Without an annual boiler service, this customer could have had far worse to deal with than just a costly repair.
Many of us take our consumer appliances for granted. We buy them and just use them. The fridge freezer does its job day in, day out. We switch on the tv after a hard day at work. Get in the car and expect it to start. Turn the shower or tap on and assume we have hot water in our central heated bathroom. In fact, most of our appliances don’t need any form of maintenance. For safety, our cars by law need a yearly MOT check after 3 years, plus regular servicing recommended by the manufacturer. But the gas boiler only has mandatory servicing for rented accommodation.
Now this job is a prime example of why there should be a law for a mandatory annual boiler service. We knew there was a major service due soon with this boiler because this model requires one every 5 years. However, what we didn’t expect is how the situation would present itself!
Our visual inspection inside the combustion box discovered concerning levels of heat exposure. As a result, a major graphite seal, known as G10, had worn out. The G10 provides a gas-tight seal between the heat exchanger and the burner. This ensures all products of combustion leave the heat exchanger and out through the flue. The failed G10 seal causes excess heat to build up in the combustion box. Fortunately, the combustion box has its own seal, preventing harmful products of combustion from entering the premises.
The combustion box houses the heat exchanger and burner, and other important components. On close inspection, we discovered one of these components, the rear collector had cracked. This plastic component failed because of excess heat build-up. So we had no choice but to replace the part. After a full strip-down service and replacement of parts and seals, we left the boiler working perfectly.
In conclusion, failure to have a routine service would have led to much more serious consequences. If you have any concerns with your boiler and live in the Leeds area, please get in touch.