Am I Being ripped off on boiler quote?

[stingow]

Hi everyone.
I am new to the forum and have found it very interesting.
I need to get a new boiler fitted in the next month as our old one is past its best and very expensive to run.
It is a potterton oil fired combi boiler which is housed in the garage with a flew straight through the wall behind it.
We have been trying to get quotes but loads of plumbers have not showed up at all or have not got back to us after leaving my number on their answer machine.
They must be very busy!!!
Anyway,I have got one quote through which was for "fitting a new Grants Vortex Condensing Boiler complete with new fire valve".
The price I got quoted was £3750.00 plus vat.
Does anyone think that this quote is a bit on the steep side as I can buy the boiler for about £1300.00.
I am still waiting for some plumbers to show up to quote me so this is all I have to go on at the moment.
I have been told that a new bioler will take one day to fit.
Any comments you have on this price would be welcome.

 

[Deleted member 105431]

have you considered switching to LPG?

 

[gremlin16]

I have been told that a new bioler will take one day to fit.

True, but wont be installed to be problem free, and wont last you long.


Did the OFTEC installer mention cleaning existing heating system, which can take at least a day on a badly sludged system. On top of that what condition is the rest of your system, there is a lot to consider when doing a boiler change. IMO the fire valve would be the least of my worries.

 

[Deleted member 105431]

i agree. a proper job takes time and time is money.

 

[oilman]

Do not put "condensing" at the top of your list expecting to save money. You will be disappointed. I would suggest you consider other boiler makes, though NOT the Worcester-Bosch Greenstar.

There are some points to consider with the Grant boilers.

1) the secondary heat exchanger uses 24 spiral strips of steel in the tubes. These take time to remove for servicing. Often they are clean enough not to need attention. However if they are dirty and do need cleaning, expect to be charged for the extra time as it will add at least 30 mins to the service.

2) The seal on the access panel does not always resist the water which can condense on the panel and then find its way past the seal at the bottom. I know it happens, I have seen it. This means rust coloured, corrosive water runs down the front of the boiler and onto the floor.

Generally condensing oil boilers are a pain. An alternative would be to modify your existing boiler to disconnect the combi bits, then use the boiler to heat a hot water cylinder for the HW supply. The heating part of your boiler is reasonable engineering, and reasonably efficient.

 

[simond]

One day is nowhere near long enough to change a boiler properly.

As for a 'rip off', it is a quote, no one has been ripped off. Us installers in the boiler industry know full well that a trained monkey can look up the cost of a boiler on the internet.

Hopefully you won't be paying for the services of one to fit it.

Not all quotes are the same, but they will all be more than you wanted to pay.

 

[Softus]

I am new to the forum and have found it very interesting.

Are you so new that you didn't know about Forum Etiquette rule No. 6?

We have been trying to get quotes but loads of plumbers have not showed up at all or have not got back to us after leaving my number on their answer machine.

That's not particularly surprising, since you'll be utterly wasting the time of all except one of the installers that you call.

They must be very busy!!!

How "busy" do you have to be to want to avoid doing something for nothing?

Anyway,I have got one quote through which was for "fitting a new Grants Vortex Condensing Boiler complete with new fire valve".
The price I got quoted was £3750.00 plus vat.
Does anyone think that this quote is a bit on the steep side as I can buy the boiler for about £1300.00.

If you don't trust that the price is fair and genuine, then why did you ask someone you don't trust to give you a quotation?

I am still waiting for some plumbers to show up to quote me so this is all I have to go on at the moment.

Have you asked family/friends/colleagues/neighbours to recommend someone that they have been happy with?

I have been told that a new bioler will take one day to fit.

Since you clearly believe whoever told you that, then why not get a quotation from that person?

 

[gremlin16]

Any comments you have on this price would be welcome.

Im sure its easier to guess the length of this


View media item 4395

 

[Deleted member 105431]

Any comments you have on this price would be welcome.

Im sure its easier to guess the length of this


View media item 4395

17m and 68.2cm. Am I right?

 

[gremlin16]

Phoned several shops and they all gave me different answers, cant see why.

 

[cozzmic]

£1300 for a Vortex combi, love to know where you got that price from. Obviously you must have got a trade price for the boiler, what about the profit for the installer to cover his costs. As Softus said are you wanting it done for nothing? Everybody has got to make a living even yourself.

 

[Kev F]

id expect to pay about £1400 plus the vat for that boiler, then you have to look at fitting,pipe and new valves if needed. Plus day to fit ,day to flush maybe 2 men for the fitting so its not cheap in my opinion but not over the top either

 

[simond]

Grant low level flue is at least £100 on top.

 

[stingow]

I seem to have caused a bit of a stir with my question.
I did not mean to offend anyone and I agree that that adding "ripped off" may have been over the top.I am sorry for that.
Its just that I have been trying to get quotes for 2 weeks and this is the only one I have got as it is the only plumber to come round and I have asked at least 8 to come round but they have either not got back to me after I have left my number on their answer machine or they have not shown up at all.(Two were supposed to come on friday but did not come!)
I do live in the middle of the country in a small village so do not expect people to come round the same day like in a city but I still expect people to turn up on the day that they say they would.Or at least phone to cancel.
I am not trying to get something for nothing I just wanted to know if the price I got quoted was ok.
Anyway we have another plumber coming to quote tomorrow so I will hopefully get another price which is all I wanted in the first place.
Sorry again if I caused any offence to any of you and thanks for the replies.
If I get any other quotes I will post them here.

 

[gas4you]

I don't do oil, but bought a Vortex combi last week for £1465 + VAT. I then added my mark up on that to cover 2 years possible warranty call outs etc.

You can't have it both ways

(A mate of mine who is OFTEC fitted and commissioned it before you all ask. I didn't even open the box )