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[TD]

My 17 month boiler experienced a problem.....the outside temp sensor stopped working....so the controller went into a default mode and assumed the outside temp was 0c....thus meant the heating still worked but was making the boiler work harder than it needed to.

Call to Vaillant on Fri lunchtime.....explained the problem....heating type blokey booked for today! 
Turned up about 9.30am, replaced everything to do with the controller....that is controller + circuit board for controller fitted in the boiler + the outside temp sensor....

Carnt fault that service.....fixed within 24hrs of call under warranty 

I did ask why he was changing the whole lot and not just the outside temp sensor.....apparently it comes as a complete kit....so might as well change the lot 

[TheBoy]

Had something similar at a friends house in that he couldn't just replace the stat, but had to replace multiple parts, as it was a kit.

[TD]

Had something similar at a friends house in that he couldn't just replace the stat, but had to replace multiple parts, as it was a kit.

Well, if the outside temp sensor packs up again outside warranty and I cannot just buy the outside sensor.....I wont be buying the 'kit' ....its nearly £200 of 'kit'.

[Bigron]

TD, I suspect that a complete kit is all that they would sell you, because they make loads more money that way - the "excuse" being that it aids diagnosis and speed ot repair and there might be other faults, so best to change the lot!
Might I suggest that you check the sensor for identifying part numbers and manufacturer, because it's likely to be a supplied part, and research via RS Components of Farnell catalogues - and get one whilst you can.....

Ron.

[joff]

I Just call the son-in law and let him do it

[Broomies Mate]

Chances are, the design of a component has been updated.  Therefore, replacing several components is necessary.

Of course, the company won't be telling you this because they will be accepting a design flaw (rather than a component failure).

Still, Kudos for the prompt warranty repair. 

[Marks DTM Calib]

They don't sell the bits separately as they know dam well that a van will turn up outside your house with a person inside pertaining to be an engineer, they will then change willy nilly parts until the fault is fixed because they have not a clue the system is doing so have no means to intelligently fault find it (I note boilers now display fault codes to......so we are into the automotive world!)

far easier for them to supply a single 'electronics' pack so the lot is changed in one go rather than many visits.

[Kevin Wood]

It'll be a sad day when my non-condensing boiler finally dies and I have to endure the abysmal reliability of a condensing boiler.

When you're designing a product whose internals spend most of their life on fire how can you fail to make a simple temperature sensor outlast the "flamey bit"?

[aaronjb]

Interesting - I booked a fixed price repair for my Glow Worm boiler.  Called them to confirm and they're part of the Vaillant group.. hopefully I also have a good experience to report!

[TD]

They don't sell the bits separately as they know dam well that a van will turn up outside your house with a person inside pertaining to be an engineer, they will then change willy nilly parts until the fault is fixed because they have not a clue the system is doing so have no means to intelligently fault find it (I note boilers now display fault codes to......so we are into the automotive world!)

far easier for them to supply a single 'electronics' pack so the lot is changed in one go rather than many visits.

Oh yes! A service is made easy for them as well....they just hook up an equivalent of a tech2, attach a pipe to the gas feed, shove a sensor probe into the flu and then let the 'tech2' put the boiler through it paces.....5 mins later its supposedly tested the boiler and its safety features, measured the flue exhaust and gas pressure. The only other thing they have to do is clean out the magnetic filter....job jobbed!

[TD]

TD, I suspect that a complete kit is all that they would sell you, because they make loads more money that way - the "excuse" being that it aids diagnosis and speed ot repair and there might be other faults, so best to change the lot!
Might I suggest that you check the sensor for identifying part numbers and manufacturer, because it's likely to be a supplied part, and research via RS Components of Farnell catalogues - and get one whilst you can.....

Ron.

I'll have a look into that.....thankyou 

[Marks DTM Calib]

They don't sell the bits separately as they know dam well that a van will turn up outside your house with a person inside pertaining to be an engineer, they will then change willy nilly parts until the fault is fixed because they have not a clue the system is doing so have no means to intelligently fault find it (I note boilers now display fault codes to......so we are into the automotive world!)

far easier for them to supply a single 'electronics' pack so the lot is changed in one go rather than many visits.

Oh yes! A service is made easy for them as well....they just hook up an equivalent of a tech2, attach a pipe to the gas feed, shove a sensor probe into the flu and then let the 'tech2' put the boiler through it paces.....5 mins later its supposedly tested the boiler and its safety features, measured the flue exhaust and gas pressure. The only other thing they have to do is clean out the magnetic filter....job jobbed!

And in the mean time the thin metals heat exchanger is getting merrily clogged up because they no longer hoover the salt formations out. 

[TD]

They don't sell the bits separately as they know dam well that a van will turn up outside your house with a person inside pertaining to be an engineer, they will then change willy nilly parts until the fault is fixed because they have not a clue the system is doing so have no means to intelligently fault find it (I note boilers now display fault codes to......so we are into the automotive world!)

far easier for them to supply a single 'electronics' pack so the lot is changed in one go rather than many visits.

Oh yes! A service is made easy for them as well....they just hook up an equivalent of a tech2, attach a pipe to the gas feed, shove a sensor probe into the flu and then let the 'tech2' put the boiler through it paces.....5 mins later its supposedly tested the boiler and its safety features, measured the flue exhaust and gas pressure. The only other thing they have to do is clean out the magnetic filter....job jobbed!

And in the mean time the thin metals heat exchanger is getting merrily clogged up because they no longer hoover the salt formations out. 

I'm undecided about that, but it did cross my mind....its the same heat exchanger that does the radiators and the hot water in my case (combi) . The boiler shuts the rads down when there is hot water demand. So, not knowing really how it works, would the heat exchanger be sloshing the chemicals about that's in the rad circuit?  when the rads are on? Plus my hot water temp is set to 43C (gives a lovely hot shower at that temp) so how much limescale deposit would there be 

[Kevin Wood]

I'm undecided about that, but it did cross my mind....its the same heat exchanger that does the radiators and the hot water in my case (combi) . The boiler shuts the rads down when there is hot water demand. So, not knowing really how it works, would the heat exchanger be sloshing the chemicals about that's in the rad circuit?  when the rads are on? Plus my hot water temp is set to 43C (gives a lovely hot shower at that temp) so how much limescale deposit would there be 

There's a second water-water heat exchanger in a combi to do the hot water, so the main heat exchanger still heats the closed CH circuit water.

[Marks DTM Calib]

The salts etc form due to the burning of the gas on the outside and the reaction with the non-oxygen part of air.

Part of this will be washed away by the condensate (in theory), but not all.