Great message board-answer to my Alpha b problem!

Just found this message board - great. Got to find and call a plumber tomorrow and was dreading it. Alpha boiler not giving out any hot water when just set to HW and has been luke warm when on CH . Looked on this mboard and found a similar Query and answer 14 dec \\\' Sounds like the DHW diaphragm. Doddle to sort on this.....10 min job\\\' From harrogate gas.
Add. problem is there seems to be some drips of water coming from somewhere- looking at a diagram seems to be where this DHW is. Everyting Ok when CH on but yesterday when CH not on and put H tap on the needle rose right into red culminating in water come out of overlow pipe outside. As I know absolutely nothing all seems pretty scary to me so turned everything off!
Can anyone advise - I need to get boiler serviced anyway - if I phone a plumber and ask for a service - will this problem be fixed as part of service?Can I expect him to have the part with him and if not would I be charged while he goes to merchants to get it? Can i expect a plumber to charge a call out on top ?

Thanks for any help

problem is there seems to be some drips of water coming from somewhere- looking at a diagram seems to be where this DHW is

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This would support the diaphragm query.

put H tap on the needle rose right into red culminating in water come out of overlow pipe outside

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Could be a problem with the pressure vessel. Sort the diaphragm out first and see how it goes.
I would class this as repair work rather than service work

Can I expect him to have the part with him and if not would I be charged while he goes to merchants to get it?

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He may or may not have the part .... Thats the luck of the draw! You could look up and obtain the part yourself!

Thanks for reply. this is first time I have used a message board and so far so good! Before I picked up your message I have this am phoned a plumber found on the TrustMark site. Got a price for supply and fit of the diaphram of £120 + Vat (but it could need something else......!) Was told if its an older model would be £220 +VAT. My boiler is 4 yrs old max. Got a 20 minute lecture about the plumber - been to uni , we're the best, been headhunted etc etc. Still never got a price for how much a service would be but did eventually gleen that a call out is £72 + Vat.
I also spoke direct to Alpha Boilers who were very helpful and said I might think about their Instant Fix deal wich is a one off £199 (incl) covering up to 3 major parts in boiler. or an Insurance of £177 + £7.00 per month which would cover this problem. Now i'm wondering if I should go for one of these or risk calling out a plumber (there are SO many in Yellow Pages!- which one?) and them finding something more than the diaphram and the bill going up!
Any thoughts from anyone - this is all new to me. Like the idea of popping to local plumbers and getting the diaphram part myself!

Thanks

Theres a lot of plumbers in the yellow pages but you will find that few of them are capable of fixing boilers but most of them would be able to fit you a new one. As an example [and a surreptitious way of patting myself on the back if you like] I did a job the other day and the guy had called 20 firms out of Yellow pages. Only one of them would touch his Vaillant combi and that was Vaillant themselves but he would have had to wait 3 weeks. I was then recommended to him by a local spares stockist.
One of the solutions provided by Alpha seems to be the best option as you could have more than one problem and for a fixed fee you know beforehand how much the outlay will be.

I called about 25 plumbing/heating firms in the YP in central London, for market reeesearch on charging for boiler repairs. About 12 of their phone lines were no longer in use, so I assume they've gone out of business!!

Most quoted about £75 per hour inc. But I know a number of those who have been used, charged more than that, in one way or another, for example because of time of day, or by "needing" two people.

Central London is a real problem because of the congestion charging and parking. We rather prefer to avoid visits there.

We charge a £94 diagnostic fee and go there at our discretion after 6.30 or on Sundays or alternately we charge £136 and go on public transport during the day. Parking is always chargeable.

We do insist on full boiler details together with symptoms so that we can take the likely parts to avoid a second visit as we dont charge any extra to return with the parts.

Tony