Boiler advice sought

nina

Hi, This forum helped me quite a bit back in 2007 when I purchased a new boiler, the Buderus GB142024 and a Buderus indirect water heater. Everything went smoothly until 2 years ago when one day I couldn't get hot water. The company that installed my boiler was longer in business so I called someone with good reviews on Angie's list. The person who came called me names for not having cleaned the boiler annually (I didn't know to do this) and ended up refusing to fix the boiler. I called someone whose company was listed as a Buderus contractor on the Buderus (now Bosch) website. He came and fixed the water problem but didn't know how to clean the boiler. So I called a 3rd company and someone came and cleaned the boiler. Two years later, I figured I better have the boiler cleaned again so I called the company that had cleaned it two years ago. The first person who came said he didn't know how to clean it. The 2nd person who came cleaned it and told me everything looked good but that there was a hole in the top of the exhaust pipe (it had rusted) and I should get a replacement pipe, which wouldn't be a huge expense. He covered the hole with tape and ordered the part. Several weeks later, he came to install the new pipe. It took him hours and hours. He told me he had to take the whole boiler apart to put in the new pipe. After he finished, he said there was a leaky valve which needed a new cap. He said he would order the part and come back to replace this. In the mean time, I received a bill for $$$$ because of all the hours it took him to replace the pipe. The fixit guy came back a couple of weeks later and put on the new cap. Several weeks after the new cap was replaced, I noticed a new leak. I put a bucket under the pipe that was leaking and called the heating company again. The guy came back and said this was a different problem and thus not covered by all the money I had already shelled out. I think he said it was something with the overflow pipe. I haven't received the bill yet for his fix of this. Then yesterday, a Saturday, I woke up with no heat. I live in the northeast and it was very cold in my house. I called the heating company again and a fix it guy came quickly (this was good). The bucket I had placed underneath the pipe had overflowed. So the previous guy had not fixed the problem. This guy said the valve was still leaking and I wouldn't be charged for a replacement cover. He then proceeded to work on the boiler and ended up changing the ignite switch, which he said wasn't working. I received a bill for $$$ for just Saturday. This morning, the bucket was 1/2 full of water again so I will have to call again but at least I have heat. So now my bill is over $$$$ and that doesn't include the one bill that I haven't received yet.
Yesterday's guy told me that the Buderus boilers don't usually last more than 15 years. Mine was installed in the fall of 2007, making it 13 years old. I asked yesterday's fix-it guy if I should get a new boiler and he said I should wait a year or two since now all the parts have been replaced except for the heat exchanger.
So here are my questions - do the fix-it guys at this company know what they are doing? Is the high cost I am being charged because they don't? I mean my boiler was working fine until I hired them to clean it. The rusted pipe did seem to be a real issue but the boiler was working. And if this heating company is no good, how do I find one that is?
Question 2 - should I be thinking about getting a new boiler?
I appreciate any and all assistance you can provide. Thank you.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Check "find a contractor" on this site and post where you are located. Someone may have a recommendation.

Sounds like all you have is a bunch of parts changers.

I am assuming your boiler is oil fired. If it is oil and set up properly it should only need to be cleaned maybe every three years with a quick check up in between cleanings

Normally a boiler is not changed if it's not leaking water

If not contractors on this forum respond the next step I would do is contact Buderus for a reccommended contractor

Ironman

Pricing is against the rules, please delete it.

I can certainly understand your frustration. You shouldn't have to pay for the time of an incompetent tech to figure out what's wrong and then take an excessive amount of time to do the repair. Especially when they can download the service manual. That's one of the easiest boilers to service, but it does require annual maintenance.

In the attached diagram, was it part #88 or part #11 that was replaced? #88 shouldn't have taken more than 1/2 hour.

retiredguy

The company that I worked for had an excellent track record and a near perfect reputation. I have to say up front that we did not do residential heating, just commercial and industrial boilers fired with #1, #2, #4, #6 fuel oil , natural gas, methane from sewer gas and hard and soft coal. They had 2 mottos; #1- service within 24 hours and #2 -we fix it the first time or the next call is free. If you are not experienced enough to fix the problem the first time don't come back until you learn your job. I hate parts changers. I drove an F-350 ford pickup that was overloaded with parts and materials so I could normally fix the problem the first time. I have looked in the trucks of other service companies and am stunned by their empty bins. No bin should be empty. An empty bin is a place to put something. I do not do my own furnace work, so when you come to my house for service I expect it to be fixed right now unless it is a special non-stocked part.

My 2 Cents

nina

Thank you. The boiler is gas boiler. I converted to gas when I had it installed. The company has sent the same guy since the first one didn't know to clean it. However, yesterday was a Saturday so the guy who had come previously was not on call. I was at fault for not getting the boiler cleaned regularly. I did hire a recommended contractor from the Bosch site prior to using the current company but the guy didn't know how to clean the boiler so was no good. A friend of mine has a buderus and recommended the company I am using now but I am very unhappy as it's been a very expensive couple of months. I don't know which parts have been replaced. But I just want to confirm that I am being charged too much so that when I call and try to reason with the company, I will have right on my side. In the spring (if it lasts through winter), I will start making appointments to get estimates for replacing it. Thank you again for your feedback.