Baxi Megaflow 15kw Any good?

[BuckClean]

Been staggered by gas costs (one month last year 250 quid just for gas) and decided to get a couple quotes for replacement of a minimum 12 year old boiler (prob nearer 20) Old one is working perfectly but obviously very inefficient - its a Glow Worm Space saver 60 MkII GTI (I made up the last bit!)

Anyways about have just been quoted 2800 for boiler change inc vat for new Baxi Megaflow 15kw - we have 12 radiators and want to add one more at some stage ( four bed detached house with good loft insul but nil wall inul - double glazed yes)

Anyone out there got any comments or suggestions on this scenario - many thanks in advance for any advice - what would be the trade price for instance of a Baxi Megaflow 15kw? The work has been costed as 1.5 days but the sales person said it was just over 1 day (1.03 days??)

 

[spaceman]

Seems a bit pricey to me. Cost around £650 plus install. Not sure if you have the right size boiler, you can check it at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk and enter your house details.

 

[bengasman]

Been staggered by gas costs (one month last year 250 quid just for gas)

That is virtually impossible with a small boiler like yours.

- what would be the trade price for instance of a Baxi Megaflow 15kw?

There is no such thing as a trade price for installing something. Apart from that, we don't do price indications on this forum.

The work has been costed as 1.5 days but the sales person said it was just over 1 day (1.03 days??)

The salesman in the shop has not been on site and can therefore not judge the job. Even if he had been on site, he still wouldn't been able to judge it as he is just a shop assistant.

 

[BuckClean]

Spaceman many thanks

bengasman - just forgetit!

 

[muggles]

That seems like a lot of money for a Baxi - get some more quotes

 

[Agile]

Maybe its British Gas!

Your existing boiler is I think a low water content copper heat exchanger.

A new boiler is only going to be up to 12% more efficient and probably less than 10% more efficient unless you operate it like the lady I saw yesterday who has stored water at 50 C and a heating flow of 65 C.

Your existing boiler is about 18 kW and thats probably about what you need for your house.

If you can add cavity insulation then that can save about 25% on the heating bill.

Tony

 

[Mark Br]

Assuming your existing boiler is pretty inefficient, you are unlikely to save on your gas bills to a level that will pay for your new boiler to be installed in something like 10 years

Ps - Bengasman was being helpful, I wouldn't ignore his advice

 

[BuckClean]

Ok many thanks for the positive replies and feedback - I owe you an explanation of what transpired in terms of recieved quotes as you are I assume mostly centarl heating plumbers and heating/engineers whereas I am Joe Public so I would guess this experience is fairly typical for a Joe Public and you may well be intereted in what Joe Public gets back from your industry. Here is my honest reactions to the troopers who arrived on my doorstep

Quote one was as I said 2800 inc VAT (assume all prices hereafter are inc VAT! as it is a tax on consumers and I am a consumer) for a 15 kw boiler - this from a (V) large company that has recently entered the market to replace boilers.

There was an offer of 300 discount if I decided there and then... that puts me off a company straight away... so if I just approached you at the end of the string instead of first i can get a better price - that is just sheer opportunism and deserves the direspect I have given it. They said I needed a 15kw Megaflow boiler (a brand name apparently but confusingly the same brand name as our existing unvented mains pressure system which is just 6 years old) but he then rang me later to say that was the wrong boiler he had specced and that it needed to be something else which I have forgotten but that it was also 15kw.

Secondly I got a price from the Big One - u know who I mean - they were more convincing in face to face and the price was 3000 with no dodgy discounts (well actually there was one rounding discount from 3094 to 3000 dead.

Most importantly this Heating Engineer said the 15kw was a joke and not right for my needs and I needed a 330+ High Eff boiler which according to the salesman (I shall call him that now) was expandable to cope with our plans for heating more rooms (1 extra actually) by simply altering the electronics - no further actual plumbing would be needed just altering the control system. I still dont know if I am getting a 18kw or a 24 kw boiler - I should ask him, when he follws up I will - it is not obvious at all from the quote what I am getting but I had no knowledge to be able to query this apparent anomaly.

They (the big one) have a very, very high opinion of themselves - the salesman said they were the best, with the best training and the best installers and the best all round really - it was tempting fate using anyone else - now that sets my back up straight away - I think he had got too pumped up on late night lager at a sales conference in Basingstoke and found himself believing the company line in bullshit no doubt being pushed by shiney-arsed salesmen in suits.

Anyways the third price was from our local plumber - the company (a seven or eight van local operation) who we have used before but who we feel are slightly expensive but who always turn up when they say and generally do a good job and are nice people to boot. They quoted 2335 and say we need a 24kw boiler (WB 24Ri) and they will fit an internal condensate pipe inside our kitchen (the others were happy to run this on a slope on the outside wall (I read that they can freeze up on retro fit installations and this was the major cause of recent breakdowns in the winter of 09/10).

It seems likely, given my experiences with the sales engineers (!) from the other two, that I am safer going with my local plumber - pretend you are a Joe Public like me - I hope this gives comfort to local companies who see the major players trying to undercut them in advertising claims etc - firstly as it transpires they are not really interested in getting down and dirty on prices and second they have a very high opinion of their own abilities which may or may not be backed up by the troops who turn up to do the boiler install on the day!

I agree Agile/Tony - you are spot on, thanks I do need to get the walls insulated and will do this - but in my defence its a 1920s house and I think as do most homeowners that we worry about blocking up cavities and damp problems following from this type of insulation - why else would the walls be provided with cavities otherwise!

Agile also says I will only save at most 12% on gas and maybe less than 10% and that my 18kw boiler is sufficient!

Thanks Mark Br I accept what you say and TBH I suppose I already know that it will take about that long to get the money back - we will be in this house in 10 years time I guess - but in the meantime I will have a modern boiler that the local installer will support if it goes wrong (the old one never goes wrong except for two new ferrules(sp!) over the last 5 years or so) but I dont agree that bengasman was being helpful - my original post obviously annoyed him - in which case he should have just passed on it and found a post that suited his temper more - he found me annoying and he simply picked holes in my post without offering anything positive - in my business I contribute to a consumer forum where people ask for advice and I frequently come across annoying people like me!! when I do I simply pass on the other side of the road and look for a topic where I can offer decent, useable helpful advice - like most of the people on this forum (except bengasman it appears) - thats what a forum is all about really. He said "we don't do price indications on this forum. " but other people do comment on prices and why would an annoying consumer like me come onto a forum if not to find out about value and utility - if money was no object why would we be asking ill-informed questions about what we can expect for our bucks!

Thanks for all your feedback - I will ask my plumber if he is really sure I need a 24kw boiler and see what he says...!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[paulthegas]

dont have a Baxi fitted, its not fair on anyone

 

[BuckClean]

paul - sorry have I missed something here - is this an injoke - the one I will prob go for is the WB (is that a baxi?) it says Worcester Bosch 24Ri on my quote - or are you just dissing baxi's based on solid experience of them?

 

[Mark Br]

dont have a Baxi fitted, its not fair on anyone

I'd be interested in your justification for the comment, I've generally found them to be fairly good reliable boilers, with good support (heat team) and reasonably priced parts