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[Marks DTM Calib]

British gas are the worst of the worse when it comes to heating systems, over priced and to many of them lacking competence.

As an example to the post about the mid position valve and pump replacement, a reasonable plumber would fit a new Grundfos pump, Honeywell valve (although it was probably only the synchron motor that had gone. but its only worth fitting Honeywell as they last) and a service for the £300 a year charge 

My advice to anybody would be, if you really want piece of mind, pay the £30 a month into a savings account and use it for the maintenance costs.

 TD, my concern with your mothers heating system is that BG should have been testing the water in the system to ensure the corrosion inhibitors are still ok as part of the service...........clearly they are not (might be worth doing a pop test with the gas from the bleed valves)

[Ever Ready]

Grundfoss & Honeywell - a winning combination

Had my Honeywell valve for nearly thirty years, new boiler and Grundfoss pump ten years ago and still going strong.

I have fitted many valves to various piece of equipment over the years and would still rate Honeywell as the best option in a domestic heating system

[Marks DTM Calib]

Grundfoss & Honeywell - a winning combination

Had my Honeywell valve for nearly thirty years, new boiler and Grundfoss pump ten years ago and still going strong.

I have fitted many valves to various piece of equipment over the years and would still rate Honeywell as the best option in a domestic heating system

The shame is that BG usually use an own branded valve which are utter rubbish (Drayton tat)

[aaronjb]

Ah, boiler insurance.. I decided to take that out on the house in Bracknell now it's rented out, to save any big headaches.. (It's "landlords insurance", of course)

The new tenants have a problem with the boiler (losing pressure, again) so the insurance people are called, they send a plumber out who .. removes a part for replacement, takes it with him and says he'll be back in a fortnight, leaving them with no heating!

What ground my gears was a) why do you need to take a part with you to get a replacement, even I can find the parts listings online.. b) why leave them with no heating when what they had was heating that needed topping up every week or so..

'course being the landlord I'm on the hook for alternative heating etc etc.

So .. Homeserve. Best avoided. Which I should have known, really...

[TD]

 TD, my concern with your mothers heating system is that BG should have been testing the water in the system to ensure the corrosion inhibitors are still ok as part of the service...........clearly they are not (might be worth doing a pop test with the gas from the bleed valves)

BG don't come out to service my mums boiler. The heating insurance is with an insurance company, which I carnt remember the name of now.... You phone them when you want it serviced (once a year) . They give you a heating/plumbing companies number and you have to phone them and make the appointment. Who the company is can be anyone, but certainly isn't BG and certainly not local either, given the area codes I was dialling when I attempted to get an emergency visit, before giving up and sorting it myself.

I'm actually tempted to ask the plumber I use, to write me out a bill for 'fixing' my mums heating....and send that to the insurance company, as the two numbers they gave me wouldn't come out for an emergency visit. I class fixing the heating system of an 85 yo as an emergency in winter. Altho its not that cold at the moment, she has to have the heating on all day. Usually the room stat is set around the 25C mark when I visit.

[Shackeng]

 TD, my concern with your mothers heating system is that BG should have been testing the water in the system to ensure the corrosion inhibitors are still ok as part of the service...........clearly they are not (might be worth doing a pop test with the gas from the bleed valves)

BG don't come out to service my mums boiler. The heating insurance is with an insurance company, which I carnt remember the name of now.... You phone them when you want it serviced (once a year) . They give you a heating/plumbing companies number and you have to phone them and make the appointment. Who the company is can be anyone, but certainly isn't BG and certainly not local either, given the area codes I was dialling when I attempted to get an emergency visit, before giving up and sorting it myself.

I'm actually tempted to ask the plumber I use, to write me out a bill for 'fixing' my mums heating....and send that to the insurance company, as the two numbers they gave me wouldn't come out for an emergency visit. I class fixing the heating system of an 85 yo as an emergency in winter. Altho its not that cold at the moment, she has to have the heating on all day. Usually the room stat is set around the 25C mark when I visit.

I agree, its certainly worth a letter, requesting payment, in a measured way, together with the plumber's bill, and preferably a atatement from someone independent (GP?), describing your mum's requirements due to age. Citizen's Advice may help, and would be worth contacting, also Age Concern for advice.

[TD]

 TD, my concern with your mothers heating system is that BG should have been testing the water in the system to ensure the corrosion inhibitors are still ok as part of the service...........clearly they are not (might be worth doing a pop test with the gas from the bleed valves)

BG don't come out to service my mums boiler. The heating insurance is with an insurance company, which I carnt remember the name of now.... You phone them when you want it serviced (once a year) . They give you a heating/plumbing companies number and you have to phone them and make the appointment. Who the company is can be anyone, but certainly isn't BG and certainly not local either, given the area codes I was dialling when I attempted to get an emergency visit, before giving up and sorting it myself.

I'm actually tempted to ask the plumber I use, to write me out a bill for 'fixing' my mums heating....and send that to the insurance company, as the two numbers they gave me wouldn't come out for an emergency visit. I class fixing the heating system of an 85 yo as an emergency in winter. Altho its not that cold at the moment, she has to have the heating on all day. Usually the room stat is set around the 25C mark when I visit.

I agree, its certainly worth a letter, requesting payment, in a measured way, together with the plumber's bill, and preferably a atatement from someone independent (GP?), describing your mum's requirements due to age. Citizen's Advice may help, and would be worth contacting, also Age Concern for advice.

I've got to have a look my mums policy to see if it included emergency cover.....if not, probably not worth pursuing it, tbh...

But I have been playing on Saga website on home buildings/contents cover....

For about the same price my mum was paying the other insurance company....she can have full building/contents cover that includes all electrics failure/central heating failure with emergency cover.....

I think that maybe worth investigating further 

[Shackeng]