Set price or wait for engineer?

[mattsturgess]

Hi,

I have been given a quote by Vaillant to service my Vaillant boiler of £190, this does however also cover any work which might need doing. I am 99.9% sure, based on a advice from previous topic that the PRV needs replacing/repairing.

My dilemma is do i got for an standard service from my local plumber (£50 plus vat quoted) and then wait to see what the charges may be to do the suggested work OR is £190 a good price for doing this.

Basically i am not sure how much i will be charged to replace the PRV.
Many thanks,

Matt

 

[ACOperson]

PRV change is not a particularly big job on this boiler, probably £10-£15 for new PRV, £30-£50 labour depending on the engineer.

The real question is why the PRV needs changed, often they need changed because the expansion vessel is flat or punctured. If this also needs changing then it becomes a bigger job. New vessel may be £80, labour another £60-£80.

 

[mattsturgess]

Thanks

Basically the outside overflow is more or less constantly dripping, but i am not loosing any pressure.

 

[ACOperson]

Are you never having to top it up? What does the pressure gauge read?

Sounds like someone has left the filling loop open maybe. If this is the case then probably only PRV needs changed.

 

[mattsturgess]

No gauge always reads healthy, without having to top! I think i will give the vaillant quote a miss then.

Thanks for your help, much apprecited!

Matt

 

[kevplumb]

no fix no fee

 

[ACOperson]

If there is water coming out of the PRV pipe and you are NEVER having to re-fill the system then there is something very wrong. The system has only a finite amount of water in it, if it all leaks out of the PRV and is not being replaced then the boiler would stop working. It seems to me that the water is being replaced from somewhere. This needs to be stopped, as constantly entraining new water into a heating system is bad news.

You should try disconnecting the filling loop, or if using an internal filling loop, undo the bridge between mains pipe and CH pipe and make sure both isolators are in off position.

What I think is probably happening is that the filling loop is slightly open, and this is overpressurising the system, causing the PRV to open and constantly release the excess water.

Be aware that sometimes pressure gauges get stuck due to dirt clogging them up, and give incorrect readings. If I were you I'd open the PRV and let a bit of water out, checking that the pressure gauge responds by showing a decrease in pressure.

 

[mattsturgess]

Thanks for advice guys, i think i may leave to the experts now, Its worth a few quid to prevent any further problems i reckon.
And to finally get it sorted

 

[Agile]

A good local CORGI fellow is going to be cheaper ( no big company overheads ) and is LOCAL which means he can get to you quicker if you ever have a real urgent problem.

Your problems seem to be very minor and even in London I dont think we would have to charge over £120. Made up of £84 diagnostic fee ( or even £55 for a routine service 7+ days later ) plus £18 to replace PRV plus £6 to replace filling loop valve.

Be aware though that if left for very long then the incoming new water will contain new oxygen and rust the inside of the radiators and cause the system to need cleaning.

Tony

 

[mattsturgess]

Much apprecited Tony