Dreadful quality of expansion vessels....why?

[Sharp Point]

As title girls n boys, why oh why. Let's discuss.

I know of a few vaillant turbomax combi's i installed years ago, that have never missed a beat ( well not quite true, a couple of minor repairs) their expansion vessels are still going strong. What is it with today's boilers? I am going back to boilers less then 18 months old with fubar'ed vessels and yes i have drained pressure off boiler and checked charge levels and recharged, but gone back the next day with pressure gone. Most have water coming outta the schrader valve when boiler pressure charged to whatever pressure. I usually just pass onto manufacturer if under warranty, but who pays me?
And why oh why, do they use such poxy small bored connecting tubes, Alpha have the worse internal diameter bore so far i've come across so far.

The quality of vessels are just dire and yes before you all dive in, i do chemically flush and clean out ALL my boiler installs with inhibitor added after, to the right concentrate levels too.

The boiler manufacturer's should get onto their component manufacturer's.

 

[Ray Stafford]

The boiler manufacturer's should get onto their component manufacturer's.

I expect the component manufacturers would say "pay us top dollar and we'll give you a top product... hello. Hello? Are you still there?"

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

I'll be honest and say I've not had any problems with boiler expansion vessels lately, the braided hose or small bore tube is asking for trouble though.


do you fit a magnetic filter?

 

[rpm]

I expect the component manufacturers would say "pay us top dollar and we'll give you a top product... hello. Hello? Are you still there?"

What was that quote by the guy going in to space when asked how he felt?
Something about 1000`s of parts all made by different companies for the lowest price. Probably got in to trouble for it but I admired his honesty.

 

[Sharp Point]

I expect the component manufacturers would say "pay us top dollar and we'll give you a top product... hello. Hello? Are you still there?"

True! but we pay good money for these boilers and did back in the day too!

 

[Sharp Point]

I'll be honest and say I've not had any problems with boiler expansion vessels lately, the braided hose or small bore tube is asking for trouble though.


do you fit a magnetic filter?

Sometimes, if asked to do so! but i clean thoroughly. Thing is i go to other boiler installs that i haven't fitted, with magnetic filters fitted and they're still perished. Magnetic filters are not all that, i'm sure you know that too. If i had i quid for every plate heat exchanger i've had to clean with a magnetic filter.

Better still, don't get me onto the subject of 'Magnetic filters'.......:32:

 

[Ray Stafford]

True! but we pay good money for these boilers and did back in the day too!

I dunno bogrodder. The day I started in this game (1986), I would have sold you a Chaffoteaux Celtic 24kw combi for £465 + VAT, and an extra £30 + vat for the Switchmaster 300. Today, I will sell you an Ideal independent for a couple of quid less, and you won't have to pay for the clock.

I was on £90 a week back then. Our new starters today start on £340 a week.

By comparison to wages, the boiler costs approx 1/4 of what it cost back then.

 

[Sharp Point]

I dunno bogrodder. The day I started in this game (1986), I would have sold you a Chaffoteaux Celtic 24kw combi for £465 + VAT, and an extra £30 + vat for the Switchmaster 300. Today, I will sell you an Ideal independent for a couple of quid less, and you won't have to pay for the clock.

I was on £90 a week back then. Our new starters today start on £340 a week.

By comparison to wages, the boiler costs approx 1/4 of what it cost back then.

True, but todays manufacturing techniques and competition keep boilers to a reasonable price. I'm not talking of the lower end boilers, i'm talking about the upper end boilers.
I fit the 'pro exclusive' which is the 'Independent' for landlords renters and ' Viessman' range as top end and logic's as mid range. Use to fit Vaillants as top end but theyre just poo poo nowadays.

 

[dancinplumba]

Surely we have all heard of designed obsolescence ???? After all, we live in a consumer society

 

[bigads28]

The worst ones I deal with by a country mile is on the Potterton Promax. Lucky if that holds a charge for a whole year, they are all the same and we've hundreds of them fitted!!

 

[Sharp Point]

The worst ones I deal with by a country mile is on the Potterton Promax. Lucky if that holds a charge for a whole year, they are all the same and we've hundreds of them fitted!!

Wow, i thought they were long gone. Use to fit them for a local authority back in the year 2000 ish. Do they still have that silly rocker switch on the front? with no thermostat control?

 

[Nostrum]

Vessels in today's boiler are smaller, 6-8 litres, whereas most older boilers had 12 litres. This makes them harder worked in comparison or undersized in some cases of installer negligence.

Plus the above, cost cutting. I bet the cost to manufacture a boiler today is about £100, add on packaging, shipping, merchants, distribution, technical support, warranty etc, all with mark up to make it worth while. That vessel is going to be worth about a tenner, which doesn't offer much incentive for high quality.

Worcester vessels are pants, often recharging 2 year old ones.

 

[SimonG]

I have picked up in previous threads that as a general rule it is an exception for the expansion vessel to be checked annualy on a gas boiler. Well thats the impression I picked up. On every oil combi or system boiler service that I do then the expansion vessel is checked. Most of the time I have a problem with an expansion vessel tends to be when its under sized.

But in the world we live in nobody is going to make something that lasts. Same as pharmaceutical companies prefer treatments to cures. No money in cures, especially when you can stick somebody on two tablets a day for the rest of their lives. Sad but true.

 

[PhoenixServices]

99% of the breakdowns I go to are expansion vessel/prv related or sludge.

 

[southcoastboile]

If you check a vessel on a service and it was working fine the schrader valve might not re seal, then you get a call saying "we'll it was fine before you serviced it"

i never touch them on a service unless I know they are faulty.

The glowworms are the worst boilers for vessels going. Nice and easy to replace though.