Gas boiler fault finding... who foots the bill!???

[gassafe]

Okay, now i dont consider myself to be the best "fault finding" engineer out there, and much prefer the installation side of work, but with the cold weather approaching I thought i would ask some questions on the following scenarios...

For example, If after looking at a combi boiler where the hot water flow goes hot then cold, hot then cold etc I would be thinking blocked w-w heat exchanger, after testing thermistors etc... My question is what if the boiler after fitting a new £150.00 exchanger still has the same fault...??? Other than me looking daft, the customer is going to think Im not paying for that, it didnt fix it!!! ( which is fair enough ) But then im 150 out of pocket!

Probs not the best example, but my point is that some intermitent faults really do mean it might not be first time first fix surely, I dont wanna go to boiler breakdowns thinking that if my part dosent fix it.. its on the "house"!!! Espically when you follow the boilers fault charts these days and they all point to the pcb =[ ...

Does anyone else have this issue or should i just take it easy untill i build up breakdown experience?

 

[cdodds2004]

what i do when its a itermittent fault, is take my best educated guess, with tell the customer that there could be more than one fault the same as a car, and its just a process of elimination sometimes

now if the new part you fit doesnt fix problem replace old part. and make sure your friends with parts centre or who ever you use and will allow you to re-stock stuff, or keep as a spare.

breakdowns imo, if you dont no how the boiler works ie the sewquence of operation and have basic knowledge of a multimeter then dont bother, if you have the basic knowledge then you can usually find your way through and learn at the same time, just dont rush and pre judge repairs before you get there, i used to prejudge alot, and i dont now its time consuming lol

and post on here when ur sturggling people are always helping me out with faults lol

 

[arran197]

I don't consider myself to be the breakdown engineer of the year either mate, I am still new to this game (age 22, been qualified for 2 years after a 2 year apprenticeship). I always try and explore all the possibilities before putting it down to one part. A lot of breakdowns I have found are due to user error or low pressure. But where the boiler is at fault, I usually ring the manufacturer's technical helpline if I am not 100% sure.

A typical example is last week, I went to an old Glow Worm Ultimate 40FF. The boiler had blown the fuse on the board. My initial thought was, the board has gone, usually the components such as fan etc blow the 3 amp spur fuse. I rang the technical helpline and after waiting an age, the guy said that a common problem was the gas valve, which was replaced by a revised part. This was the most likely cause. I ordered the gas valve and a load of fuses, tried the boiler and it blew the fuse again. So I unplugged the gas valve and the boiler went through ignition. So it was the gas valve. I replaced it and the boiler worked.

I guess what I am saying is that, it doesn't really matter if you ask for help, at the end of the day, if you get the job done and done correctly first time with the minimum cost, all ends well. This is the same for any colleges, mates, etc. You will pick things up the more you do too. Like now, I know that if I go to an Ultimate 40 FF, not only there is 2 GC number for the alterations they made, but the gas valve is a common fault and that there is a kit to alter the gas valve from the old version to the new.

If you don't know what the problem is, or you think it is not worth it, tell the customer you don't want the job and they will respect you for not trying and making a hash of it. I had the offer of a foreigner a few months back, bloke had a leak. But it was buried behind the wall, so I said it was too big a job and didn't do it. Turns out the guy had to rip the wall off in the bathroom to repair it. Had I have done that and not located the leak, who picks up the cost. Not me, I would be bankrupt!

 

[marleyco]

i personally hate repairs. was at an intermittant fault last week, both times i saw the boiler it worked fine, was about to leave thinking their making it up and it stopped working for e few seconds. the fan wasnt turning almost as though it was jammed. renewed fan and worked for a day, 1 call to tech helpline, replaced ignition board, job done. another was guy called bg out twice for same problem £150 a time, still wasnt fixed. i simply cleaned heat exchanger to allow gases to pass and it worked.
i find customers are all different, some will pay you for the wrong part and some wont. really tho why bother with repairs, its a headache, its lying a couple of hundred pound out to make 40 quid cos you fixed it 10 mins. i still do it though as your expected to, being gsr.

 

[cdodds2004]

the more you do the more you learn and come across the same things over and over and after a while i think it just starts to all click in your head, he who dares wins, breakdowns can be a lucrative business if you are good at it!

 

[gassafe]

This is how i feel sometimes on boiler repairs, If i fix it first time i made probarly £150.00 (part) plus the £40.00 quid i charged to change it, but if i got it wrong im out of pocket =[ Sometimes it dont seem worth the risk / hassle...

How do guys make money on the simple fixes even in the winter? Lets say we have an easy day, its 3 frozen condensate drains... I would only make £90.00 if i fixed all three within the first hour on site, which minus the fuel, and travel time aint much... I cant do the whole "sucking " through the teeth, i changed "this and that" it will be £180.00 =] ... im too honest to make any money i reckon...

 

[cdodds2004]

dont lie to people or rip them off, charge a resonable amount for the attend and then mark up the part slightly and your onto a winner, and tbh i was only charging £30 quid for condensates last year felt so guilty cutting pipe and bucket underneath till warmer weather, couldnt justify £60 but i got alot of new customers for servicing and to re-connect in the warmer weather!

 

[julesverne]

i love breakdowns it gets the old grey matter ticking over and you never know what your gonna get and for me that makes the job more interesting. i've been gsr'd for a year but have a good background in mechanical engineering. if you know the operating sequence of a boiler then you can pick stuff up pretty quick. although it is a B***er when you get it wrong. it def a learning curve and you can make really good money in winter.

 

[marleyco]

i agree, it does feel pretty good after scratching your head for a while and trying different things then it works. its also rewarding to see your customer happy. saving them in their moment of crisis. on the other hand some people dont give a monkeys and expected you to fix it before it broke for 40 quid! ha. good luck anyway

 

[pjgas]

wise words from one so young grasshopper

 

[cdodds2004]

best one is they ring up saying i want my boiler servicing and could you have alook and fix such and such!

 

[Ivor Bates]

If you quote them an hourly rate from the outset then you should not be out of pocket. If you quote them a fixed price of £40 to fix a boiler then , your going to come unstuck more often than not.

 

[stevie]

I think £40 p/h with a 2 hour max charge to diagnosis is fair, repair is materials plus time £

 

[Dannypipe]

best one is they ring up saying i want my boiler servicing and could you have alook and fix such and such!

Yeah - how often does that happen?!!

I would say 60% of new customers who phone up for a boiler service actually have a problem with the boiler, but try and fob it off as a 'service'.

Quite funny really. I tend to ask them "Is the boiler working ok at the moment, or is it playing up in any way"? Then you'll get a bit closer to the truth. Its broken and locks out every ten minutes. Please come and fix it......NOW!!

 

[Mrs Tara Plumbi]

I would say 60% of new customers who phone up for a boiler service actually have a problem with the boiler, but try and fob it off as a 'service'.

Standard question to new callers for a service - is your boiler working?

 

[P J F PLUMBING]

Standard question to new callers for a service - is your boiler working?

100% true

 

[pobsdad]

Went last week to service a boiler and fire."Oh,did I mention that neither of them work?"After half an hour on hold to Baxi,it turns out that the boiler problem is probably the fan,but if a new fan doesn't work,it is almost certainly the board,as if money means nothing.This is when I'm glad I'm not the boss!

 

[boblydon]

I prefer boiler repairs to installs....as i work on both domestic and commercail i love the challange, can get frustrating at times but that's the fun of it.

Going to one job and fixing someones combi, the next job could be a 300kw boiler in a office or hotel complex, it's all the same principle...just bigger!!!!!!