boiler service/safety dispute

homecare came

British Gas?

Their engineers are on a commission if they can get you to buy a new boiler.....

Just get someone else to check it again, it's probably 100% ok.

EDIT: seen your last bit. I think BG ripped you off....

+1 on BG / Home are ripping you off.

I had my BG / homecare ‘service’ five years on the trot and my heating was left switched off with an ‘not up to standard ‘ notice or something of that ilk on every occasion.
Basically for the first of those services apparently my air brick in the wall near the boiler was too small, in spite of apparently allowing enough oxygen in on the day, it was 100mm in dia. The following year I’d opened it to what was required only to be told it was now to be 225mm square. I sorted this by the following year and the living room might as well have had a broken window . On the third visit the bracket holding the flue in the loft suddenly became unsafe and incorrect.
All gone now and new combi put in last year. British Gas didn’t get the work.

Put it down to experience.

Did the first chap fix it? I’m assuming not otherwise you wouldn’t have got home care out?

Those condemning it had a vested interest in doing so as they supplied the new one by the sound of it. 1st chap can not unreasonably argue this. If you have removed the evidence then hard to prove either way whether the first advice or second advice you got was correct.

1 week later, homecare came in so we could take out the insurance and condemned the inoperable boiler.
Recommended replacement.

By insurance I'm guessing you mean boiler insurance? And BG/homecare came in to do a 'service' as part of your insurance package.

Sacked that off years ago. Had the British gas service/insurance plan and a relatively complex (at the time - fairly standard now) WB boiler. The people they sent around, not BG employees but some third party firm who normally dealt with council house boilers were clueless. I mean, properly clueless. Then we had a problem and they couldn't find anyone who could deal with it on their books. Inept does not even get close. Paid for a local independent engineer to come in in the end who sorted in one 30min visit.

So firstly, reconsider the need for a homecare plan - use local well regarded tradesmen and factor in the cost of self insuring.

Secondly - suspect you might have been shafted into buying a new boiler. Not saying a new boiler might not have it's benefits, but they had skin in the game with you getting one at the time of their choosing.

Mark it down as one for experience. I'd not be blaming the original gas engineer - you might want to keep a good relationship with him longer term when you ditch BG.

Seem to be missing some info..what did the original guy mean by saying it wasn’t in good condition?
How did Homecare justify its ‘condemned’ status?
Assuming they mentioned sludge in the system, a) how do they know? B) how is a new boiler going to fix sludge?

Plus BG are well known for being the most expensive installer around. Often comimg in at 50% more than the available prices on like for like install by gas safe fitters.

Yep I'm wondering how sludge requires a new boiler. The central heating would need cleaning and flushing whether you need a new boiler or not...

Did the first plumber recommend flushing the system when he replaced the pump?

The original gas guy didn't recommend anything beyond the pump/valve replacement to get the system working and complete his certificate until we queried how the boiler was now inoperable and deemed to be condemned by BG homecare.
It was working for the 20 minutes after he installed the pump/valve whilst doing his tests then was off when BG came to do their home inspection

(The homecare visit was to check the property as ok to resume insurance.. it had lapsed previously and as far as we know we had all systems working)

The suggestion that the system "didn't seem to be in good condition" was following asking if he had any input as to how we go from his gas safe issuance to BG condemned inside a week.
His answer that sludge could have got into the boiler at any time after his work. Asked why he didn't recommend a service if he was able to suggest that the system appeared to be in poor condition, was that he was only appointed to do a gas safe certificate and that it was not a service call.

My first though was BG were trying it on, they did offer flush and repair but suggested this may not be a reliable repair. the system was flushed with the new boiler install and since then BG have, under homecare replaced 2 radiators at no cost.

I'm at arms length on this and not the one making phone calls and getting quotes.

BG homecare does seem to give piece of mind for those at home dealing with things. My solo mum uses it frequently and I think genuinely cost effective. The other option would have been fully managed letting agents who wanted to be able to initiate repairs totally 3mo rent without prior approval. BG seems the least worse.

chalk up to experience I guess.

Not related to your problem but I wouldn't let BG inside my property.

The last time they were here the BG "Engineer" carrying out an annual boiler service managed to snap off the test port then capped off the hole with a piece of tinfoil. He said nothing and left the property job done. 30 min later my utility room was stinking of gas. This is a much longer story & it's not the leak that was the worst part. BG response to this was delayed & bumbling to put it politely. I called Transco & they appeared within 30 minutes.

BG i personally won't be using again in a hurry.

Assuming they mentioned sludge in the system, a) how do they know?

My first thought.

Still, at least it's a lesson learned, hopefully.

Yep I’m wondering how sludge requires a new boiler. The central heating would need cleaning and flushing whether you need a new boiler or not…

It doesn't, very easy to remove it.

However, the engineer claiming it can't be removed gets a kickback if he can condemn your boiler and convince you to buy a new one from BG!

Still, at least it’s a lesson learned, hopefully.

Yep, never trust a BG engineer to tell you the truth about a boiler.....

He shrugged off the first query as to how he certified a condemned boiler so not sure how amenable he’d be.

He didn't though, did he? Rather, BG condemned a certified boiler.

All other things aside, you've had the work carried out now so any further He Said She Said is likely pointless. The time to be finger-pointing was when the allegedly unsafe boiler was still on the wall. Even if the first guy's work wasn't up to scratch, you didn't give him any opportunity to make good.

Incidentally,

Bear in mind that "condemned" doesn't mean "you need a new one," it means that they've switched it off because they aren't 100% happy that it's safe. It can be un-condemned if it's been repaired by a registered engineer.

Landlord and manager of many residential properties here.
In the gamble that is insurance I feel I have won so far. My main plumber reccomended that we not get any insurance in 1995 when I started. I've replaced 20 year old boilers when I could not get parts, however we saw it coming and planned for it. I have never had an "unexpected" boiler failure that required a new boiler and hence any insurance. Its always been one part or another that the plumber can replace at not much cost to me.
Find a really really good gas boiler plumber, and use him from now on, forget the insurance its a scam.

As an aside we had a leaky water inlet pipe fixed today. After the work was complete the engineer said he had to stick a sticker on warning that it was in a cupboard. He said there’s no issues with it being in a cupboard, and it’s quite clearly in a cupboard, so the sticker is a bit pointless but they been told to do it.

Any idea why?

I am also with Cougar on this, I have a distrust of the BG engineers and they will look for a reason to condem it to scare you up.