Powermax HE boiler keeps cutting out - system apparently requires cleaning out but Gas Engineer doesn't say it will cure problem as pipes are plastic. He recommends ripping out old pipes and re-plumbing and putting in new boiler - Help! sounds very drastic to me. We live in a new build (boiler only 4 years old)- surely builders would not have installed such a poor system - do I have any come back???

Worried Llio, March 2010

losing pressure means a leak.
look around for signs of water around radiatorsvand visible pipework. also check the pressure relief pipe which usually sticks outside below the flue.

Ian, March 2010

complain to british gas. having no access to the flue is "not to current standards" and not "at risk" and the engineer obviously knows nothing about these boilers or heating systems if he just blames the fault on the system needing cleaning. make sure when an engineer comes back he brings his manager with him

A British Gas engineer, March 2010

Ian - the boiler keeps losing pressure and cutting out - I can fix it manually. Have had to do this at least 10 times since last weekend.

I think he marked the boiler at risk as the flue is not accessible (the house is on three floors) the boiler is on the landing and the flue is boxed into the ceiling leading up to the top floor.

Worried Llio, March 2010

the british gas engineer was probably at risk of getting a bollocking for not having sold enough service contracts and installation work, that is why their good engineers leave and go to good firms like worcester bosch because being a good engineer isnt good enough for british gas they want them to be selling 125k plus per year on their patch or else, get a reputable independant to verify the problem, if its poor installation take it up with the nhbc, your builder wont want to loose their approval

john, March 2010

it won't be classified as at risk due to a dirty system. must be a flue, ventilation, or relief pipework issue to be classified as such, check the paperwork he should have left.

as for the system needing cleaned out, that's a different matter.
don't assume that the system is good as you have a new build, there are 2 estates i work in regulalry which are very poor and have been built in the last few years.

Only some types of plastic pipe are approved for use with heating systems, but it's very unlikely that the pipe used in your house in unsuitable due to just how new it is.

There is a small chance that the system could be very dirty after such a short time, but only if the original installers haven't flushed it out or if someone has added cleaning chemicals to the system.

What was the original fault?

Ian, March 2010

More like scared to touch it played and played on the safe side as he is the last responsible who called

a, March 2010

I am an unqualified muppet when it comes to boilers - I know nothing... but I have seen reports on here from others about the ways of British Gas - they seem to take great pains to scare customers into spending lots of money - it's called upselling...

You might always find a specialist gas engineer in Yellow Pages and get a second opinion and a cheaper solution.

Good luck...

Peccavi, March 2010