Are garages CRAP?

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boristhespie
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Post by boristhespie »

if the thermocouple and overheat cutout have been replaced it really only leaves the gas valve.

Does this influence the flow of gas?
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Post by Stempy »

lexi wrote:Not disagreeing with gas regulations etc...........but I am wondering if I can still light my own coal fire with sticks an all OR.....must I look up Yellow pages for an Arsonist :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
You'll need a method statement for that, and full PPE, and then you'll need to stay in the room for 2 hours after the fire has gone out.
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boristhespie
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Post by boristhespie »

When cleaning out fireplace, you will have to enclose your house in polothene and contract to a specialist firm licenced with dealing with asbestos like clean-ups. You will have to get it done by the book before final inspection will determine whether or not your house is to be condemmed and pulled down. By which case it probabaly will and you will need another specialist with license and will have to pay half amillion to just dispose of the rubble in a licenced 3waste site. Or you get some bloke wit a low back van to fly tip it in some cul-de-sac.
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Post by HDI »

boristhespie wrote:
if the thermocouple and overheat cutout have been replaced it really only leaves the gas valve.

Does this influence the flow of gas?
Basically it's the gas on/off switch. The thermocouple generates a very small voltage when the pilot flame heats it, which is the signal to the gas valve that the pilot flame is live and therefore is safe to open when the boiler is switched on by the thermostat and programmer.
If the gas valve cannot detect the low voltage signal from the thermocouple , even if it is definitely present it will either not work , be inconsistent , intermittent or will not stay on , thus the boiler will just keep going off.
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Post by myglaren »

boristhespie wrote:It's not just garages.

My boiler is on the blink. Kept breaking down. Got British Gas out three times. First guy changed something, blaming that. The second guys said it was something else, which wasn't available and the third guy said it wasn't that but a bit of grit in the pilot, which he restarted after blowing through it. The pilot went out two day later.

We happened to have left so for that cold snap we had zero heating and frozen pipes when we got back.

Got in another plumber relit pilot, despite being told that it would go out again and that there was more to it. He took 10 minutes and charged 45 quid.

Refused to come back when pilot went out without us paying another 45 quid.(we never complained) so still without heat or hot water, so far since October, on and off (mostly off). Going to call out another plumber (if we can get one-burst pipes make more cash) and we will pay another 45 quid for the guy to relight a pilot which wont stay on.

So Garages are not the only sector to have such a laissez-faire attitude to taking cash off of you.

I thought dealers were specialists and therefore would be able to pinpoint a reasonable major fault, but to say wait for the head gasket to go is a tad knackered way of thinking.
I may be wrong but that looks like a classic case of a dead thermocouple. Usually not much of a job to replace.
It could be a failing main gas valve though, bit more expensive that one.

Have you looked into the boiler scrappage scheme? Might be right up your alley!

ETA:

Oops, already asked and answered. :oops:
boristhespie
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Post by boristhespie »

Boiler scrappage scheme just like warm front scheme is NOT available north of the border.

On it's own a £1600 I have been quoted (Most quotes are £2500) is not a lot but with two knackered cars and hints that it could be head gasget, not so sure.

We'll survice though. Have akettle to boil. Lol.

Just a crappy run of luck. But then look at Haiti!
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Post by myglaren »

How bad is your first C5?
IIRC it was going OK but your concern was the engine management light.

Could you use that and get the new one to the specialist who seemed to be fair and knowledgeable?
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Post by boristhespie »

Eh mu first C5 is making a horrible mechanical noise when starting up. Like something is about to fly out through something else. Too skint to take it back but I assume that's the "major" thing the garage said to wait for.
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Post by handyman »

Boris, if you have shelled out £160 and your boiler is still not working, I would be raising the roof with BG. I'd even call in Trading Standards if they exist north of the border. That is a clear case of being ripped off, and although BG has it's fair share of cowboys, that is no reason why you should not be treated properly.

Might even be worth raising the matter with BG customer complaints department until you get a satisfactory resolution.

Or did the heating engineers condemn your boiler? :roll:

Nice to see we can all have a joke about something so dangerous. It might just be the pratt who reads this and thinks he can tackle a 'simple' job that ends up killing himself and others, and unfortunately it does happen. I just hope he does not live near me.

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boristhespie
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Post by boristhespie »

Wow car forum now become Gas forum..

Did complain to BG so they sent out area boss (he was the third one) who then contradicted both previous engineers. He said it was grit in the pilot, but it still went out after he left.

In the letter he then wrote he ruled out the previous diagnosis of his own workers and in it said, he would be having words with them. The boiler is not condemed. if it was at least I would know what I had to do.

This criticism of his men and their diagnosis has kind of left an opening to go back to them, that said my other half got in the plumber who lit the match. I wasn't there otherwise he wouldn't have gotten away that easily.

Just hate NON explanations. That's why you hire garages or other tradesmen. For example I guess I have been wrong thinking a Citroen Dealer would have specific knowledge of Citroens but this is clealry not the case.

I am not an awkward cutomer and always pay in full immediately. I don't buy if I can't afford.



Can I ask re gas, if the overheat thermostat shuts the boiler down. what causes this? Is it an overflow/excess of gas?
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Post by Clogzz »

The overheat thermostat shuts down the boiler when the temperature control fails.
Talk of grit in the pilot … did he clean it out ?
If the pilot flame has been getting smaller over time, there won’t be enough heat to keep the thermocouple hot by cold weather.
I used to clean the pilot jet with a piece of electric wire, until the pilot was back to bright and hot.
I worked all that out by dabbling in gas at the customers’ risk and expense. :twisted:
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boristhespie
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Post by boristhespie »

Yeah he cleaned it. I managed to get it on last night BUT this time the entire boiler got extremely hot. Not had that before. Thats suggests overheat.
How do you remedy this. I only ask so I know what to say when plumber is in.

JUst as with the rear trailing arm, I found that knowing this really helped to "eventually" get to the core of the problem with the garage that eventually fixed it. (knowing it didn't impress the dealer)
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Post by HDI »

That could be a heat exchanger that has become partially obstructed by soot and dirt. Can you see what colour the flame of the burner is through the pilot window when the boiler is lit ? It should be mainly light blue , if it's partially or very yellow the exchanger could need a good clean. A heating engineer can check the boiler flue gas for correct combustion , bit like a car emissions test :wink:
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boristhespie
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Post by boristhespie »

The pilot was yellow and still is occassionally Can't really see the rest other thana blue hue through the peerie window.
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HDI
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Post by HDI »

Pilot should be blue also. The pilot flame can be adjusted with a screw on the gas valve , H&S alert , do not try this yourself !!
Has the boiler ever been internally cleaned ?
Now using '00 Xantia LX HDI, pov spec :(
My past Citroens :-
'00 Xantia SX HDI, now dead due to accident :(
'99 Xantia HDI 110 Exclusive, RIP :(
'97 Xantia TD SX
'96 Xantia TD LX
'96 ZX TD
'89 BX TD
'88 AX GT
'79 CX2400 Pallas (scrapped :( )
& a couple of Peugeots !
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