Reconnecting A Drained Boiler

[hope90]

I have just purchased a property that has been unoccupied for a couple of months. The combi boiler has stickers on it stating the water system has been drained down and the gas supply has been turned off, and it needs to be reconnected by a professional.

My question is, do i have to use a gas safe engineer, or can i not just turn the gas supply and water back on myself? And how much should i be looking to spend to get this done.

Thank you

[TonyV]

You really need to know why system was drained and gas turned of, was it to stop any potential freezing?

[Togo]

Filling the system with water again does nor need a gas safe engineer. Just be alert and look for leaks or overflow problems. Now....if you supply the boiler with gas and try to ignite the pilot light OK. Igniting the boiler is a different issue. Trying the pilot light is as far as I would go without being or using a qualified "heating engineer". Many things to consider ....how long has the system been incapacitated? Why was it drained down and isolated? How competent are you to understand how the system works?

[hope90]

I think it was drained to stop the pipes freezing. The previous owner sold it to a quick buy company, and i brought it from them. It was rented out prior to her selling it, so it must have been serviced no more than a year ago.

I am not very competent, and i do want to put safety first. I drained my system to take radiators of the wall in my previous house, and it was easy to refill it. I thought this would be the same.

I should point out there are no signs saying it is dangerous, and people were living there in November, so i'm assuming it was working then.

[Togo]

Then fill it and try to light the pilot light. Check for leaks in both gas and water lines and see if the boiler ignites. If it doesn't I am betting the farm on a thermocouple problem. After being warm for years and then deprived of heat(pilot light heat) the ceramic thermocouple fails and will not open the gas safe valve. A thermocouple costs peanuts. The knowledge and ability to fit one can be expensive if you are not careful.

[hope90]

I know Togo, i've just had a quote from my builder.com of £350 to do this. It did include some additional things that he thinks i should have done, but i'm thinking i may just get a new one as this boiler is ten years old and i can get one for £1000.

[The Builder]

Since it's had a "quick" owner recently, and been let, then you can't be certain of when it was last serviced, although your solicitor should have asked for confirmation from them before you bought.

Why not take this opportunity to have it serviced now.
The system will be re-pressurised and have the necessary additives put in to the water.

He'll then light it up and run all the necessary combustion checks.
He'll also give you some idea of how much life he expects there to be left in it.
10 years is not necessarily a long time for a gas boiler.

[teacake44]

As builder has said, get someone in,. depending on what area your in, and bear in mind that the engineer is seeing this boiler for the first time, a fair price would be £75 /£100. Money well spent.

[hope90]

Thanks for your answers and advice. I really thought a 9 year old boiler was old, but it seems that is not the case. I have a really nice gas engineer coming to have a look at it tomorrow, so hopefully it won't be too much to put right.
My solicitor was rubbish the builder. I've had a look though all the paperwork, and the seller only supplied the instillation certificate so god knows how much it's been rejected over the years. The surveyor also said it was in a fair condition