🚨 DID NOT EXPECT THIS 😮Boiler Repair Gone Wrong ❌ WATER DAMAGE

Описание: I was called out for a second opinion on a Worcester Bosch Greenstar Junior boiler after another plumber had already told the customer she needed a full boiler replacement.

At first glance, it looked like a simple fan fault. I originally attended just to quote for a new boiler, but my instinct told me this one could be repaired. The customer wasn’t sure which route she wanted to take, so I didn’t fully strip the boiler on the first visit.

A few days later, the customer called back and decided to go ahead with the repair, as it was significantly cheaper than a new boiler. I returned with the replacement fan — and that’s when things took a turn.

As soon as I removed the fan, I realised I was in for a nightmare.
There was water everywhere.

The gas valve was full of water, the top section of the boiler had water in it, and multiple components were affected. This was no longer a quick job — and definitely not the 1–2 hour repair I’d planned for.

I checked the resistance on the gas valve and confirmed it was still serviceable. I then asked the customer for a favour — a hairdryer. With her help, we carefully dried out the affected components while I stripped, cleaned, and rebuilt the boiler.

The repair included:

New fan
New electrodes
New seals
Full strip-down and reassembly

Once powered back up, the boiler fired — but the gas ratios and CO₂ readings were all over the place, especially on minimum rate. After fully resetting and adjusting the gas valve, the boiler settled and ran correctly.

Even after this, my instinct told me to check outside.

That’s when I found the real cause of the failure. The condensate pipe had backed up into the boiler due to a blocked rainwater downpipe.

As a temporary repair, I was initially going to install an air break. However, I found that the downpipe was completely blocked, meaning the condensate pipe could not be safely reconnected. The customer will now need to have the guttering and downpipe cleared before reconnecting the condensate pipe themselves.

What started as a simple fan replacement turned into a complex fault-finding job, but the end result:
✔ Boiler repaired
✔ No replacement needed
✔ Customer over the moon

This is exactly why I prefer repairing boilers where possible rather than condemning them unnecessarily. Sometimes going that extra step makes all the difference.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

💬 LEAVE A COMMENT we would ❤ to help you out and hear your feedback 💬 (We answer all questions)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let’s connect: (ALL SOCIAL LINKS)

⭐ http://www.linktr.ee/plumbingdoctors ⭐

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
💎 Who Are The Plumbing Doctors 💎

This journey began with Waseem and Curtis during the first lockdowns in 2020. Waseem, the Owner and Lead Engineer, started creating YouTube videos to share his knowledge and help others learn during tough times. Curtis began as Waseem’s apprentice and is now fully trained, has his own van, and handles all the plumbing work, while Waseem focuses on heating, gas, and creating content to help others learn.

You can find us regularly on TikTok, Facebook & Instagram is where we share daily stories. @PlumbingDoctors

If you’d like to get in touch, engineers can message Waseem on Instagram, and customers for work should use the form in the link.

We mainly serve Coventry and sometimes travel slightly further for larger jobs. Social media has helped us grow massively, and we’re proud to continue sharing what we’ve learned along the way.