Gas bottles

Most probably the only worn out piece was a rubber membrane inside the valve which gets pierced after 3 or 4 years depending on the water quality. Costs a few pennies but there is not muchy money to be made and the "specialists" usually try to sell a complete new boiler with the latest "technique".of course. 

Earlier this year we connect 6 refilled 11kg bottles to our system.

The boiler conked out the following morning.

The final regulator (that cuts the pressure from 1.7 bar to 37 mbar) was clogged with oil.

Our boiler guy found the problem very quickly and replaced the regulator (around 10 Eu for the part); he said that this problem wasn't unusual. 

There is nothing inside a gas valve that cannot easily be replaced.  The bits are not expensive and can easily be obtained.  repuesoscalefaccion.com is a good place to start.

All the boiler 'experts' will just slap a new valve on because it is the easiest option and obviously they make more money.

As for oil in a gas valve, that is unusual.  You have to ask how the 'oil' gets out of the bottles when the valve is uppermost.

All gas bottles get what are called 'heavy ends'  when the are refiled multiple times and these look just like an oil, but they stink of gas. If you keep the gas bottles upright at ALL times when drawing off the gas, you will not get a problem.

If for some reason you do get contamination in a gas valve just strip it down and clean it with car brake cleaner which is an excellent solvent cleaner and will shift most things. I always keep an aerosol handy in the house.

If the contamination is in the water side of a dual valve as found on an instant gas water heater, that too is easily removed and cleaned out.  There is usually a small filter to be found in the inlet pipe on the valve, again it's easily cleaned or replaced.

Always keep the outlet temperature below 50deg C otherwise the lime will precipitate out and block the heat exchanger and tap nozzles. If you don't believe me look inside your kettle.

Be careful that you don’t get some cowboys who will tell you all sorts of rubbish and replace bits that aren’t necessRy  I had this done to me. Ended up spending 1000 eurod

The problem is, as always, sorting the cowboys from the good ones.  Even to buy a brand new gas valve is not expensive, parts are cheap. Check my link in the earlier post.

Unfortunately it's no different here to the UK and they rely on you not knowing.  Plumbers, gas fitters, roofers, builders are all pretty much the same sort of rogue.  There are some honest ones out there but they are hard to find.

If at all possible use someone who has a known history and can be relied on.  No matter who they are they will all try to rip you off.

It never ceases to amaze me the changes that happen to people on an aircraft.  They get on a hole digger and get off this end as a brain surgeon.  Take care.

Never a truer word spoken!! Brits are renowned for ripping off other Brits!!

Steve 

Too late for me. They were official gas board people. Uniform snd everything but they were scammers and I was foolish enough to believe them   

Sorry to hear that.

One thing you can be certain of here is that there are no gas fitters that might be wearing a uniform and people like Repsol NEVER make unannounced calls.

People who call who want to check your systems and rubber pipes are con merchants. Show them the door. Some of them even have vans painted up as Repsol vans.

How are you supposed to know who is legitimate ?