ᐅ Heating system breaks down two weeks after costly maintenance – fuel tank cleaning?
Created on: 12 Feb 2018 10:46
M
MizitWe moved into our new house just under five months ago and have unfortunately encountered quite a few problems so far. Now we’re having issues with the heating system as well. Since we are not very experienced technically or with what reasonable costs for certain services should be, I would appreciate your expertise and opinions on our heating system experience:
In mid-January, we had someone from a local heating company come to service our heating system. We contacted this company because they had apparently serviced the system several times for the previous owner and were familiar with it. The previous owner had told us he had the heating regularly maintained. However, according to the company, the last maintenance was nearly three years ago.
During the service, the following was done:
Maintenance of oil heating system: cleaning of the boiler, cleaning of the burner, replacement of nozzle and filter, burner adjustment using a special measuring device, and a CO2 measurement was performed. We were charged nearly 260 euros (about $280) for this, and several people around us said that this was quite expensive. Since this was the first time we ordered this service, we weren’t quite sure…?
Then, two weeks later, on a Saturday evening—very cold, snowing— all the circuit breakers tripped and the house lost power. We quickly found out it was the heating system’s fuse that caused it. The next morning, someone from an emergency service came out: the oil preheater was broken.
The problem on this freezing Sunday morning was that, for the first time, we learned that it was NOT a Buderus burner as we had assumed and been told, but some no-name brand. The emergency technician said that there are no authorized service companies for this burner in the city and that he would have to order the part from the wholesaler, which would arrive earliest Tuesday, with installation on Wednesday. It’s possible the situation was taken advantage of a bit, as we hardly wanted to stay for three days with two small children and a tenant during below-zero temperatures without heat or hot water. We were also told this burner was only 2–3 years old and never really a quality product. The replacement part would cost money including installation, and how long the new part would last was uncertain. So we agreed to replace the burner with a good-quality one.
The new burner was installed that Sunday but didn’t work because it was then discovered that the tanks were so full of sludge that instead of oil, only dirt was being pumped. This couldn’t be fixed on Sunday. So the burner replacement on a Sunday emergency call was basically useless.
On Monday at noon, other company employees came and installed what is called a “floating intake” – we have not yet received the full invoice, but we expect it might be very high.
We were advised not to refill the tanks for the time being but to have the tanks professionally cleaned by this company as soon as possible. The cost would be just under 500 euros (about $530), and presumably even more in the end.
This annoys us, possibly unfairly: We had the heating serviced for 250 euros (about $265) just two weeks prior. Shouldn’t the technician have noticed during the service that the oil preheater was broken or shown signs of failure? Or is this issue unrelated to the maintenance and simply bad luck?
Also: Each tank holds 1,500 liters (about 400 gallons), and currently, each still contains around 400 liters (about 105 gallons). Since the oil is now being drawn from the top, does that make the tank cleaning unnecessary for now and something we could delay, or should we have it done immediately?
In mid-January, we had someone from a local heating company come to service our heating system. We contacted this company because they had apparently serviced the system several times for the previous owner and were familiar with it. The previous owner had told us he had the heating regularly maintained. However, according to the company, the last maintenance was nearly three years ago.
During the service, the following was done:
Maintenance of oil heating system: cleaning of the boiler, cleaning of the burner, replacement of nozzle and filter, burner adjustment using a special measuring device, and a CO2 measurement was performed. We were charged nearly 260 euros (about $280) for this, and several people around us said that this was quite expensive. Since this was the first time we ordered this service, we weren’t quite sure…?
Then, two weeks later, on a Saturday evening—very cold, snowing— all the circuit breakers tripped and the house lost power. We quickly found out it was the heating system’s fuse that caused it. The next morning, someone from an emergency service came out: the oil preheater was broken.
The problem on this freezing Sunday morning was that, for the first time, we learned that it was NOT a Buderus burner as we had assumed and been told, but some no-name brand. The emergency technician said that there are no authorized service companies for this burner in the city and that he would have to order the part from the wholesaler, which would arrive earliest Tuesday, with installation on Wednesday. It’s possible the situation was taken advantage of a bit, as we hardly wanted to stay for three days with two small children and a tenant during below-zero temperatures without heat or hot water. We were also told this burner was only 2–3 years old and never really a quality product. The replacement part would cost money including installation, and how long the new part would last was uncertain. So we agreed to replace the burner with a good-quality one.
The new burner was installed that Sunday but didn’t work because it was then discovered that the tanks were so full of sludge that instead of oil, only dirt was being pumped. This couldn’t be fixed on Sunday. So the burner replacement on a Sunday emergency call was basically useless.
On Monday at noon, other company employees came and installed what is called a “floating intake” – we have not yet received the full invoice, but we expect it might be very high.
We were advised not to refill the tanks for the time being but to have the tanks professionally cleaned by this company as soon as possible. The cost would be just under 500 euros (about $530), and presumably even more in the end.
This annoys us, possibly unfairly: We had the heating serviced for 250 euros (about $265) just two weeks prior. Shouldn’t the technician have noticed during the service that the oil preheater was broken or shown signs of failure? Or is this issue unrelated to the maintenance and simply bad luck?
Also: Each tank holds 1,500 liters (about 400 gallons), and currently, each still contains around 400 liters (about 105 gallons). Since the oil is now being drawn from the top, does that make the tank cleaning unnecessary for now and something we could delay, or should we have it done immediately?
K
Knallkörper12 Feb 2018 11:58Mizit schrieb:
Each tank holds 1500 liters (approximately 396 gallons), and there are still about 400 liters (approximately 105 gallons) left in each. The oil is now being drawn from the top.I would have it checked how much sludge is actually inside. You can probably use the tank down to about 15 cm (6 inches) remaining, and then the rest will be disposed of anyway.
B
Bieber081512 Feb 2018 13:28Mizit schrieb:
We received a bill of almost 260 euros and several people around us said that seemed quite expensive.I know that feeling; there are always people around me who consider everything “too expensive” and confidently claim it could be done much cheaper. By now, I think that’s nonsense.Try calculating how many man-hours were needed for the maintenance. Add materials, travel time, taxes, and fees. It probably adds up. Besides, with annual maintenance, you could have three different companies do it over three years and then compare price and performance at your own discretion. Of course, you can also request quotes beforehand.
Mizit schrieb:
Or is the maintenance unrelated to this problem and was it just really bad luck?The fact that the preheater component broke likely has nothing to do with the maintenance. The sludge being sucked in might have been noticed during the filter change — possibly(!). Were you advised during the maintenance that the old system would need to be replaced soon? Maybe with a note on the availability of spare parts?Do I understand correctly: The faulty preheater was replaced as part of a new burner unit including the preheater?
Knallkörper schrieb:
I would have it checked to see how much sludge is actually inside. You can probably heat the tank down to about 15 cm (6 inches), and then the rest will be disposed of anyway.I don’t quite understand that. You’re talking to someone who has no knowledge of this technology. :-)
Who can actually check how much sludge is inside, and how?
Can we really estimate safely that about 15 cm (6 inches) will remain? I mean, we also usually order heating oil about 3-5 days in advance. And in what way would the rest then be disposed of?
Bieber, I can tell you that the technician was here for about one hour during the maintenance, and he was alone. No, he said he replaced the filter; nothing was mentioned about anything being wrong, needing to be replaced soon, or any other issue. He said everything was fine.
If I understand correctly now—I can’t ask my husband at the moment—is the new burner a system without an oil preheater?
If I understand correctly now—I can’t ask my husband at the moment—is the new burner a system without an oil preheater?
Hello,
Maintenance, a malfunction of the oil preheater, and sludge in the tank are all independent issues/events.
260 euros is not a bargain but also not too expensive.
The problem with the oil preheater is just bad luck.
The sludge might have been prevented by shortening the supply hoses.
This could have been done quickly on Sunday as well. A delay in tank cleaning would also have been possible this way. However, the usable capacity would have been slightly reduced.
I would always perform a tank cleaning shortly after the tank is filled to its maximum capacity.
At that point, all contaminants on the tank walls are softened and easy to remove.
Olli
Maintenance, a malfunction of the oil preheater, and sludge in the tank are all independent issues/events.
260 euros is not a bargain but also not too expensive.
The problem with the oil preheater is just bad luck.
The sludge might have been prevented by shortening the supply hoses.
This could have been done quickly on Sunday as well. A delay in tank cleaning would also have been possible this way. However, the usable capacity would have been slightly reduced.
I would always perform a tank cleaning shortly after the tank is filled to its maximum capacity.
At that point, all contaminants on the tank walls are softened and easy to remove.
Olli
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