New boiler needs replacing!!???

Have you got any 'paper trail' for the conversations leading upto this point, mainly from the boilers installers?.

Having to 'top up" a system that regularly isn't usually a good sign, and a reputable company would/should not advise one to do it without trying to locate the cause of the pressure drop tbh Sophie.

 

Get the boiler manufacturer out to inspect the standard of installation.

 

Absolutely - do as Astra says NOW.

I wouldn't trust the original boiler installers an inch - it does sound as tho' they are more obsessed at blaming others for this.

(Having said that, It could be that they are right in what they say - but the chances are very very remote).

The ONLY solution is an independent inspection.

I think Potterton will understand that you have reasons for having no confidence in the original installer, so I would hope they would come out FOC - or it'll be a standard call-out fee at worst (which you will be able to recoup from whoever caused this.)

A boiler losing pressure on a daily basis to the point of it failing to fire up suggests a very significant leak. Even losing pressure over just a few weeks as it did immediately after installation is FAR too much. (A sealed system like this should only need minor toppoing-up every 6 to 12 months at most, and some not at all).

Two essential places it can leak from - from within the boiler, or from the rest of the system (pipes, radiators, etc). I have to say that the most common source is from the 'rest' of the system, especially on a new installation - having the boiler itself leaking from new is very rare so does suggest either a poor installation or else an inherent fault with the boiler. In either case - YOU ARE COVERED.

The original installers have been very poor here since you first reported the drop in pressure that was significant enough to stop the boiler working only a few weeks after the new install - that should have sounded warning bells for them, and they should have come out as a courtesy at the very least.

That was poor judgement by them.

You are a 'layman' (woman) and are not 'meant' to understand the significances of such a pressure drop (although the instructions will say something like "It'll need occasional top-ups and this is how to do it. Regular drops in pressure should be investigated..."), so you did the 'right thing' - you contacted the installers.

They have abjectly failed you.

Call Potterton this morn. Explain you need an independent eye cast over this. You need to know (as you say): (a) the rust and damage inside the boiler was caused by a leak of roughly what duration? (b) Where is the leak coming from - and what is the cause? (c) Has the boiler been installed correctly? (d) Are there any signs of the boiler having been 'tampered' with since installation - any signs of the mountings having been disturbed (that will be a difficult one to call.)

I would suggest that the kitchen fitters would not have touched the actual boiler as to do so would have required a GasSafe engineer. Also, they would always try and work around a boiler and only remove/dismount it to help with the cupboard installation as a very last resort (far too much extra work). I would further suggest that, even if they did move the actual boiler mountings, they would not have had to touch the internal components - which is where the leak appears to be from.

The boiler fitters claim the boiler is not level? When you look at the boiler NOW, does it look level to you?

If it does NOT look level, how 'bad' is it, and is this something you would/should have noticed before?

Can you take a photo straight on, showing the boiler and cupboard? (Keep the pic under 2MP)

In any event, please do NOT allow these guys back in to your home, at least not until the actual cause has been properly diagnosed.

CALL POTTERTON OUT! If they can't attend for a couple of days, then delay the installers and cope with an electric heater and kettles.

IF this situation turns out to be as bad as it sounds - an incompetent installer, dreadful customer services, and an attempt to evade responsibility (whilst blaming another company!), then this installer needs hammering.

Good luck - and keep us posted.

 

Shucks...

A couple of things I should add:

1) IF this leak was caused by the kitchen fitters (which I don't believe), then the original installers would surely be assisting you in making a claim against them! Not expecting you to fork out the best part of £2k for a replacement!

2) When you call Potterton to come out, ask WHO they will send - make sure it isn't someone from this local company! (This company might be the 'authorised' installers in your area, and might be who Pott would first call!) You need to explain your concerns, and that you need an INDEPENDENT inspector.

Good luck - this should be a painless process for you. YOU have done NOTHING wrong.

 

Please! Don't! Stop!

Really, please don't stop.



Brrrrr - cheeeshhh.

 

Rust inside a boiler doesn’t happen overnight. It takes months. If the rust is as bad as they say then it’s been rusting away for a long time.
If it’s been leaking inside from day one then it’s more likely a potterton issue as that’s probably how it came out the box. Manufacturer warranty should kick in.
However potterton may not be interested as it should have been picked up during its first service, which would have been over a year ago.
The original installer should have identified the leak within a couple of recall visits after the installation. The installer should have then repaired under their installation warranty or got potterton to repair under the manufacturer warranty.

Not the kitchen fitters fault. A fitted boiler will barely have any movement if the pipes are clipped.
Potterton know nothing about the issues, so currently can’t blame them.
That leaves the original installers.

 

I honestly can't see that installing a kitchen unit around a boiler would cause a rust issue. Get back to the original installers and please seek Citizens Advice Bureau advice.

 

Good point about annual services, Mike. It seems as tho' that hasn't been carried out or else it would have been picked up as you say.

That may give the installer/Potterton an attempt at a 'get out', but they'll fail - they are still liable.

The only reason Astra (and I) suggest getting Potterton out, is because the original installers do appear to be trying to fob off this customer, blaming the kitchen fitters instead.

This needs an independent inspection, ideally by folk who know this boiler intimately and can directly point to the 'issue'.

The original installers are already booked to come out - to replace the boiler at the customer's expense! I personally wouldn't let them cross the threshold until I'd had an independent expert analysis on this install.

 

Getting potterton out is a good idea.
Potterton may say that the warning signs of problems were evident (topping up pressure frequently). If this leak was dealt with at the beginning the boiler would have suffered no rust. Potterton could say these issues should have been prevented so later damage is not their problem. Hopefully not though.
These problems were ignored by the installer even though the customer reported pressure issues.

Any decent installer takes full responsibility for their work. The installer in this case was responsible for the boiler and any pipework they fitted. If the pressure started dropping they at a minimum had to check inside the boiler and their pipework. If all the new work was checked over correctly they may then have assumed that the leak was on the existing pipework.

The customers pressure may well have held for years prior to the boiler upgrade yet the installers disregard this.

The installers fobbed the customer off And would have done this if necessary until the installation warranty expired.
This is shocking customer service from a poor installer who takes the money and runs. Probably didn’t commission or fill out the benchmark either.

 

Hi

Is the boiler in warranty?

If so phone the manufacturer?

If you are concerned about the installation phone gas safe

 

What's happened to the OP............keep us posted with updates

 

There is nothing more to say really

It’s a bodge, Call a gas safe engineer and ask them to check it over,

Then call the installer and threaten gas safe action if they don’t sort