and I thought HUK were bad!!

[Topcat]

This is my British Gas saga - why oh why is everything such hard work

My heating keeps packing up in the mornings the boiler doesnt acknowledge its on so i called out British Gas. The engineer arrived on 24th October and after I spent ages telling him how the heating won't work and there is a strange noise coming from the pipes in the airing cupboard (kind of like a steam train about to explode) he looked at me blankly and said "im only here to service it" !! No, I definately called you out for a breakdown. Did the engineer care that the heating keeps packing up? Nope he carried out his service and said he would be back the following week or two to fix a new clock as that was probably the problem and in the meantime could I record the strange noise.

6th November a different engineer arrives, no computer no tools in hands and no new clock, he stared at the boiler and decided he didnt know why it was packing up intermittently (perhaps it was built by Honda). I pointed out that in November 2005 it did the same thing an they fixed it so could they look at their records? Nope cant do that !! He did however say that my pump was too high in the airing cupboard and turned it down. He would call back in a week to see how the noise is and the heating.

13th November, another new engineer called and said he was coming round, he too stared at the boiler and said he didnt know how to fix it and although I said the noise from the pipes was much better he decided that the pump should be turned up to its highest setting and said that he would have to get his manager to call me to discuss the boiler. Again I pointed out that it has done this before and they fixed it.

17th November - I had not received a call so i called them as my house was freezing and the steam train was back in full force, they were very sorry for this and said a manager would call me within 48 hrs and took my best contact number.

21st November - I called them again as I had not heard anything, again they were very sorry and would send an urgent email to the managers saying to call me immediately and again took my best contact number.

23rd November - I called again and this time lost it with the poor girl on the other end of the phone, she told me that they had been trying to call me all week but had the wrong number !!!!!! So three members of British gas took down the wrong number?? I dont think so and besides they do have my alternative home number Anyway I was then told that they couldnt give me the managers number, they couldnt call the manager they could only email him and there was a note on the system to say that the manager had written to me and I had to contact him direct when I got his letter as it was out of their hands!!

Today - I called them again, heating was off, house was cold an I lost it with them as I have had no letter, I didnt swear but I did say "idiots" when I thought I was on hold only to discover i wasnt and I was told that if I talked like that again I would be disconnected Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr The girl today told me that the letter was sent on the 23rd November and I should have received it by now! Nooooooooo really, so because I havent responded to their letter the complaint has been closed

Could I speak to her manager, no I couldnt they wont speak to customers as the people on the phone are more than capable of sorting the problems ! I think not!! So I was told I would be given high priorty today and a manager would call me before 5pm (they dont work weekends) did they call .................... what do you think?

[lobey dosser]

Hell of a story, TC. That's is REALLY lousy service.

It will be no consolation to know that it's nothing new.
Flanders & Swann did a wee song Called The Gas Man Cometh back in the 50s or 60s - The Gas Man Cometh - Flanders and Swann

I hope that has given you a bit of a chuckle at least.

[Foggy69]

Did you used to go around kicking puppies and other small cute animals when you were younger. Because that is the only thing I can think of that would make you deserve the sort of luck you have

I am daft enough to be with BG for my boiler servicing and they are a bunch of *****. The last few times I have called them, it has taken ages to get through. The operator then spends 30 seconds making a note of your problem and then spends the next 5 minutes trying to sell you a wide range of BG services.

[Bog]

Originally Posted by Foggy69

Did you used to go around kicking puppies and other small cute animals when you were younger. Because that is the only thing I can think of that would make you deserve the sort of luck you have

I am daft enough to be with BG for my boiler servicing and they are a bunch of *****. The last few times I have called them, it has taken ages to get through. The operator then spends 30 seconds making a note of your problem and then spends the next 5 minutes trying to sell you a wide range of BG services.

I don't TC is unlucky, it's just a sign of the times we live in! It's all about profits/saving money and no one cares.

Unlike alot of the population, TC does not accept poor service and fight's for what is right! I do the same, it's stressfull, but it's the only way to get results!

[Kremmen]

I used to have BG service my warm air system under an annual contract.

After 27 years though it became a bit tired and I contacted Johnson & Starley to see about a replacement system.

They sent round my local J&S agents and they were disgusted with the state of the system. It wasn't dangerous but they found faults that should have been spotted years ago.

In fact, some of the faults I had mentioned to BG and they said it was just the age of the system.

2 of the niggles I had they solved on the spot whilst assessing what system I needed as a replacement.

TC - look to the manufacturers for a local specialist as BG are more concerned about seeing if you have adequate ventilation than getting on with the job of repairing them confidently.

[Jack The Lad.]

Try bleeding the system TC, as the noise may be due to an air lock.
It could also be why it is shutting down.
If you don't know how to ( but I reckon being TC you do) :---
Using a radiator key, go round each of the rads,working back from the nearest to the boiler ,with the boiler and pump going.
Turn the key anti clockwise slowly, with a towel close up to it. You will hear a hiss prior to the water coming out . Close it after a couple of seconds of the water flowing out. C'/Ht'g systems should be bled once a year anyway.

[Topcat]

Originally Posted by Jack The Lad.

Try bleeding the system TC, as the noise may be due to an air lock.

Its been done already, no change - but thanks

[robbo51]

Baaastards!
Have you mentioned Watchdog to them.
Theyre a bunch of incompetents

[Anthony]

We have had a British Gas service contract for over twenty years here and the quality of the engineers has varied a bit as you might expect. Generally though, I would have to say they were reasonable. Over the years they have been called out four or five times and the service has been prompt and timely. On one occasion there was a problem which didn't get resolved after a couple of visits and an area manager turned up and went through things very thoroughly and resolved the problem pretty quickly - including the fitting of a new controller that wasn't strictly on the schedule.

Recently we had thermostats fitted throughout and a power flush; the two-man team were really good and everything was well done, so they can get it right - sometimes.

Not trying to be contrary here, but I thought it only fair to report good work as well as not so good.

Now: if you want to talk about the problems I am having with getting the fireplace people to finish their work, that is another matter entirely...!

Anthony.

[Topcat]

Anthony you ar quite right I have been with British Gas for years and have everything covered including electricity and kitchen appliances and yes they can be good and are usually prompt.

However I have noticed over the last couple of years the service is dropping and we have made several call outs over the last two years for different things and they have never once been able to fix anything on first visit it has always taken a second opinion, and when we had a leaking toilet recently we actually ended up fixing it ourselves as British Gas (plumbing engineers) said the only way to fix it was to rip half the wall out!!!!!

Anyway I have called them again today and explained the whole saga politely and the guy I spoke to has promised me he will deal with it first thing tomorrow when the managers are in so fingers crossed

[Hartside]

Try bleeding the system TC, as the noise may be due to an air lock.
It could also be why it is shutting down.
If you don't know how to ( but I reckon being TC you do) :---
Using a radiator key, go round each of the rads,working back from the nearest to the boiler ,with the boiler and pump going.
Turn the key anti clockwise slowly, with a towel close up to it. You will hear a hiss prior to the water coming out . Close it after a couple of seconds of the water flowing out. C'/Ht'g systems should be bled once a year anyway.

If it's a std boiler with a header tank then this method is fine, however if it's a combi, you must repressurise the system once it's been bled, or the system might close itself down. Is the system old?

[Topcat]

Originally Posted by Hartside

If it's a std boiler with a header tank then this method is fine, however if it's a combi, you must repressurise the system once it's been bled, or the system might close itself down. Is the system old?

It is a strandard potterton boiler, i am sure it needs a new clock but as for the noise - dont know but it is a micro bore system which is rubbish.

[Jack The Lad.]

Thought it was a standard boiler, thats why I didn't mention a combi.
When micro bore is new, there are few problems, but tends to get clogged up over time due to its small diameter. Needs a bl--dy good de coke and flush out TC, IMO. Not a big job.

[Topcat]

Originally Posted by Jack The Lad.

Thought it was a standard boiler, thats why I didn't mention a combi.
When micro bore is new, there are few problems, but tends to get clogged up over time due to its small diameter. Needs a bl--dy good de coke and flush out TC, IMO. Not a big job.

British gas told me that the flush out wont work on the system an that within the next couple of years it will need replacing. Their quote for a flush was £1200 an that was a couple of years ago !!!

[Jack The Lad.]

Wish I was nearer to you TC, my blokes would sort it.
Just had a complete new C/H (gas) system installed for a client, with a state of the art boiler and 8 radiators -- £3,300.

[Topcat]

Originally Posted by Jack The Lad.

Wish I was nearer to you TC, my blokes would sort it.
Just had a complete new C/H (gas) system installed for a client, with a state of the art boiler and 8 radiators -- £3,300.

I wish you were nearer too

I have replaced a few radiators over the last couple of years - I have 12 in total, but I know the system is full of black sludge, my brother lives in a smaller house down the road to me, he has 4 radiators and they dont heat up at all at the bottom until right near the top then they are luke warm he has the same system as me. I have been told by B Gas that I have the smallest pipes you can get on a micro bore system too

[Dimplyred]

The problem these days is there are a lot of trades people whether it be gas engineers, electricians, or other service engineers that simply can't fault find. They don't seem to have the ability to test equipment and draw logical conclusions from the results they find. So they change this part and change that part until it works, that for me is not effective fault finding. Anyone with a little mechanical/electrical knowledge could eventually fix anything if they are given every single part of that piece of kit and told to just replace them until it works. That's fine until it is at the expense/inconvenience of the customer who as in this case has to put up with it. I've seen it time and time again with engineers I come across with my job. In a lot of cases it's lack of training but in this case it's probably due to the fact the decent engineers can earn more money working for themselves so you're left with the merely acceptable ones unfortunately!!!

[lobey dosser]

Here's a thought to counter all the scare-mongering about maintenance contracts....

I may well have been lucky, in fact I'm sure I have, but I've never had a maint. contract for my central heating and never really missed it.

I've been in this 3 bed semi house for 22 years and the CH was here before me.
It's a Baxi back-boiler (i.e. combined with the gas fire in the living room) with microbore pipework.
It has failed 3 times in 22 years, all with same fault - a duff electronic valve.
The first time cost me about £100 using a local gas engineers firm. The fitter who did the work gave me his own phone number and I called him direct the second time and he did it as a "homer" for about £60.
The last time it failed I called him again only to find that he was now the boss of his own company and he charged me about £150 this time. BANDIT!
Oh, and I replaced the old mechanical time-clock with a solid-state one myself. That cost about £30
The only preventative maintenance it's had has been a thorough hoovering once a year by me (without taking the gas fittings apart, of course).

However, the point I am making is that, in total, CH repairs have cost me less than £350 in 22 years.

Compare that to 22 times whatever Brit Gas are charging for an annual maintenance contract and I think I've "won a watch".

I'm just suggesting that it might be more cost effective to bung a few hundred quid aside for CH problems in case they happen, rather than pay a contract year after year.
I presume that it's similar to those extended guarantees from electrical retailers - most people won't actually need to claim and it turns a nice profit for the company supplying the "guarantee".


Hope I haven't come over all Brodick-like in my smugness.
As I say, I guess I've just been lucky.

[Kremmen]

What I hated about BG's service is that when they first appear they check the ventilation in the kitchen (where the warm air unit is), then they go into the loft and really tug on the flue-pipe to see if they can dislodge it.

Then they go all around the babble about how since 2000 I should be replacing my unit with the latest non warm air system because of Kyoto and that in a few years time my system will be illegal and will need to be changed.

My last service with BG ended up with them turning my system off because the engineer reckoned I did not have enough background ventilation. I immediatelly turned it back on again and contacted their technical department.

They sent a fully qualified experienced engineer (letters after his name) who fully inspected my system, apologised for the first engineers ineptitude and confirmed that my ventilation was more than adequate and that my system would not become illegal due to Kyoto.

And I now have a letter from BG confirming this.

Anyway - new latest warm air unit as of May this year (old one was 27 years old) and BG are going nowhere near it.

[Topcat]

Originally Posted by lobey dosser

Hope I haven't come over all Brodick-like in my smugness.
As I say, I guess I've just been lucky.

Now you would need to mention how great your CH is on every post to do that