Yes I have boiler issues – to the point where my showers last about a minute and has to be done in a few stages to ensure I'm not stood in cold water lol! 😆

The bloke from British Gas came round and was confusing me with what needed fixing and by the end of the conversation it turns out a simple de-scale of whatever and a water softener being fitted should solve my issue!

Someone on here must have gone through this – is it an expensive process? And any recommendations for reliable plumbers in the Swindon area would be great appreciated (email in profile!)

*goes off to have a cold shower*

We have similar-sounding boiler issues i.e. hardly any hot water.

Britsh Gas-run a mile! I'm not going to say any more or I'll start swearing uncontrollably in front of the children again.

We have had a new heat exchanger, which by my reckoning should have taken away all the scale, and that hasn't solved the problem. Next up, we are getting a new gas valve.

So it could be expensive, yes.

*stays out of the cold shower, slightly whiffy*

LOL!

Heat exchanger – that's the thing! Yeah they don't touch boilers that have scale issues….wimps! 😆

I'm glad I never agreed to one based on your comment. A good flush through I think and a softener should do the trick, I hope!

No expert but a bottle of stuff (cleanser, de-sludger) from B&Q if its the radiator side that's gunked / scaled – £10-20 – might help.

If it's the hot water circuit I have no ideas.

From the description it could be either, so trying the bottle of stuff might be worth it.

I'd ask an expert.

2nd paulosoxo

And…

Sounds like you have a combination boiler.
And sounds like the plate heat exchanger. A descale may work, but if it is the primary set of plates that are choked then descaling won't cure it. Flushing may, but in my experience it is unlikely to. Usually have to replace the plate heat exchanger, which can be expensive.

How old is the boiler / make / model.

The trouble is it could be one of a few things, and we usually go for the most obvious first, which is the heat exchanger, but it could easily be an electrical component too.

I hate combi boilers and, unless it is the only real option, advise my customers against them. But I'm quite lucky in that I work mainly in larger domestic properties where they are not really suitable. I have had people in the industry tell me that the average life of a combi is 7 years!

Yes it's a combi and funnily enough it's about 7yrs old lol! Crock of crap springs to mind.

The heating's fine, it's just the hot water into the tap that's the problem.

I will go for the descale option first if I can.

Why do these things always happen in the winter 😯

agree with what bear said except i only have misgivings not hatred for combis
and if thats the system you have its probably going to be major expense/ upheaval to change to a conventional one so you're kind of stuck with repairing it or replacing with another combi – on the positive side no reason why a properly installed reliable make (vaillant or worcester bosch -yawn) shouldn't last 15 years

Is this a problem with hard water areas?

All decent combis last for ages, years. Fill them full of shit and sludge and they stop. Simple really

I had a problem with shower going hot then cold then warm then cold etc. Changed the diverter valve in the combi and this cured it. Do you get continuos hot water if your heating isnt on??

I'm in a hard water area yes. As for hot water when the heating's off, I think the gas man did and the hot water stayed running for a fair bit but I will try again tomorrow to make sure.