The Powermax boiler

The Powermax Boiler, the silent killer.

The Power max boiler was sold under several brand names, Baxi, potterton & Range this boiler was fitted to a lot of new build estates during the 1990`s.

The boiler was a new concept that combined a boiler and thermal store to provide both heating and hot water.

The Powermax has built up a reputation for unreliability and is plagued with safety issues that have led to several human fatalities.

The main safety issues that turn these boilers into silent killer are.

• The gas valve settings on this boiler are known to drift over time. These need checking and recalibrating (if required) on every annual service. If the settings are not correct carbon monoxide can be produced in vast quantities.
• Flue gas readings and can only be taken from the flue on this boiler where it exits the building. One engineer cannot monitor the flue gas readings outside as well as adjusting the gas valve inside. Due to poor or none existent servicing of these boilers has turned them into carbon monoxide producing death traps.
• The burner gasket is of a poor design and prone to leakage. A new gasket MUST be fitted every time the burner is removed for servicing according to Potterton-Baxi technical support. These gaskets are hard to source. I suspect few actually get replaced on servicing. Leaking fumes from the burner gasket has apparently led to the deaths of a number of users of Range Powermax boilers.
• The aluminium twin-tube flue system used on this boiler is very compact and was designed to be installed in ceiling voids, behind walls and in boxings. Instances of the failure of flue joints are not uncommon and often allow flue gases to discharge directly into living spaces. When a flue is concealed within the fabric of the building it is often impossible to inspect the flue or the joints for integrity. Several people are known to have lost their lives due to leaking concealed flues. There is now compulsory Gas Safe procedures for concealed flues due to the dangers they can hide.
• This boiler produces condensate in the flue, the boiler was never designed to condense and has no means of discharging the condensate produced in the flue. The acidic condensate eats in to the aluminium flue wall. After several years of operation the flue becomes porous and allows flue gases to discharge in to your property.

These boilers can be silent killers, they have killed before and will kill again, for this reason we will not service or repair these boilers. In our opinion these boilers should be replaced at the earliest opportunity before they kill yet another person.