suggesting dictating to anybody, or trying to get them to do something dodgy. Either the service man didn't explain it well, or the OP has misquoted, because a faulty simple temperature gauge would not cause the HW to overheat, just stop you reading the temperature.
The man said the boiler should be repaired or replaced, so presumably thought it could be repaired, but he was unable to source the parts. Sounds like he didn't tell the OP what parts were needed. I can understand him not wanting to spend time trying to source parts, but if the OP wants to, and checks with the gas man what parts are needed before buying, he might be happy to fit them at his hourly rate, at OP's risk whether or not it was a success.
Gas men are often quick to recommend a new boiler, but you said yourself a new one might only last 5 years, on that basis it could be worthwhile trying to fix the old one.

I agree and cannot see much more to be gained on this one and HARRY POTTER is on telly

 

[fixitflav]

I agree and cannot see much more to be gained on this one

Glad you agree, neither can I.

HARRY POTTER is on telly

I don't watch kids' TV.

 

[sammathias]

im sorry but if the boiler is in a dangerous unsafe condition then the engineer shouldnt have left it running.....not doing his job.

 

[Old Account]

20 years for a vailant shows how good they were - we fitted nothing else back then. do not expect a new one to last that long - 5 years for some makes and a bit longer for others. I would keep the old one running because i can fix these things. I dont know whats best nowadays sorry price is a good guide and price of bits when it eventually goes wrong - pump/diverter etc.

Quite wrong my man.ifyou look after a boiler and it will be serviced once a year and I mean proper serviced not just flue gas analysed you will ha e a boiler which can last 20-25 years without trouble.