11 minute read
Boilers
How to keep boilers going for longer
As the nation turns its heating back on against the backdrop of rocketing energy and living costs, we find out how gas engineers can keep older boilers working where possible rather than replacing them.
The rising cost of living is worrying millions of families across the UK. Energy and food prices have increased significantly and many are worried about making ends meet this winter.
When stretching household budgets is already difficult, what happens when unexpected repair costs rear their head? Appliances break down regardless of whether people have the money to replace them, and boilers are no exception.
Replacing an older, faulty or broken-down boiler with a newer model is likely to be more cost and energy efficient in the long term, but many households simply cannot afford to make that choice. So how can gas engineers help extend a boiler’s life?
Annual service
Households looking to save money may decide to forego the cost of an annual boiler service – but this would be a big mistake. In fact, scheduling a regular service is probably the best way to extend the life of their boiler, by making sure it is checked and cleaned regularly so that any small issues can be put right before they become more serious.
Martyn Bridges, Worcester Bosch’s director of Technical Services, says: “In some parts of
Europe annual boiler servicing is a legal requirement and in those countries it’s not unusual to see boilers lasting more than 20 years.
“The best route is to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and Benchmark Code of Practice during servicing. This might include annual checks on the system water quality and the strength or efficacy of any inhibitor that may have been used. Also, check any system filter that may have been installed.
“Some boilers may have consumable parts that need changing at certain times. With older, standard efficiency boilers, it was quite normal to replace the thermocouple at every service, while modern boilers may need to have the electrodes or a seal replaced every five years. If an engineer spots during servicing that these parts are deteriorating, they can be replaced before they cause any problems.”
If spare parts need to be fitted, Martyn recommends only using spares from the original manufacturer (genuine parts). He says: “[This will] reduce the risk of faulty parts being put into the system.
“Poorly manufactured parts from third parties could even shorten a boiler’s life.”
Check the water quality
Roy Fugler, technical trainer for Viva Training, highlights three steps that can help extend a boiler’s lifespan: • Checking the water quality, then flushing the system • Fitting a system filter • Chemically treating the system as required.
He adds: “If possible, adjust the boiler for the heating load: some modern boilers allow engineers to access the boiler parameters and adjust the heating output. This will make the boiler more likely to condense and more economical to run. Also, the boiler won’t be working as hard and so should last longer.”
Roy says gas engineers should carry spares of parts that are often replaced during servicing, such as burner seals and electrodes. He also recommends making the following checks during a service to prevent early parts failure: • Ask the householder if they have had any issues • If possible, check error histories
How to keep boilers going for longer
Mark Grieves from Plymouth Gas says taking the time to carry out a thorough service can make a real difference. “The key to extending the life of a boiler is regular servicing,” he says. “With that, the onus always seems to be on the installer to educate the public, but you can’t do that if you’re not already engaging with them somehow.
“I put a lot of information on Twitter reminding people that not all appliances have to be replaced straight away, even if they’re old. You might find an appliance that is broken or obsolete, but if you’re willing to take the time and effort to take it apart and repair it, you can often keep it working without having to replace it.
“Jumping straight to fitting a new boiler isn’t always right for the customer – especially if they can’t afford it.
“The other problem is that if you sell them a boiler with a long warranty, they often think they don’t have to do anything with it for that long, and they don’t get it serviced, unless they’re fully advised about the warranty conditions.
“There are plenty of other things you can do during a service that can help extend the boiler’s life. [Consider] draining down the boiler, taking a water sample to assess any further work required and, while the boiler is drained, you can remove the air vent, operate the isolating valves, check the wet pocket sensors, remove the plate heat exchanger and give it a rinse, check and recharge the expansion vessel – all while the boiler’s empty.
“These are all things that might not be written down as part of the service, but if you can do them, especially on older boilers, you know it’ll help to keep the boiler working for the next 12 months.
“You’ve got to keep in mind that, when you service a boiler you’re going to be coming back again next year and you don’t want any problems in the meantime. With older boilers especially, it’s all to do with your willingness to dig a little bit deeper.
“Just because something is not in the book, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t at least consider doing it. It may extend the time you are there, but being able to justify that time on work that is beneficial to the appliance and the customer is time you will be paid for. Not many customers object to paying for a service if they’re given the opportunity to start setting money aside for a replacement. When that time comes, you’ll be the first person they call.”
(engineers to check previous locking and blocking codes on some boilers) • Check the expansion vessel • Inspect all seals for leaks • Visually inspect electrodes for warping. “Always remind the customer that if a system is losing pressure or error codes display on a regular basis, they should get these checked out immediately. If left, the repairs could be costly.
“Familiarise yourself with the boilers you are working on and always have the manufacturer’s instructions available – either a hard copy or electronic version. Most of the manufacturers hold these on downloadable apps.”
Reduce stress
Reducing the physical daily stresses on the boiler’s internal components can also help extend its life and reduce the need to spend money on replacement parts.
Darren McMahon, Viessmann’s marketing director, says: “We’d recommend engineers tune installed boilers to be able to modulate their flow temperature, and to range-rate combi boilers.
“Introducing boiler modulation means reducing the amount of cycling and allowing it to run at lower temperatures when suitable, avoiding the need to run it at a high temperature. One way to do this is through weather or load compensation.
“For combi boilers, rangerating the space heating function is recommended to overcome the effects of stress on boilers of, in many cases, them being oversized for heating. A 30kW combi boiler that has been sized for a property’s hot water requirements should easily be able to be knocked down to 15kW to deliver the heating requirement.
“Perform a simple heat-loss calculation and then follow the range-rating process as defined by the manufacturer. As a result, the boiler will run at a lower output, cycle less and save energy and cost.”
Manufacturers have an obligation to supply spare parts for 10 years once production ceases, and Darren says: “There are good and reliable third-party options for components such as pumps and gas valves, but circuit boards and fans are more likely to be manufacturer-specific.”
Check the system water
Prolonging the boiler’s life requires more than just focusing on the appliance because much of the sludge and corrosion that can damage internal parts is caused by dirty system water. Mike Hook, training manager at Intergas Heating Solutions, says: “The vast majority of new installs fail due to poor water quality, but corrosion is always going to be the heating system’s enemy, so maintenance and monitoring of the water chemistry must be done.”
BS 7593:2019 requires an annual on-site water test to check the level of inhibitor and the cleanliness of the system, with inhibitor being re-dosed every five years or a full system water test undertaken. Mike continues: “For your customers to get the most out of >
How to keep boilers going for longer
(continued)
their new boiler, we recommend following this water treatment plan: it will help protect and maintain the system and save unnecessary expense for years to come.” 1 Fill the system with mains cold water to 1.5 bar and check for any leaks (rectify where necessary). Drain the system thoroughly, making sure all drain cocks are fully open. 2 Refill the system with mains cold water to 1.5 bar. Purge out the air and, if possible, circulate before switching on the appliance, then operate the boiler at normal rate until the target temperature has been reached and all radiators are hot. Drain the system thoroughly making sure all drain cocks are fully open. 3 Add the correct amount of recommended cleaner. 4 Refill and commission the system in the normal way, operating the boiler for at least one hour at normal temperature. A longer period of time – up to one week maximum – is beneficial to the cleaning process especially if excess flux was used during the installation. 5 Drain and flush the system thoroughly to remove any cleaning chemicals or debris.
Use a TDS meter to check the total dissolved solids have been removed. The system can be regarded as being thoroughly cleaned when the system water value is within 10 per cent of the mains water value. Values over 10 per cent indicate that significant cleaner residues have been left within the system and further flushing is required. 6 Once the system has been cleaned thoroughly, add the correct dose of inhibitor to protect it against limescale and corrosion. 7 The treatment sticker provided with the protectors should be correctly completed and applied to the boiler casing or boiler commissioning certificate (Benchmark). 8 An approved in-line system filter should be fitted to ensure continued long-term protection of the heating system.
Simple steps for consumers
The actual repair of a boiler is 99 per cent down to the gas engineer, but there are still ways that consumers can be proactive in keeping their boilers working for longer. We asked gas engineer Andy Gibb for his advice:
“Let’s begin with having the boiler correctly serviced by a reputable company. This really can show up any unseen issues hidden away inside that white box on your wall. Expect to pay £80-£100 or so, and this really is often a case of a stitch in time saves nine.
“If you suspect there may be a problem with your boiler, get it looked at as soon as possible. Small problems lead to bigger ones, and a tiny leak now will become a flood next month. Boilers can’t fix themselves and that small problem will not go away on its own.
“Never go on YouTube and attempt to fix anything yourself. It really isn’t worth it, and gas engineers would far rather you didn’t do this – not just from a monetary point of view, but also because it’s us who pick up the pieces and it will end up costing you more.
“Run your heating at the lowest temperature you can manage. If your room thermostat sits at 18°C, turn it down to 17°C. This will not only save you money on your fuel bill but will place less long-term stress on your boiler, helping it to last for longer.”
Remote monitoring
Remote appliance monitoring can also speed up boiler repairs and improve your customer service. For example, Resideo’s remote monitoring works with all Open-therm boilers. It provides real-time visibility, monitoring, fault diagnosis and predictive faults of the heating systems across your whole portfolio, from a single point of access and control. You can use remote monitoring to see exactly what is happening to each system in real time, including data on temperature, water pressure and flow.
This means that if you notice a potential issue, you can proactively contact the customer, explain the issue, and arrange a visit, taking all the parts and equipment you need to fix the problem on your first visit.
Aldo D’Ingeo, EMEA business development manager at Resideo, says: “Historically, if a homeowner had an issue with their boiler, they would need to alert the engineer of the problem, schedule an appointment, and wait for an engineer to come to their home to diagnose the issue. There then may need to be future appointments scheduled to complete the repair.
“Remote appliance monitoring can reduce time spent on wasted callouts and can also lead to increased revenue opportunities, as you are able to demonstrate to your customers exactly what needs to be done to get their system working optimally.” ■
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