Replacement for Main Gas Multipoint Water Heater

[mitch...@gmail.com]

My 23 year old Main multipoint needs replacing, the pilot light keeps going out and having replaced the thermocouples with no improvement I think its faulty inside the gas valve, which is now unobtainable.

What brand or model would folks recommend as a replacement? I love Worcester Bosch boilers but they don't do a multipoint. I need a simple, reliable, cheap heater nothing fancy (ie no timers, wifi etc) and definitely gas. I've had bad experiences before with cheap combis which became unreliable and parts that were difficult or very expensive, so a well known brand is preferred.

Thanks

[SH]

https://www.flexiheatuk.com/product/gas-multipoint-water-heaters/

[SH]

On 07/03/2023 09:48, mitch...@gmail.com wrote:

https://www.wolseley.co.uk/water-heating-and-storage/water-heaters/instantaneous-water-heaters/gas-water-heaters/

[SH]

On 07/03/2023 09:48, mitch...@gmail.com wrote:

https://www.gasproducts.co.uk/water-heaters/domestic.html

[SH]

On 07/03/2023 09:48, mitch...@gmail.com wrote:

https://www.plumbnation.co.uk/search/?q=gas+fired+water+heater

[John Rumm]

On 07/03/2023 09:48, mitch...@gmail.com wrote:

> My 23 year old Main multipoint needs replacing, the pilot light keeps
> going out and having replaced the thermocouples with no improvement I
> think its faulty inside the gas valve, which is now unobtainable.

One thing to check is the pilot burner. On one we had there was a very
small path through the burner that passed the gas for the pilot. That
used to become clogged with soot over time. Initially resulting in
delayed ignition (with a corresponding percussive ignition), and then
failure of the pilot.

The solution was to unscrew it, and then run a bit of 5A fuse wire
through it to clean it.

(on the one I used to do you can get at the jet by displacing some of
the main burner jet bars to either side of the pilot)

If it is the gas valve, then there are sources of reclaimed and
reconditioned ones. Can you get a model or a GC number off it?

> What brand or model would folks recommend as a replacement? I love
> Worcester Bosch boilers but they don't do a multipoint. I need a
> simple, reliable, cheap heater nothing fancy (ie no timers, wifi etc)
> and definitely gas. I've had bad experiences before with cheap combis
> which became unreliable and parts that were difficult or very
> expensive, so a well known brand is preferred.

Not got any relevant recent experience with multipoints to comment.

--
Cheers,

John.

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[mitch...@gmail.com]

> The solution was to unscrew it, and then run a bit of 5A fuse wire
> through it to clean it.

Many thanks John, those are exactly the symptoms with percussive ignition, so I'll try to clean the burner.

S

[John Rumm]

ISTR it was a very fine hole - and you could normally see when it was
clear if you held a good light behind it.

[John J]

I've come across Morco gas water heaters from time to time. Might be worth a look-see?

[Rob Morley]

On Tue, 7 Mar 2023 01:48:32 -0800 (PST)
"mitch...@gmail.com" <mitch...@gmail.com> wrote:

> My 23 year old Main multipoint needs replacing, the pilot light keeps
> going out and having replaced the thermocouples with no improvement I
> think its faulty inside the gas valve, which is now unobtainable.
>

Have you tried just blowing it through with compressed air?

[mitch...@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 2:38:22 AM UTC, John Rumm wrote:
> On 07/03/2023 19:23, mitch...@gmail.com wrote:
> >> The solution was to unscrew it, and then run a bit of 5A fuse wire
> >> through it to clean it.

John Rumm, spot on! The pilot hole was partially blocked so cleaned as you suggested and now the pilot flame actually reaches the thermocouple. I was on the verge of thinking of replacing the boiler because it had also started to trip the pilot (and then the main burners) midway through a shower, extremely annoying! Can only assume the turbulence caused by the main burners blew out the weak pilot. Anyway so far so good and thanks again.

Simon

[John Rumm]

Result! :-)

I think this is the mental version of "never throw stuff away - you
never know when it might com in useful".

I think the "Main Severn 5" multipoint was retired about 35 years ago
when my mum finally had CH installed - I remember coming home from
college in the evening to a warm house for the first time ever!

[Andrew]

On 11/03/2023 15:55, John Rumm wrote:
> On 11/03/2023 11:23, mitch...@gmail.com wrote:
>> On Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 2:38:22 AM UTC, John Rumm wrote:
>>> On 07/03/2023 19:23, mitch...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>>> The solution was to unscrew it, and then run a bit of 5A fuse
>>>>> wire through it to clean it.
>>
>> John Rumm, spot on! The pilot hole was partially blocked so cleaned
>> as you suggested and now the pilot flame actually reaches the
>> thermocouple. I was on the verge of thinking of replacing the boiler
>> because it had also started to trip the pilot (and then the main
>> burners) midway through a shower, extremely annoying! Can only assume
>> the turbulence caused by the main burners blew out the weak pilot.
>> Anyway so far so good and thanks again.
>
> Result! :-)
>
> I think this is the mental version of "never throw stuff away - you
> never know when it might com in useful".
>
> I think the "Main Severn 5" multipoint was retired about 35 years ago
> when my mum finally had CH installed - I remember coming home from
> college in the evening to a warm house for the first time ever!
>

Is this the big beast that used to be fitted on the wall
above a bath ?. When I first left home the house of bedsits
where I had a room had one of these.

It was open vented and sometimes when you tried to have a
bath it took a couple of seconds for the burners to light
and big woof of flame shot out of the hole at the front
of the casing.

[Robin]

On 12/03/2023 15:25, Andrew wrote:

>
> Is this the big beast that used to be fitted on the wall
> above a bath ?. When I first left home the house of bedsits
> where I had a room had one of these.
>
> It was open vented and sometimes when you tried to have a
> bath it took a couple of seconds for the burners to light
> and big woof of flame shot out of the hole at the front
> of the casing.

That sounds like an Ascot water heater (a.k.a. "geyser") - a much
earlier (and more dangerous) device than the room sealed Main multipoints.
--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

[Max Demian]

On 12/03/2023 15:25, Andrew wrote:

Generally called "gas geysers". I've never lived anywhere that had one,
but, if it was downstairs and the bathroom upstairs, I've heard that
people had to call up and down the stairs to get it to produce really
hot water for the bath. You turned the water up to get a good flame,
then gradually turned it down, stopping just as the flame started to die
down. Of course, if the water stopped with the flame on, it could
explode, so there was a safety cut-out which operated rather
explosively; then I suppose you had to call a man out to reset it.

I briefly lived in a bedsitter that had a little one over the sink. This
had no venting at all and had a water tap on the inlet.

--
Max Demian

[John Rumm]

On 12/03/2023 15:25, Andrew wrote:

> On 11/03/2023 15:55, John Rumm wrote:
>> On 11/03/2023 11:23, mitch...@gmail.com wrote:
>>> On Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 2:38:22 AM UTC, John Rumm wrote:
>>>> On 07/03/2023 19:23, mitch...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>>>> The solution was to unscrew it, and then run a bit of 5A fuse
>>>>>> wire through it to clean it.
>>>
>>> John Rumm, spot on! The pilot hole was partially blocked so cleaned
>>> as you suggested and now the pilot flame actually reaches the
>>> thermocouple. I was on the verge of thinking of replacing the boiler
>>> because it had also started to trip the pilot (and then the main
>>> burners) midway through a shower, extremely annoying! Can only assume
>>> the turbulence caused by the main burners blew out the weak pilot.
>>> Anyway so far so good and thanks again.
>>
>> Result! :-)
>>
>> I think this is the mental version of "never throw stuff away - you
>> never know when it might com in useful".
>>
>> I think the "Main Severn 5" multipoint was retired about 35 years ago
>> when my mum finally had CH installed - I remember coming home from
>> college in the evening to a warm house for the first time ever!
>>
>
> Is this the big beast that used to be fitted on the wall
> above a bath ?.

No, this is a multipoint water heater in a similar form factor as a wall
hung combi.

> When I first left home the house of bedsits
> where I had a room had one of these.

Sounds like what used to be called a "geyser"

> It was open vented and sometimes when you tried to have a
> bath it took a couple of seconds for the burners to light
> and big woof of flame shot out of the hole at the front
> of the casing.