Whilst doing my training we have had to call out a Worcester engineer for a warranty call and the boiler was only 3 years old and the system was that dirty, the heat exchanger had to be changed. What you said about the heat exchanger kebabing in the video happened to the newish boiler. The water was a rusty orange colour. I was just watching and observing and asking questions as I’m interested in all this breakdown and servicing. If any customers of any gas engineers are reading these comments please take it in and keep your boiler serviced regularly every year as this could be your boiler and you being out of pocket for a replacement. Great video 👌
Used to know a guy that was proud of his three f's policy: fit fire and forget.... terrible attitude but keeps us serious engineers in business. Surprising how much damage can happen to a system which hasn't been properly dosed, if at all.
I wish I would of had these videos when starting up, the MIs tell you pretty well how to take it apart but an explanation and seeing it like this is priceless. Great video as always.
This is a great in depth video. Totally get how the heat exchanger and baffles work now. Was just thinking to myself i wonder how you get the thing out and back in so that final video was spot on.
Boilers used to be good. Went to one before Christmas that wasn’t working correctly. I knew it would be a ball ache to do. I told him to service these are a nightmare. Save your money run it until it breaks then give me a call and we’ll change it. Another engineer went who I don’t know said exactly the same and he called me and I installed a Viessmann. Whoever designs their boilers now are idiots and have no idea on how difficult it can be. Great vid as always Allen.
Allen Hart I personally would pop the heat cell out. 20 min job. If I couldn’t get one out. You can attack it from the bottom then. Never had to do that personally though 👍
I’m a Worcester engineer and in some ways I do agree with you on some parts of the heatcell design. The heat exchanger is easy to remove once you know how, it’s like most jobs. The boiler has a very low water content, less than 2 litres, so the ripple is quite common. Like any boiler, they work fine if you have good water quality. Best to fully strip every year if you want no problems. And a trick for the baffle is to use Bicarbonate of Soda mixed with water to remove it. Could be worse, could be better. 👍🏻
I agree. I always approach these as a full service and explain that to the customer. Had one once with customer complaining of constant pressure loss. When we got it striped there was a tiny tiny pinhole in heat ex. Apart from that it was all good.
well heres one word of advice.dont fit gas boilers made by worcester.the new versions arnt any better.just try getting the boiler casing off any of them.especially the new compact.what a mess.
@@milkman100001 I sigh when I turn up and see an old compact or even a Ri case😂 Some of them go back on fine however some don't, I have attended some where obviously previous engineers have lost their temper and have bashed and bent the actual case out of alignment😂 They're such a horrible design with the screws popping out from the slides etc. I find the 30i not too bad, just two screws underneath and just the front cover comes off a much better design imo.
Allen Hart hi mate I had the 100-W 26 Combi fitted on Saturday. So far so good. It was to replace my 26 year old Ariston Eurocombi that I’d finally given up on. I did all the mechanical (not gas side) maintenance myself, ie cleaned the secondary heat exchanger on my cooker hob, circulating cleaner chemicals while the missus and son were on hols, and changed the expansion vessel and prv 2 times each, I think I did the mixer diaphragm 3 times. In the end I figured as I’d got with the house I’d better spend some real money for once. It did ok for what it was. Thanks for coming back. I love your vids, keep your fantastic work!👍👍👍 oh I must add, I knew about Viessmann from the days when my dad fitted boilers 10 years ago, but I made my choice after watching your video on servicing them. Top notch.
Seems Like a load of hard work ! five screws on a viessmann and you wil have the whole burner assembly out with the heat exchanger staring at you in the face, Absolute doddle to work on
Just a slight error in your part Allen. I’m certain that the the “flow” goes out of the top of the heat exchanger, not in the top. The return water comes in through the bottom connection. I used to work for Ideal as a field engineer and they are SO far easier to work on than anything else I’ve ever touched. They are not without their problems though. Good videos mate
Yes Will, your correct the flow goes out the top of the Heat Exchanger. It's an easy mistake to make but I'm glad you pointed that out mate. Keep up the good work Allan, great videos as usual.
I have to service one of these per year and that is one too many. I only do commercial stuff, but still get asked if l would recommend a Worcester as a replacement of the customer’s own boiler. I tell them that they won’t go wrong with a Baxi or a Weismann because of your opinion. Hope you’re right 😆.
I very much doubt most GREs are as thorough as you, Allen. All very well saying get it serviced, but I bet only a few are anywhere near as good as you. Being GSR, tbh doesnt actually mean a lot. But love your excellent videos!
That boiler clearly needs servicing and them comments about being a GSRE doesn’t mean a lot is stupid we have to go through major exams and tests to get qualified it’s not a 2 week course on google
Hi Allen I know this is a older video but I find all your videos great I’m working my way through them , Yer the Heat Cell gets blocked with Aluminium oxide Regards Kev
Think the fact it doesn’t have a low water pressure switch doesn’t help things as the top of the heat exchanger is the hottest part so cooks the gasket every time it’s used with low water pressure.
Yes I’m a gas engineer and an ex WAI I think the heat exchanger is one of the worst on the market to work on, lots of poor quality plastic in the boiler it breaks down and erodes too readily. The top red burner joints are lethal they need a serious upgrade. I renewed a top red joint this week about 20% of the joint was missing, absolutely shocking to see, there should be a recall system on these boilers like on cars and driers / washing machines.
Thanks again Allen, as we had reviews on Worcester in your previous videos, they are good for engineers to make money, heat exchangers i are still aluminium which produces lots of aluminium oxide and clogs the condense trap,. Gas valve s goes out of tune for no reason which makes some service engineers confused and they think the burner has got an issue because the last thing comes into the mind is gas valves go out of adjustment without any body touching it. Plastic manifold starts leaking and replacing it is another costly hell job. To be honest I don’t know why it is technically top in the market, I think it must be just the brand.
@@AllenHart999 no but it helps with the heat exchanger water ways and the combination boilers the most problem i have is with dirty systems which is not the boilers fault
Allen, I’ve watched your vids for a long time. Should’ve shown you the respect to deserve by subscribing. Now done! Keep up the good work .Tony, gas engineer from County Durham.
@@AllenHart999 Yeah thought you mentioned in the vid that the burner seal at the top can be tested with the negative fan pressure test? or are you saying they normally fail because the burner is clogged and it becomes hotter because it can't transfer the heat which then causes more damage to the red burner seal? Also what are the name of them mats that I've seen you use that you can mould into shape?
@@reeceprice2882 the negative fan pressure test only checks if air is flowing through the heat exchanger at the right amount. If the test fails, the heat exchanger is likely blocked. The seal is not checked this way. For the seal, a visual inspection is needed and preferably checked using a telegan. If you suspect the seal hasn't been changed in several years, it's probably best just to change it.
Billy Bobhouse yeah I check for co leakage with gas analyser probe in and around any seals I’ve disturbed or suspected seals on boiler repairs. Nice one for the reply tho 👍🏼
I usually charge £60 plus vat for a boiler service. Had a strange call last year, customer asked me to service her worcester as per the manufacturer instructions. Told her no problem but would be considerably more than £60. She told me I was too dear and hung up. Its close to a days work to service a Worcester properly, plus service kit.
That's good going. Takes me about 3 hours plus travelling time to pick service kit up from plumb centre. However I prepare for the worst, which means further parts and faults found.
@@johnacky its just what your used to iv worked on loads of these and love them only takes me 1/2 hour to do a complet strip down and charge £100 including the gasket and rubber tube
I live in a rented property - I have exactly the same boiler, my condenser trap blocked and backed up to push off that little pipe on the grey tube off and sprayed water over the gas valve shorting out the solenoid, this happened during the last winter we had. 10 yr's in the property and the landlord has never paid for a service, often have to remind him of the yearly checks! The red gasket has gone at the top and it shows signs of overheating on the vessel - the landlord plumber wants to replace the entire system rather than the parts - should I have to pay for a service from someone else?
I have had a few bad ones which are so stuck I have bunged the sump and filled with 2l of cola. Loads of crap comes out. Crap boiler I work on loads and hate them. Baxi all the way
That's a good idea. Do you let the cola drain away through the trap after or siphon it out? How long do you need to leave it in there for to have an effect?
Worcester the worlds most over rated boiler!! The old ones may very well have been good. Newer ones are shocking Anyone who designs boiler you beed to remove the flue and boiler on to change a prv on should be ridiculed. Anyone who designs a boiler that sets the casing on fire if its not been serviced for a few years should be investigated (cdi replacement electrodes without glass windows). Anyone who designs a boiler that still continues too run with the burst gasket flooding heat and products of combustion out into the external casing with no safety features to remove the threat should be shut down! (Kebab heat exchanger) Customers think that they are the holy grail too because of which magazine Bull sh1t and clever marketing.
I can concur. I had a 30CDi burn through its heat exchanger seal while still quite new. We were away at the time and the entire top front chamber wiring was toast. Fortunately the flames did not make it out of the cabinet or I wouldn't have had a house. WB eventually refurbished the boiler after much sabre rattling. I won't be buying another WB, and I periodically check for hot spots on the cabinet. Cars have engine block gaskets that last a lifetime so it can't be rocket science!
Most service engineers hate this boiler with a passion. The fact the burner head needs new gaskets and electrodes every time it comes apart prohibits proper servicing every year unless the customer wants a £140 boiler service. The fan pressure test is inadequate because by the time the test fails it’s too late and the baffles probably won’t come out. So engineers end up playing Russian roulette with servicing, unless you know when the gaskets were last replaced. You just don’t know the condition without a full strip down. This boiler is a bad design throughout, from the PRV location to the plastic hydro block. The fact that Which magazine makes Worcester Bosch number one in the best buys makes a mockery of the public and Which magazine itself.
Good video Allen, very informative. Never had one fail the test so far. Will from now on though be sure to replace that seal and do the strip down whether they fail or not every 4-5 years. Did that one fail the test? On the state of it I'm guessing yes and badly. What was the pressure it should have been and what was it as a matter of interest? Would have liked to have seen you do the service on it.
Removed one of these , CO was 5,600ppm. Tried all sorts but could not get the reading down at all. I suspected a crack in the heat exchanger, but non the wiser. Any one any ideas
Thanks Allen, enjoyed this one! Always interested in servicing tips and tricks and my experience is piping up a white box and on to the next. Now I'm out on my own I need to think about next year when they are due for a service. Thanks for passing on the knowledge! Luke @ MPH-SERVICES
Hi, great job..and yes..the heat exchanger is crap to work on . One day I really had to put on a crowbar to get the baffel out , just not the genteel way to treat an old lady. But it dit the job . Look out for your self,stay healthy.
I am looking for a new boiler as my old glo worm after 30 years has packed up. Veissman boilers seems well made but am struggling to find anyone in Norfolk near us installing them. The local gas safe companies all seem to only fit Worcester Bosch , Baxi or Ideal. Alan, do Veissman offer good warranty/ guarantees or good customer service?
Hi Alan, I gather you've stop servicing? We've got a problem the same boiler as your demonstration model sets of for a few minutes, gets hotish and then shuts down and cycles like that. We've had an engineer that's changed three temperature sensors and charged a fortune but it's still the same old problem! What might be the problem, Might you have an idea. Regards jh wf77pa
Great video, Alan, thanks. I have an old Alpha CB24 that works fine but looking for more efficient now. What do you think of the Vaillant Ecotec? Hard to find someone round here who will fit Ideals, it's all Vaillant or Worcester.
Changed the left hand side hydro block on one yesterday, took me most of the afternoon, what a bastard of a job. Tried to do my checks after and it would not run. used my limited electrical knowledge to check that I had power to everything . Had almost given up, put the case on and the f**king thin ran. 7pm on Valentine's Day. It hasn't been serviced , expansion vessel has popped there is no way I'm stripping the burner in case of what doom I will find. I can do a straight swap in 4 hours (hate these boilers steer well clear)
Another very interesting video for me anyway,I am wondering ,would it make sense to prevent a lot of this buld up inside if the system was completely flushed every year as part of the service, or is that overkill.,cheers pete.
The build up where the baffles are is not part of the water system so it wont help with that. Its mainly just corrosion of the heat exchanger. Its complete overkill to flush every year. Flush once, make sure you have a good filter installed and the system adequately treated with inhibitor. This should keep you going at least ten years without a flush, providing you're not draining it regularly.
Worst manufacturer out of the lot in my opinion. Terribly designed boilers, terrible to fit, terrible to work on and still issues that haven't been resolved with certain parts in 10years. The amount I've been to with ribbed heat exchangers because the boiler has been running almost dry because it's got no pressure and no low pressure switch is crazy. Just one of about 15 design flaws. Edit: Glad to see it's not just me that thinks this. Thought I was going crazy, everyone I know in the trade thinks the sun shines out of Worcesters arse.
I think a lot of that is driven by installers who are either on some kind of commission from Worcester or who only fit them and not have to maintain them. They never have to suffer through having to repair them.
@jez lucas Hi Jez hope you are well buddy. Thank you for the comment. The ri wasn’t a bad boiler, As you say it needs to be installed correctly though.
What’s the most reliable boiler in your opinion. I’ve always thought Worcester but lots of my 7 year + Boilers are starting to need to awkward service and repairs such as in this video 😏
hi Allen, wanted to ask how does the seals being worn possible affect the fan test? if the seals are letting air through even though its bad, doesnt that mean the fan has less restrictions so that means a higher negative fan pressure which means its a better result. Thanks again
About 10 times more reliable than the Ideal Logic heat exchanger. The WB is the most common heat exchanger in the uk, failure rates are extremely low and nearly always due to poor installation.
Allen, you have to admit the design of these boilers are so bad that most engineers turn away at the sight of them for example changing a PRV, I find the easiest way to do this is to take the boiler off the wall, instead of taking out pump and hydro block, I don’t know for you but for an engineer who is going to do a service like what you have just demonstrated for the first time, it would be a nightmare so yes the design of these boilers are utterly crap. By the way great video very informative.
Hi great videos. I’m moving into a 17 year old house in a couple of months. I want to upgrade to a combi boiler. Is there an extra bit of fitting that stops me running a gallon of water from the taps before it goes warm?
@@AllenHart999 i cant work out why they are still using the same heat exchanger design on the new ones , every other manufacturer has simple ways to clean the heat exchanger without the need to rag it about and replace the seals
Funny how the Worcester engineer is working on brand new boiler like it’s simple try taking it out 9 years old with all the plastic shit and clips snapping lol
Sash Window I can’t agree with you more mate I’ve stopped using them got fed up of ripping my skin apart on simple little jobs switched over to Viessmann now, and will never look back!!!!
He’s right, they never EVER come out that easy in real life. One thing I do to really give them a good clean is tip a kettle full of water down it first, the get the cleaning brush and I’ve bent it straight, I attach it to my small 10v drill and have it spinning moving it up and down as I go. It cleans them a lot better then spinning it with your hand and pulling it up and down. If it’s less then 10 years old don’t WB send out a free heart changer or is that a myth? Also fix price repairs can fuck off! Taking bread of a mans table. Try reducing the price of your parts
Not very good boilers. To change out the SRV you got to take out half the boiler just to get access to it. The fan design i.e. how its connected to the burner (heat cell) is a case of designers trying to be too clever
If you have nimble hands, you can disconnect the cold inlet pipe and yank it to one side. If your lucky, it gives you enough room to reach up and take the prv out.failing that, you have to cut the cold pipe near the boiler and remove it. It's still a pain in the ass to do, first time took me an hour. Can do it in about 20mins now with practice. Much easier than the alternative imo. MAKE SURE THE CLIP IS IN CORRECTLY,USE A MIRROR. Just wanted to make that clear, for no particular reason /:
I’ve never service mine since I fitted it new, rubbish boiler to work on so I decided if it breaks I’ll replace with an ideal, nice and easy to service plus 12 year warranty. I stopped fitting Worcester’s over priced over complicated garbage.
Allen Hart the funny thing is I install a Worcester 15ri for my mate (he’s an engineer) and the kitchen fitter who instructed the job asked my opinion of the boiler. He didn’t like the reply.
Allen Hart I agree, I’ve had little issues with the logic’s a few heat engines and flow turbines from a hundred or so. It amazes me how many people have a new boiler ask for plenty of warranty and never service them. Biggest issue I’ve had with any logic range is the rear exit flue seal on logic heat. They could do with a design change.
If they where as easy as that Joe bloggs would be doing they are pure bs to change that ones in a training center prob been in out that many times could do it on its own
That’s bullshit where I live you can’t you get a gasfitter I rang up about 20 to get mine done all promised to come and never turned up Eventually you just give up with depression I said we just bloody arrogant people gasfitter is I know but you’re probably right you should try to get it serviced might try again in a couple of years
Yeah if these heat cells aren't serviced as per Mi there's almost always a soot build up in the heat exchanger. If they're not attended to the kebab exchanger ribs. The burner gaskets fail because of backwards pressure of heat due to soot blockage. It's a pain in the a##e but it has to be done. Great Autopsy Allen 😜
ghostmanromeo uk disagree 100%. I blame Worcester all the way. It says in the mi’s only clean heat cell if it fails fan pressure test.it should state strip clean every year full stop. Burner gasket poor material and poor design along with the design of heat cell.worcester boilers are a high price boiler that has got a reputation of old models. Tech support is good though.
Wat een slecht ontwerp,pff,blij dat ik een Intergas xtreme heb,super zuinig en simpel en bedrijfs zeker,veilig en zuinig,laats gemeten...rendement op tapwater bovenwaarde 99,2%...ben er blij mee!,geen driewegklep,geen plaatwisselaar..en onderhoud super makkelijk,van de 100.000de wisselaars is er nog nooit maar 1 terug gekomen naar de fabriek door een defect,moet ik nog meer zeggen?.......................................................................................................................................What a bad design, pff, glad I have an Intergas xtreme, super economical and simple and reliable, safe and economical, last measured ... efficiency on tap water top value 99.2% ... I am happy with it, NO! three-way valve, no plate heatexchanger,for tapwater .. and maintenance is super easy, of the ,more than, 100,000th heatexchangers not even 1 has returned to the factory due to a defect, do I need to say more?
Crap heat exchangers, I wouldn't have a Worcester Bosch, I'd rather sit in the cold lol. I go out to loads, rubbish, trouble with Worcester Bosch there good at marketing
@@stevehove2648 yes your correct which does that. but normally they start going wrong between 5-7 years, they should ask engineers view and not just customer reviews
Really not a good design, hard to clean, time consuming, and you can guarantee, that there will be one or more shoddy engineer wanting to save time , only inspecting the seal , and pipes leaving the rest . Let’s hope this cylinder style is discontinued soon in favour of a box with front lift off or horizontal style soon
Whilst doing my training we have had to call out a Worcester engineer for a warranty call and the boiler was only 3 years old and the system was that dirty, the heat exchanger had to be changed. What you said about the heat exchanger kebabing in the video happened to the newish boiler. The water was a rusty orange colour. I was just watching and observing and asking questions as I’m interested in all this breakdown and servicing. If any customers of any gas engineers are reading these comments please take it in and keep your boiler serviced regularly every year as this could be your boiler and you being out of pocket for a replacement. Great video 👌
Used to know a guy that was proud of his three f's policy: fit fire and forget.... terrible attitude but keeps us serious engineers in business. Surprising how much damage can happen to a system which hasn't been properly dosed, if at all.
I wish I would of had these videos when starting up, the MIs tell you pretty well how to take it apart but an explanation and seeing it like this is priceless. Great video as always.
Thank you so much Tom.
This is a great in depth video. Totally get how the heat exchanger and baffles work now.
Was just thinking to myself i wonder how you get the thing out and back in so that final video was spot on.
Thank You.
Boilers used to be good. Went to one before Christmas that wasn’t working correctly. I knew it would be a ball ache to do. I told him to service these are a nightmare. Save your money run it until it breaks then give me a call and we’ll change it. Another engineer went who I don’t know said exactly the same and he called me and I installed a Viessmann. Whoever designs their boilers now are idiots and have no idea on how difficult it can be. Great vid as always Allen.
I love the way Allen says be careful with the gas pipe on the fan assembly then lobs it on the floor. Made me chuckle. Great video as always :)
😂😂😂😂
Great boilers, because of the large waterways they are always easy to clear. Lovely job
That baffle was a nightmare, Any tips? I did pour coke down 😂😂😂
Allen Hart I personally would pop the heat cell out. 20 min job. If I couldn’t get one out. You can attack it from the bottom then. Never had to do that personally though 👍
@jez lucas where and what are you bunging it with? I suppose you could shove some blu roll into the rubber tube that connects to the condense trap.
@jez lucas thanks man 👍
are you serious LOL there a total pain in the ass
I really appreciate your podcast, Allen. Great stuff and thank you !!!
I’m a Worcester engineer and in some ways I do agree with you on some parts of the heatcell design. The heat exchanger is easy to remove once you know how, it’s like most jobs. The boiler has a very low water content, less than 2 litres, so the ripple is quite common. Like any boiler, they work fine if you have good water quality. Best to fully strip every year if you want no problems. And a trick for the baffle is to use Bicarbonate of Soda mixed with water to remove it. Could be worse, could be better. 👍🏻
i used coke 😂😂😂
@@AllenHart999 sniff sniff.
I agree. I always approach these as a full service and explain that to the customer. Had one once with customer complaining of constant pressure loss. When we got it striped there was a tiny tiny pinhole in heat ex. Apart from that it was all good.
im a newley approved gas safe engineer just got out my 3 yr apprenticeship like ur vids mate keep up . from preston lancs 👍👍
Thank you for taking the time to watch my video.
well heres one word of advice.dont fit gas boilers made by worcester.the new versions arnt any better.just try getting the boiler casing off any of them.especially the new compact.what a mess.
@@milkman100001 I sigh when I turn up and see an old compact or even a Ri case😂 Some of them go back on fine however some don't, I have attended some where obviously previous engineers have lost their temper and have bashed and bent the actual case out of alignment😂 They're such a horrible design with the screws popping out from the slides etc.
I find the 30i not too bad, just two screws underneath and just the front cover comes off a much better design imo.
Hi Jesus Christ 108, how much you charge for service this same boiler at WA29QQ please
great tutorial very informative thank you allen for taking the time to do this
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks very much for your comment, please consider subscribing to support the channel 🙂
I’m not an installer, just an interested consumer. Glad I bought a Viessmann, phew!
I.C. Gedye which model did you buy ?
Allen Hart hi mate I had the 100-W 26 Combi fitted on Saturday. So far so good. It was to replace my 26 year old Ariston Eurocombi that I’d finally given up on. I did all the mechanical (not gas side) maintenance myself, ie cleaned the secondary heat exchanger on my cooker hob, circulating cleaner chemicals while the missus and son were on hols, and changed the expansion vessel and prv 2 times each, I think I did the mixer diaphragm 3 times. In the end I figured as I’d got with the house I’d better spend some real money for once. It did ok for what it was. Thanks for coming back. I love your vids, keep your fantastic work!👍👍👍 oh I must add, I knew about Viessmann from the days when my dad fitted boilers 10 years ago, but I made my choice after watching your video on servicing them. Top notch.
I.C. Gedye 100 is a great boiler, did you watch my review
I.C. Gedye th-cam.com/video/LUxWHBAHGKc/w-d-xo.html
Great little video there Allan
Many thanks ~ I enjoyed the autopsy on the heat exchanger fascinating to see its construction cheers.
Thank you.
I have had a few with the bottom baffle completely stuck, WB technical told me to pour Coca Cola down through heat exchanger, it works!!!
Seems Like a load of hard work ! five screws on a viessmann and you wil have the whole burner assembly out
with the heat exchanger staring at you in the face, Absolute doddle to work on
Absolutely, 👍👍👍👍
Thank you Allen 🙌
aaah allen youd be sucha amazing teacher
Thank you great video
Glad you enjoyed it
Very nice mr Allan 👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you.
Nice video one of your best. Keep them coming 😀😀😀👌
Thank you, Frank. 👍👍👍👍
Just a slight error in your part Allen. I’m certain that the the “flow” goes out of the top of the heat exchanger, not in the top. The return water comes in through the bottom connection. I used to work for Ideal as a field engineer and they are SO far easier to work on than anything else I’ve ever touched. They are not without their problems though. Good videos mate
Will Parish I think you might be correct to be honest. Thanks
Yes Will, your correct the flow goes out the top of the Heat Exchanger.
It's an easy mistake to make but I'm glad you pointed that out mate.
Keep up the good work Allan, great videos as usual.
Thanks
Good old boy you are mate , great information.
Thank you Allen 🤓
Thank you.
I have to service one of these per year and that is one too many. I only do commercial stuff, but still get asked if l would recommend a Worcester as a replacement of the customer’s own boiler. I tell them that they won’t go wrong with a Baxi or a Weismann because of your opinion. Hope you’re right 😆.
Personally I wouldn’t install the cheaper Baxi Boilers
Exactly, dont just say Baxi. They have their fair share of nightmare boilers. Recommend a certain model so they dont go wrong with there choice.
Hi Allen, keep up the good work! What are the dimensions for the extracting fork (interior)?
I very much doubt most GREs are as thorough as you, Allen. All very well saying get it serviced, but I bet only a few are anywhere near as good as you. Being GSR, tbh doesnt actually mean a lot. But love your excellent videos!
I am hoping that my video’s will help raise the standards in a small way. Thank you for your kind words.
That boiler clearly needs servicing and them comments about being a GSRE doesn’t mean a lot is stupid we have to go through major exams and tests to get qualified it’s not a 2 week course on google
@@r1hopp010 really? I'm a GRE and I've never serviced or installed a boiler in my life. Of course, Allen is at the other end of the scale to me.
Steve Hove well how would u know exactly what’s involved if you’ve never done the job in your life
@@r1hopp010 got all my tickets, but doesnt mean I know how to do the job.
It’s aluminium oxide in the condense trap from the cast aluminium heat exchanger.
Hi Allen
I know this is a older video but I find all your videos great
I’m working my way through them , Yer the Heat Cell gets blocked with Aluminium oxide
Regards Kev
Little trick to remove the bottom baffle if it is stuck is to pour Pepsi Cola down into heat cell, let it fizz a bit, and it comes out a treat.
Think the fact it doesn’t have a low water pressure switch doesn’t help things as the top of the heat exchanger is the hottest part so cooks the gasket every time it’s used with low water pressure.
👍👍👍👍
FIRST CLASS ALLEN
Hi Terry. Thank you so much.
Yes I’m a gas engineer and an ex WAI I think the heat exchanger is one of the worst on the market to work on, lots of poor quality plastic in the boiler it breaks down and erodes too readily. The top red burner joints are lethal they need a serious upgrade. I renewed a top red joint this week about 20% of the joint was missing, absolutely shocking to see, there should be a recall system on these boilers like on cars and driers / washing machines.
ive stoped fitting worcester bosh boilers such a pain in the ass to do anything on and badly designed imo
Thanks again Allen, as we had reviews on Worcester in your previous videos, they are good for engineers to make money, heat exchangers i are still aluminium which produces lots of aluminium oxide and clogs the condense trap,. Gas valve s goes out of tune for no reason which makes some service engineers confused and they think the burner has got an issue because the last thing comes into the mind is gas valves go out of adjustment without any body touching it. Plastic manifold starts leaking and replacing it is another costly hell job. To be honest I don’t know why it is technically top in the market, I think it must be just the brand.
I have fitted loads of Worcesters over the years and not had any real trouble with any but allways power flush the systems
Flushing the system doesn’t have anything at all to do with the gas side though. Thanks
@@AllenHart999 no but it helps with the heat exchanger water ways and the combination boilers the most problem i have is with dirty systems which is not the boilers fault
Not having a low pressure switch doesn’t help in my opinion
@@AllenHart999 no
Allen, I’ve watched your vids for a long time. Should’ve shown you the respect to deserve by subscribing. Now done! Keep up the good work .Tony, gas engineer from County Durham.
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Hi Tony, Are you still watching? Thanks.
Fan test? You on about the negative fan pressure test? Thought that just tests for how clogged the heat exchanger is?
Yes that's correct, All the ones i have seen that fail that are a nightmare to remove.
@@AllenHart999 Yeah thought you mentioned in the vid that the burner seal at the top can be tested with the negative fan pressure test? or are you saying they normally fail because the burner is clogged and it becomes hotter because it can't transfer the heat which then causes more damage to the red burner seal? Also what are the name of them mats that I've seen you use that you can mould into shape?
@@reeceprice2882 the negative fan pressure test only checks if air is flowing through the heat exchanger at the right amount. If the test fails, the heat exchanger is likely blocked. The seal is not checked this way. For the seal, a visual inspection is needed and preferably checked using a telegan. If you suspect the seal hasn't been changed in several years, it's probably best just to change it.
Billy Bobhouse yeah I check for co leakage with gas analyser probe in and around any seals I’ve disturbed or suspected seals on boiler repairs. Nice one for the reply tho 👍🏼
Another informative video thanks for that.
Hi Fred, Thank you for watching.
I usually charge £60 plus vat for a boiler service. Had a strange call last year, customer asked me to service her worcester as per the manufacturer instructions. Told her no problem but would be considerably more than £60. She told me I was too dear and hung up.
Its close to a days work to service a Worcester properly, plus service kit.
How does it take a day? Normally takes me around 2 hours. Thanks.
That's good going. Takes me about 3 hours plus travelling time to pick service kit up from plumb centre.
However I prepare for the worst, which means further parts and faults found.
johnacky I have WB as van stock 😂
On Worcester course when they came out straight from reps mouth fan flue test OK and ratio etc leave it alone their selling point was no strip down😂😂
@@johnacky its just what your used to iv worked on loads of these and love them only takes me 1/2 hour to do a complet strip down and charge £100 including the gasket and rubber tube
PS its in my garage if you want it?
24ri should I get moisture from the inspection hatch on the heat exchanger. boiler losing pressure. any help would be appreciated.
I live in a rented property - I have exactly the same boiler, my condenser trap blocked and backed up to push off that little pipe on the grey tube off and sprayed water over the gas valve shorting out the solenoid, this happened during the last winter we had. 10 yr's in the property and the landlord has never paid for a service, often have to remind him of the yearly checks! The red gasket has gone at the top and it shows signs of overheating on the vessel - the landlord plumber wants to replace the entire system rather than the parts - should I have to pay for a service from someone else?
Been fixing these for years. How did i not know you could remove that plate on top of the boiler for easier access? What a plonker.
Every day is a school day. Thanks for watching.
I have had a few bad ones which are so stuck I have bunged the sump and filled with 2l of cola. Loads of crap comes out. Crap boiler I work on loads and hate them. Baxi all the way
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That's a good idea. Do you let the cola drain away through the trap after or siphon it out? How long do you need to leave it in there for to have an effect?
@@billybobhouse9559 let it sit about a hour
@@adejohnston6831 cool, thankyou. Does it help at all to put a little lemon slice in as well?
Worcester the worlds most over rated boiler!! The old ones may very well have been good. Newer ones are shocking Anyone who designs boiler you beed to remove the flue and boiler on to change a prv on should be ridiculed. Anyone who designs a boiler that sets the casing on fire if its not been serviced for a few years should be investigated (cdi replacement electrodes without glass windows). Anyone who designs a boiler that still continues too run with the burst gasket flooding heat and products of combustion out into the external casing with no safety features to remove the threat should be shut down! (Kebab heat exchanger)
Customers think that they are the holy grail too because of which magazine Bull sh1t and clever marketing.
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Thanks for your description if you don't mind I'm going to repeat it to my customers, sad thing is that I'm actually a WAI
I can concur. I had a 30CDi burn through its heat exchanger seal while still quite new. We were away at the time and the entire top front chamber wiring was toast. Fortunately the flames did not make it out of the cabinet or I wouldn't have had a house. WB eventually refurbished the boiler after much sabre rattling. I won't be buying another WB, and I periodically check for hot spots on the cabinet. Cars have engine block gaskets that last a lifetime so it can't be rocket science!
What would you say the rate of flow would be on the condensate trap? British Gas (Worcester) 532i. The trap fills in the space of 10 minutes.
no idea tbh. Sorry.
Would you be expected to do a strip down on all services or just check the press sues etc.
You need to follow the installation instructions when doing a boiler service. Full strip down depends on boilers and fan pressure.
Most service engineers hate this boiler with a passion. The fact the burner head needs new gaskets and electrodes every time it comes apart prohibits proper servicing every year unless the customer wants a £140 boiler service. The fan pressure test is inadequate because by the time the test fails it’s too late and the baffles probably won’t come out.
So engineers end up playing Russian roulette with servicing, unless you know when the gaskets were last replaced. You just don’t know the condition without a full strip down.
This boiler is a bad design throughout, from the PRV location to the plastic hydro block.
The fact that Which magazine makes Worcester Bosch number one in the best buys makes a mockery of the public and Which magazine itself.
100% agree with all you have said.
Totally agree, as do most engineers I know.
Absolutely correct there
Good video Allen, very informative. Never had one fail the test so far. Will from now on though be sure to replace that seal and do the strip down whether they fail or not every 4-5 years. Did that one fail the test? On the state of it I'm guessing yes and badly. What was the pressure it should have been and what was it as a matter of interest? Would have liked to have seen you do the service on it.
It didn’t fail the fan test no.
@@AllenHart999 wow😮😮😮
Removed one of these , CO was 5,600ppm. Tried all sorts but could not get the reading down at all. I suspected a crack in the heat exchanger, but non the wiser. Any one any ideas
Can we clean the condenser heat exchanger with Sentinel spray HX 850 without problem ?
Thanks Allen, enjoyed this one!
Always interested in servicing tips and tricks and my experience is piping up a white box and on to the next.
Now I'm out on my own I need to think about next year when they are due for a service.
Thanks for passing on the knowledge!
Luke @ MPH-SERVICES
Hi, great job..and yes..the heat exchanger is crap to work on . One day I really had to put on a crowbar to get the baffel out , just not the genteel way to treat an old lady. But it dit the job . Look out for your self,stay healthy.
These are the best boilers on the market 😂😂😂😂👍
I thought the Potterton Envoy was prity bad but comparing the two the Potterton is a Rolls Royce !
I am looking for a new boiler as my old glo worm after 30 years has packed up. Veissman boilers seems well made but am struggling to find anyone in Norfolk near us installing them. The local gas safe companies all seem to only fit Worcester Bosch , Baxi or Ideal.
Alan, do Veissman offer good warranty/ guarantees or good customer service?
Hi Alan, I gather you've stop servicing? We've got a problem the same boiler as your demonstration model sets of for a few minutes, gets hotish and then shuts down and cycles like that. We've had an engineer that's changed three temperature sensors and charged a fortune but it's still the same old problem! What might be the problem, Might you have an idea. Regards jh wf77pa
Great video, Alan, thanks. I have an old Alpha CB24 that works fine but looking for more efficient now. What do you think of the Vaillant Ecotec? Hard to find someone round here who will fit Ideals, it's all Vaillant or Worcester.
I do not install Vaillant.
Allen Hart and that says it all
Changed the left hand side hydro block on one yesterday, took me most of the afternoon, what a bastard of a job. Tried to do my checks after and it would not run. used my limited electrical knowledge to check that I had power to everything . Had almost given up, put the case on and the f**king thin ran. 7pm on Valentine's Day. It hasn't been serviced , expansion vessel has popped there is no way I'm stripping the burner in case of what doom I will find. I can do a straight swap in 4 hours (hate these boilers steer well clear)
Hi Timmy. I am not a lover of the boilers to be honest. 👍
Another very interesting video for me anyway,I am wondering ,would it make sense to prevent a lot of this buld up inside if the system was completely flushed every year as part of the service, or is that overkill.,cheers pete.
The build up where the baffles are is not part of the water system so it wont help with that. Its mainly just corrosion of the heat exchanger. Its complete overkill to flush every year. Flush once, make sure you have a good filter installed and the system adequately treated with inhibitor. This should keep you going at least ten years without a flush, providing you're not draining it regularly.
@@billybobhouse9559 Thanks again.
its maily due to bad design
I live in Croydon London, where can I get training in London
So what is the best boiler from your experience?
Worst manufacturer out of the lot in my opinion. Terribly designed boilers, terrible to fit, terrible to work on and still issues that haven't been resolved with certain parts in 10years.
The amount I've been to with ribbed heat exchangers because the boiler has been running almost dry because it's got no pressure and no low pressure switch is crazy. Just one of about 15 design flaws.
Edit: Glad to see it's not just me that thinks this. Thought I was going crazy, everyone I know in the trade thinks the sun shines out of Worcesters arse.
Not many boilers are worse than these in my opinion
I think a lot of that is driven by installers who are either on some kind of commission from Worcester or who only fit them and not have to maintain them. They never have to suffer through having to repair them.
@jez lucas Hi Jez hope you are well buddy. Thank you for the comment. The ri wasn’t a bad boiler, As you say it needs to be installed correctly though.
What’s the most reliable boiler in your opinion. I’ve always thought Worcester but lots of my 7 year + Boilers are starting to need to awkward service and repairs such as in this video 😏
hi Allen, wanted to ask how does the seals being worn possible affect the fan test? if the seals are letting air through even though its bad, doesnt that mean the fan has less restrictions so that means a higher negative fan pressure which means its a better result. Thanks again
About 10 times more reliable than the Ideal Logic heat exchanger. The WB is the most common heat exchanger in the uk, failure rates are extremely low and nearly always due to poor installation.
Thank you for the feedback.
i dissagre there such a bad designe and pain to work on i hate um agree ideal isnt the best but wb also sucks LOL
You need to put a little bit of coca-Cola on that bottom baffle comes out a dream
That’s what i used on the really bad one. It still bent the tool. Thanks.
Allen, you have to admit the design of these boilers are so bad that most engineers turn away at the sight of them for example changing a PRV, I find the easiest way to do this is to take the boiler off the wall, instead of taking out pump and hydro block, I don’t know for you but for an engineer who is going to do a service like what you have just demonstrated for the first time, it would be a nightmare so yes the design of these boilers are utterly crap. By the way great video very informative.
Allen fancy doing a job in north London
I use my armeg tap spanner to pull that bottom baffle out
I find the si compact trap blocks really easily. The heat exchanger produces loads of rubbish. Especially on LPG.
Al it’s a water jacket 😉
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Hi great videos. I’m moving into a 17 year old house in a couple of months. I want to upgrade to a combi boiler. Is there an extra bit of fitting that stops me running a gallon of water from the taps before it goes warm?
Yes you could use pumped return. Thanks.
Hi I need a boiler serviced how to get in contact with you?
www.cchleeds.co.uk
Put it this way, prefer to change them compared to ANOTHER promax rebuild.
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I can't understand how they are still in business
This boiler was designed with no thought or concept for future maintenance and service work
Not a great design in my opinion.
@@AllenHart999 i cant work out why they are still using the same heat exchanger design on the new ones , every other manufacturer has simple ways to clean the heat exchanger without the need to rag it about and replace the seals
@@accesszero4803 100% agree, I cannot think of many boilers worse than these to service.
@boiler man007 sell to the consumers not the installer
Funny how the Worcester engineer is working on brand new boiler like it’s simple try taking it out 9 years old with all the plastic shit and clips snapping lol
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I thought that, that return pipe is a bitch to get out. I have to hacksaw it off sometimes and fit a new one.
Shyster Bosch! Nasty boilers!
They take some stripping down sometimes. 👍
Sash Window I can’t agree with you more mate I’ve stopped using them got fed up of ripping my skin apart on simple little jobs switched over to Viessmann now, and will never look back!!!!
Had a Worcester 15sbi for 15 years, no issues. Had it serviced once 😂 Just replaced by an Worcester 8000 Life. 👍
Over priced over designed and over here
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Quality 👍 ( the video I mean )
He’s right, they never EVER come out that easy in real life. One thing I do to really give them a good clean is tip a kettle full of water down it first, the get the cleaning brush and I’ve bent it straight, I attach it to my small 10v drill and have it spinning moving it up and down as I go. It cleans them a lot better then spinning it with your hand and pulling it up and down.
If it’s less then 10 years old don’t WB send out a free heart changer or is that a myth?
Also fix price repairs can fuck off! Taking bread of a mans table. Try reducing the price of your parts
Not very good boilers. To change out the SRV you got to take out half the boiler just to get access to it. The fan design i.e. how its connected to the burner (heat cell) is a case of designers trying to be too clever
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If you have nimble hands, you can disconnect the cold inlet pipe and yank it to one side. If your lucky, it gives you enough room to reach up and take the prv out.failing that, you have to cut the cold pipe near the boiler and remove it. It's still a pain in the ass to do, first time took me an hour. Can do it in about 20mins now with practice. Much easier than the alternative imo. MAKE SURE THE CLIP IS IN CORRECTLY,USE A MIRROR. Just wanted to make that clear, for no particular reason /:
@@billybobhouse9559 20 mins is good going.
I’ve never service mine since I fitted it new, rubbish boiler to work on so I decided if it breaks I’ll replace with an ideal, nice and easy to service plus 12 year warranty. I stopped fitting Worcester’s over priced over complicated garbage.
Vogue? I am guessing you wouldn’t install a logic. Thanks.
Allen Hart I install lots of logics easy to clean the heat exchangers with hot water etc. Vogue is my boiler of choice.
Allen Hart the funny thing is I install a Worcester 15ri for my mate (he’s an engineer) and the kitchen fitter who instructed the job asked my opinion of the boiler. He didn’t like the reply.
@@ebebop Vogue is one of the best combi boilers on the uk market in my opinion. Thanks.
Allen Hart I agree, I’ve had little issues with the logic’s a few heat engines and flow turbines from a hundred or so. It amazes me how many people have a new boiler ask for plenty of warranty and never service them.
Biggest issue I’ve had with any logic range is the rear exit flue seal on logic heat. They could do with a design change.
If they where as easy as that Joe bloggs would be doing they are pure bs to change that ones in a training center prob been in out that many times could do it on its own
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That’s bullshit where I live you can’t you get a gasfitter I rang up about 20 to get mine done all promised to come and never turned up Eventually you just give up with depression I said we just bloody arrogant people gasfitter is I know but you’re probably right you should try to get it serviced might try again in a couple of years
Blimey, that fan must weigh a ton by the sound of it 6:28
Oxides
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Yeah if these heat cells aren't serviced as per Mi there's almost always a soot build up in the heat exchanger. If they're not attended to the kebab exchanger ribs. The burner gaskets fail because of backwards pressure of heat due to soot blockage. It's a pain in the a##e but it has to be done. Great Autopsy Allen 😜
ghostmanromeo uk disagree 100%. I blame Worcester all the way. It says in the mi’s only clean heat cell if it fails fan pressure test.it should state strip clean every year full stop. Burner gasket poor material and poor design along with the design of heat cell.worcester boilers are a high price boiler that has got a reputation of old models. Tech support is good though.
Those old traps are a pain in the ass to clean
The boiler in general is much harder than other brands. 👍
I think Worcester design their crud boilers like they do to keep their maintenance team in work lol.
Made on farms in the sprout fields I heard. 😭
These boilers still run when in zero pressure!! That’s just the start of their major issues !!
Up the Rhinos 😀😀
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@@AllenHart999 love all your videos. Thank you soo much for helping me out with my Gas.
@@Mrdarl0 Thank you for watching.
Wat een slecht ontwerp,pff,blij dat ik een Intergas xtreme heb,super zuinig en simpel en bedrijfs zeker,veilig en zuinig,laats gemeten...rendement op tapwater bovenwaarde 99,2%...ben er blij mee!,geen driewegklep,geen plaatwisselaar..en onderhoud super makkelijk,van de 100.000de wisselaars is er nog nooit maar 1 terug gekomen naar de fabriek door een defect,moet ik nog meer zeggen?.......................................................................................................................................What a bad design, pff, glad I have an Intergas xtreme, super economical and simple and reliable, safe and economical, last measured ... efficiency on tap water top value 99.2% ... I am happy with it, NO! three-way valve, no plate heatexchanger,for tapwater .. and maintenance is super easy, of the ,more than, 100,000th heatexchangers not even 1 has returned to the factory due to a defect, do I need to say more?
I hate working on Wussters
I'm sticking with my old gravity fed parkray. ..these combi boilers are a royal pain in the ass.😀
Looks like a lot of hassle
CHEVROLET BLAZE låser sig när den blir varm
Crap heat exchangers, I wouldn't have a Worcester Bosch, I'd rather sit in the cold lol. I go out to loads, rubbish, trouble with Worcester Bosch there good at marketing
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Thry are also recommended by Which? as a Best Buy...
@@stevehove2648 which doesn't know the problems us engineers see on a day to day basis, I wouldn't listen to which
@@WEYHARRY1 I get that, yes, but they do take into account the owners satisfaction. Same as they do with cars.
@@stevehove2648 yes your correct which does that. but normally they start going wrong between 5-7 years, they should ask engineers view and not just customer reviews
Compare the W-B with a quality product...
th-cam.com/video/AogaQXRH1UI/w-d-xo.html
bit of a faff bout sumes Worcester Bosch boilers all to gether pain in the ass LOL
Really not a good design, hard to clean, time consuming, and you can guarantee, that there will be one or more shoddy engineer wanting to save time , only inspecting the seal , and pipes leaving the rest . Let’s hope this cylinder style is discontinued soon in favour of a box with front lift off or horizontal style soon
looks ID to me..lol
Now i need to put it back together 😂😂😂😂😂👍