British Gas Homecare

[victor meldrew]

No it is open flues.......needs seeing to before the rains come ( or will do some expensive damage)

So its not coverd by BG and they will condemn it ?

 

[HarrogateGas]

I belive so. Worth calling them to see though.

 

[victor meldrew]

I belive so. Worth calling them to see though.

so i may has well save 25 quid a month and cancel it then ?

id have thought they could just put another end cap on it or the one thats now in the garden

It doesnt look hard to fix but i dont want to do a Rod Hull and try it myself

 

[victor meldrew]

I may have describe the Piece wrong its called a terminal\raincap

theres some here

http://www.ncc-flue.co.uk/main.asp?shopid=1

surely u just bolt on another one ?

 

[ollski]

secondary flue isn't covered, never has been, not even on your original terms and conditions. Guess they may stick it back on for an hours labour, depends on the condition of the flue and if parts are required.

 

[JohnD]

I've got BG contract on the CH and DHW, controls, pump, F&E, I've been quite happy with them. Some years I get my money's worth (new cylinder, immersion and stats as well as a blocked f&e replaced as well as the usual thermocouple in one year), some years I don't. But I've had a new pump fitted on Boxing day when it failed that morning, no extra cost, when all sensible engineers are tucked up in front of the telly or charging ££££££s.

Given time I can fix all the usual things myself, and have done in the past, but I'm really paying for the convenience.

 

[cutiecat]

Well BG came today and this is not going to surprise some of you but apparently my boiler needs replacing! Either I can add some large new vents to the exterior wall or I can get a new boiler. This is a boiler that was serviced last year by a corgi engineer and reported as fine. So I cannot join Homecare as my boiler is 'a risk'. The engineer did try to fit my TRVs and said that is the problem with the cold radiators. I had a quote of £208 inc. VAT to replace 4 tvrs. I have also got a sales rep coming to quote me for my new boiler. I am going to get my usual heating engineer to quote me for the boiler and he quoted between £110 to £170 not inc. VAT to do the TRVs.

My conclusion was that the BG engineer was polite and helpful. Really nice chap and also told me that even though he shouldn't if I get a new boiler he will do the TRVs for me for free even though they are an existing problem.

Let me know your thoughts.

 

[sidecar_jon]

Do they still get commission for flogging new boilers to those they condemn?...


(yes i had one condemned, and yes he was right, as i found out when i hauled the thing out, and we get a phone call from the sales team about once a week every since)


If we ever get a new boiler, i might just go for BG thing, or shop round for something cheaper/better as said before just for the convienience

 

[JohnD]

Sounds like the vents will be at least £1000 cheaper than the new boiler.

You could hire a 105mm core drill and do as many as you want on a Saturday morning. Screw on some plastic cowls to keep the flies out, bish bosh, done.

 

[chrishutt]

The reason your existing ventilation is suddenly at risk may be because many Registered Gas Installers have been failing to identify or correctly classify this fault for many years previously. The regulations have not changed but the guidance document on how the regs should be applied, published by Corgi and used by BG and others, previously contained an error that has only recently been corrected.

 

[cutiecat]

There is a small window in the room where the boiler is. Could I not just put a fan in it?

 

[chrishutt]

Could I not just put a fan in it?

No, a fan would just complicate things. An option might be to provide the ventilation to outside via another room. Worth considering if it's particularly difficult to get the vents directly to outside where the boiler is.

 

[croydoncorgi]

If it's a Mexico and on / near a suspended floor, a floor vent is often a good solution....

 

[ChrisR]

£208 inc. VAT to replace 4 tvrs......£110 to £170 not inc. VAT to do the TRVs.

Hmmm. They cost from about a fiver upwards. Very simple job if the system's empty.

 

[ollski]

I am going to get my usual heating engineer to quote me for the boiler and he quoted between £110 to £170 not inc. VAT to do the TRVs.

TRV's should only attract 5% VAT as they are an energy efficiency upgrade.