British Gas rant

newbiejim

newbiejim

newbiejim

Soldato
Joined
22 Jun 2004
Posts
2,693
Location
South Scotland
I got remote central heating installed during summer, it has never worked properly, due to the wireless thermostat not being able to communicate robustly with the receiver sited at the boiler. I told the installer it was unlikely it would prove to be robust (as it has three solid brick walls and metal obstructions etc), cheeky chappie says course it will, I bow to his superior knowledge..............only to find it doesn't work, it's signal is intermittent with the receiver...........anyways I call another one out and I again express my opinion.......... nah we'll try another unit as this one might be faulty says he.............(I`m thinkin, ok but 99% sure it wont work), of course its the same.............anyways as its summer I don't hassle them as heating not essential and I can get it to work if I sit the thermostat on the window sill close to where boiler is and leave door open (internal).........I then schedule an appointment for the first day of my precious annual leave, this coming Monday 16th Sept...................today they call me and say its been cancelled as they have a large amount of calls from people with no hot water or heating so I have to reschedule..........I then had a massive rant at the stupendous incompetence of the organisation etc lol........ (they let me down with apt before and didn't even phone when I had taken half a day off). Oddly today their backend was down yet again........I tried phoning but a message told me that due to the high level of boiler related callouts they were closing the line, seriously, WTF?.

I paid £200 for remote and circa £27 a month for their 'cover' , I`ve sent them a moan email asking for comp and refund of £200 if they cant fix the remote etc. Utterly exasperating experience with this mob and I WILL move provider due their rubbish service.

Anyways, rant over lol
 
Tesla said:
Where have you sited the wireless stat? Why don't you move it closer to the boiler?
Click to expand...

Yes, I had to. It just wont work where it is required/desired. I have had to take it off the wall and sit it on downstairs toilet window sill............ far from ideal. Thing is I TOLD them it may have issues with connectivity, and according to their website I meet all the requirements for it to work.
 
Do you mean old school wireless controls or the new net connected one?

You can get wireless booster plugs for the net connected version, probably works with the older non net wireless version as well i guess? might be worth suggesting and see if they will give you one?

(assuming this boosts between programmer and receiver, not the new hub and programmer, but signal is signal so should do both?)

Also what do you expect with wireless, its doesn't work, always find any wireless product unreliable, i mean how long has the mobile network been going now, 20 years? still doesn't work a lot of the time/in a lot of places.

Also the guy installing can't change the laws of physics, he has a product he has no control over, if the wireless radio/antenna is crap, what is he gonna do redesign it on the spot for you.

so basically the installer is stuck with:
limits of the product
limits the customer places on him, location of receiver and programmer
construction of property
laws of physics!

Ps I know cancelling appts on you is bad but if its true that they are doing it to fix actual breakdowns then what do you want them to do, fix your inconvenience or help families with young kids and little old ladies with no heating or hot water! - tbh they should just hire enough staff, but name a company that does have enough staff nowadays!
 
Ps. did you have an old room stat before the wireless was installed? if so where was it? closer or right where you want the programmer now? if so you could move the receiver to the old stat location and use the old wiring to send the signal the rest of the way to the boiler

Just need live, neut and switch live at the old stat location, so just depends on what wiring your old stat used
 
Most wireless stats are, unfortunately, utter ****. They're fine if you've stud walls between the boiler and stat but otherwise best to stick with hard wired ones. Site it in and appropriate location for the house/floor/zone and you're laughing.
 
All they can really do is install a wired stat. I'd start planning a route for that cable.
 
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HardwareGeek said:
Ps. did you have an old room stat before the wireless was installed? if so where was it? closer or right where you want the programmer now? if so you could move the receiver to the old stat location and use the old wiring to send the signal the rest of the way to the boiler

Just need live, neut and switch live at the old stat location, so just depends on what wiring your old stat used
Click to expand...

Yup this is exactly what I suggested to the engineers, I guess they cba, they will now or its getting returned.

Ronty said:
Most wireless stats are, unfortunately, utter ****. They're fine if you've stud walls between the boiler and stat but otherwise best to stick with hard wired ones. Site it in and appropriate location for the house/floor/zone and you're laughing.
Click to expand...

I wholeheartedly agree after this debacle.

ZG002 said:
All they can really dois installed a wired stat. I'd start planning a route for that cable.
Click to expand...

Existing one in place from old stat so they should just do it.
 
I don't think I've met anyone either through work, college etc who willingly installs wireless stats due to the trouble they cause. Although its amusing hearing about failed boiler callouts being cause by dead batteries in a wireless stat.
 
HardwareGeek said:
Do you mean old school wireless controls or the new net connected one?

You can get wireless booster plugs for the net connected version, probably works with the older non net wireless version as well i guess? might be worth suggesting and see if they will give you one?

(assuming this boosts between programmer and receiver, not the new hub and programmer, but signal is signal so should do both?)

Also what do you expect with wireless, its doesn't work, always find any wireless product unreliable, i mean how long has the mobile network been going now, 20 years? still doesn't work a lot of the time/in a lot of places.

Also the guy installing can't change the laws of physics, he has a product he has no control over, if the wireless radio/antenna is crap, what is he gonna do redesign it on the spot for you.

so basically the installer is stuck with:
limits of the product
limits the customer places on him, location of receiver and programmer
construction of property
laws of physics!

Ps I know cancelling appts on you is bad but if its true that they are doing it to fix actual breakdowns then what do you want them to do, fix your inconvenience or help families with young kids and little old ladies with no heating or hot water! - tbh they should just hire enough staff, but name a company that does have enough staff nowadays!
Click to expand...

Its the net connected one.

Both engineers didn't seem overly keen to attempt a BEST solution, happy to wing it and let me have the hassle, not good. They MUST know the limitations yet knowingly leave the customer with a far from best solution.

I know the limitations of wireless, that's why when I saw the install I suggested it may be less than robust.

Yes the absolutely should hire more staff, like the cutesy cartoon guy in the advert! :mad:

Tbh when they asked if I had heating working I could have said no, if I was a cba type of person I would just call them immediately it didn't work without even taking the thermostat to the boiler to make it work.
 
ZG002 said:
Was it a British gas engineer or a electrician contracted in?
Click to expand...

It was BG guys, pleasant enough but ultimately failed me, I`m sure they are under pressure to get as many jobs done etc and I sympathise on that level, the organisation is an utter shambles tho.
 
That I agree with! I used to actually install for British gas. Next time you get hold of someone with half a brain, tell them you want a hard wired stat. Don't assume the wiring for the old stat will work with the one BG supply their engineers though. They may have to install a 3 core.
 
ZG002 said:
That I agree with! I used to actually install for British gas. Next time you get hold of someone with half a brain, tell them you want a hard wired stat. Don't assume the wiring for the old stat will work with the one BG supply their engineers though. They may have to install a 3 core.
Click to expand...

cheers m8, thing is dunno if they do a hard wired stat that also communicates with the supplied 'hub' (which is connected to my router) that I assume connects via vpn back to their backend logic/my remote app
 
newbiejim said:
cheers m8, thing is dunno if they do a hard wired stat that also communicates with the supplied 'hub' (which is connected to my router) that I assume connects via vpn back to their backend logic/my remote app
Click to expand...

The existing WR1 Wireless receiver is hard wired, the only wireless thing about it is to talk to the programmer/new room stat and this then talks to the nano hub

what they have done is what they were trained to do, install the WR1 receiver near the boiler, specifically told not to install where to old stat was even though its actually easier if it already has 3 core because its considered lazy / not pro even though in some cases it would work better

So basically, if they check for 3 core at the old stat, then reverse some of the wiring changes they made to connect that 3 core back into the boiler wiring hub, then fit the wireless receiver where the old stat was = job done

So i suggest
1 - try the above first
2 - if no 3 core at the old stat and you don't want disruption of running cable - try wireless signal booster plug
3 - Have 3 core run to old stat location (or wherever is easiest and will work)

I have my receiver fitted where the old room stat was about 2" below the new programmer/room stat, logic was easier to fit, less hassle, better signal and with programmer/room stat where the old room stat was gives even heat, if you where happy with the heat before with old stat location
 
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Pretty much the above yeah.

I've no experience with the new ones connected to the Internet (they were just starting to mention them when my old company went bust.. Yeah they look after their contractors...)

I'm guessing they are just wired the same as the older wireless stats and all info is taken from that unit.
 
Still using WR1 wireless receivers, so if the house already has a WR1 (or RC plus afaik, both Drayton Digistats) from an old wireless system then you can just sync the new programmer/room stat to that and plug the nano hub in to the net and job done

WR1 needs 3 core
 
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I am sure this doesn't apply to all, but BG's so called engineers are hopeless in my experience. We ended up taking out homecare cover purely out of desperation. January two years ago, our boiler throws an error light and we are without any heating or hot water. We were so miserable after a day or two of this that we gave in and signed up to homecare. There seem to be plenty of people to install a boiler.....but very few to maintain or repair it.
In total we had around 16 visits from various British Gas engineers over a two month period. This was partly due to the fact that they 'diagnose' the fault and then spend a few days getting the part.
Each engineer seemed dependent on their Toughbook, and lacked any problem solving knowledge of their own. They threw around £800 worth of parts at our boiler, before pinning it down to a leaking heater matrix.
Their 'service' calls are a joke too. I swear the last bloke didn't even remove the front cover.
It pains me to pay them each month, but there doesn't seem to be much by way of an alternative.
 
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