Failed Combination Valve?

DampCat

DampCat

DampCat

Soldato
Joined
26 Feb 2007
Posts
14,163
Location
Leafy Cheshire
Hey Guys.
I discovered a leak in/under my hot water tank and since my heating system is covered I got BG/Dyno to come out and sort it. They came same day as it was leaking onto/near electrics which they considered bad.

The fella said it was a busted Combination Valve, as pictured here

I5SIRGR.jpg


He couldnt replace it as they dont stock it, so he left it and 2 different dudes came back today.

They installed this:

rxcPtqE.jpg


Now I just tried the taps several hours after they left (been working) and it ran for maybe a minute then fizzled out. Ive looked, and that blue handle is closed. Am i safe to just open it?

Additionally, this doesnt look too smart:

n39yD2m.jpg

It feels finger tight but im concerned about pressure causing an issue.

Here's the full system if thats of any use:
y1P9Ega.jpg
 
Get "bodge-jit & scarper" back to sort it. The danger is if you open that valve with the fitting not screwed in fully and on the scunt, it may just come loose. There is a fair few hundred gallons of water in the tank alone that would be released faster than you can find the right swearword!! Can't tell whether the black section of the valve is plastic or metal from that image, but if it's cross-threaded it's knackered and wants throwing in the bin especially if it's plastic and been mauled.
 
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Yeah, get BG back, but preferably someone else that can use a spanner. How difficult is it to screw a nut on? I'd put in a complaint about that level of workmanship and ask for compensation for time off work. Two visits and the water isn't working and they can't get a nut on properly? Even that cross-threaded nut is half-arsed and only on by about a turn.
 
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I've called them, they're on their way back "by wednesday" so i'll call again tomorrow and put the pressure on since it's their error.

Then i'll be able to ask the rest of my questions i guess.
 
BG are refusing to come back earlier than an appointment tomorrow which I can't do because I have to work. They're refusing to look at any photos of the work because they're not qualified and they're refusing to accept that I can't use the system because I'm not qualified to say so and the engineers are qualified to have said they've done a good job.

Anyone know any magic words I can use to get this sorted quicker?
 
damn that is bad workmanship!

don't touch that at all, you got probably 200+ litres of hot boiling water in that tank.
 
They don't have to be qualified to look at the photos, they [as British Gas representatives] just need to show it to someone who is [ie. British Gas engineers].

Ask to speak to someone with a brain.
 
Wow what terrible workmanship. Imagine leaving the job like that.

I presume that could have damaged the valve given that the connecter is plastic?
 
DampCat said:
BG are refusing to come back earlier than an appointment tomorrow which I can't do because I have to work. They're refusing to look at any photos of the work because they're not qualified and they're refusing to accept that I can't use the system because I'm not qualified to say so and the engineers are qualified to have said they've done a good job.

Anyone know any magic words I can use to get this sorted quicker?
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Just say you want to escalate the issue, and keep escalating. Tell them it's unsafe because of all the hot water sat behind a single cross threaded nut.

I imagine you could also post to their social media, such as Facebook or Twitter. Public shaming seems to get quick results for a lot of companies.

Then when it's all sorted, put in an official written complaint asking for compensation for the time off.
 
No, they're arriving some time between 12 and 6. Bear in mind, when they said that before, they arrived at 10:44pm.

I also predict 1 of two things will happen:

1. They wont be qualified to work on an unvented system
2. They wont have the part needed.

So im positive they will have to come back for a fourth time.
 
Good news! A Reasonable Engineer came.

So the pipe actually flows into the tank at that point so if it had failed (that's an 8bar/116psi failsafe valve) the water would have been spewing out infinitely (until I shut off the water, but if I'm at work or w/e..).

Today's engineer said even though it's unlikely to ever encounter water flow since there's a 3bar pressure reducer before it, it's a fail safe that would not have saved anything in case of a failure. He couldn't believe it had been left like that.

His unvented system certificate had expired, so he wouldn't have been been able to do any work on the system but "technically" that part is an input into the system, and isn't really pressurised yet... So he got his spanner and molegrips and sorted it right out.

What a champ.
 
DampCat said:
Good news! A Reasonable Engineer came.

So the pipe actually flows into the tank at that point so if it had failed (that's an 8bar/116psi failsafe valve) the water would have been spewing out infinitely (until I shut off the water, but if I'm at work or w/e..).

Today's engineer said even though it's unlikely to ever encounter water flow since there's a 3bar pressure reducer before it, it's a fail safe that would not have saved anything in case of a failure. He couldn't believe it had been left like that.

His unvented system certificate had expired, so he wouldn't have been been able to do any work on the system but "technically" that part is an input into the system, and isn't really pressurised yet... So he got his spanner and molegrips and sorted it right out.

What a champ.
Click to expand...

At least you got it fixed, but it's still incompetent for them to send an engineer that isn't allowed to work on your type of system.
 
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