Buy a boiler online and get gas engineer to install?

[Harry Bloomfield]

It’s not common practice but that’s what I did.

Mine was just the Vaillant boiler. I priced up my buying the boiler versus a quote from a Vaillant installer installing it, with me supplying and installing and setting up, an entirely new set of controls. I found my installer was willing to accomodate me either way, but the difference in cost, plus the slight extra risk [1] simply made it not worth my while. [1] Any after install issues, might well be labour at my cost.

 

[tellme_why]

.. ok got you, thanks -- never really understood who are the merchants.. please could you IM me some names.. keen to check prices!

 

[tellme_why]

Mine was just the Vaillant boiler. I priced up my buying the boiler versus a quote from a Vaillant installer installing it, with me supplying and installing and setting up, an entirely new set of controls. I found my installer was willing to accomodate me either way, but the difference in cost, plus the slight extra risk [1] simply made it not worth my while. [1] Any after install issues, might well be labour at my cost.

Thanks Harry; is there any regulation / license that may prevent DiYers fitting control themselves? For example DIY cannot do gas..

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Thanks Harry; is there any regulation / license that may prevent DiYers fitting control themselves? For example DIY cannot do gas..

No, none, apart from access to the boiler's internal connections, if they are inside the casing.

If you know how to do it, do it all ahead of time, ready for the boiler install, so the engineer can just make the final connections for you at the boiler.

Depending on what controls you want to add, it may just involve power + Ebus pair + power to the pump, if the pump is external to the boiler.

 

[pcaouolte]

.. ok got you, thanks -- never really understood who are the merchants.. please could you IM me some names.. keen to check prices!

It doesn't work like that. The GS engineer will have trade accounts with merchants and will get trade prices based on the volume of purchases in a year. If you ring the merchant to make a one off purchase you will be quoted a much higher cash-sale price.

To get a comparison, ask your installer for a supply and fit price and a separate install only price. Add your on-line materials price to the install only price and see how it compares with the supply and fit price.

 

[GuessMan]

Love people like you. If you want to supply materials supply them all. No benefiting from my experience of what sundries are needed you can collect them while my labour charge meter keeps ticking away. You want full control of hot water and central heating flow temperatures, no problem. I know what you need - do you?

 

[roguetrader]

I don't think any trades will be right with this type of customer. They know it all already.

Through experience, we all know what works and of course what the manufacturer expects with regard to warranty. We do the courses and take the advice of massive multi million pound companies who spend a lot of time and money on testing their products.

But this new brand of customer are desperate to over complicate things to save 50p a year.

 

[tellme_why]

I don't think any trades will be right with this type of customer. They know it all already.

Through experience, we all know what works and of course what the manufacturer expects with regard to warranty. We do the courses and take the advice of massive multi million pound companies who spend a lot of time and money on testing their products.

But this new brand of customer are desperate to over complicate things to save 50p a year.

.. thanks .. I am a DIY enthusiast .. so I like to understand what the job would look like. I prefer to hire traders for the experience and warranty of course .. is the saving 50p? Well let's find out - my gas consumption was 50% more than the UK average per same type of dwelling last year despite keeping indoor temp very low.. so yes trying my best to bring my gas bill low and invest wisely in upgrade that have a material payback.

 

[Madrab]

Or even worse, the diyers!



Andy

Or the worst of them all, the Pro DIY'ers

 

[johnny2007]

I changed my boiler last year (like for like more or less) and could've bought one with installing kit ready to be fitted by a GS.
Turned out supply and fit was cheaper and the GS guy who installed it (BOXT) knew those boilers and controls inside out.
He showed me every step and explained everything in details.
He even let me strip bits and pieces off the old boiler and gave me the MagnaFilter that was there to sell on Ebay.
10 years warranty on a Bosch installed by accredited installers, so it was a no brainer for me.

 

[tellme_why]

Or the worst of them all, the Pro DIY'ers

not sure whether I am posting in the right forum so I double-checked...

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

.. thanks .. I am a DIY enthusiast .. so I like to understand what the job would look like.

Nowt much wrong with that attitude, beats leaving it to a pro, where you end up with something you didn't want or expect.

 

[GuessMan]

Problem is, you started out asking help from the very same people you derided as ‘traders’. If you know everything why are you here?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Problem is, you started out asking help from the very same people you derided as ‘traders’. If you know everything why are you here?

I have reread the thread, and I cannot see where he has derided traders, he has simply sought (and been given) advice.

 

[GuessMan]

Better I actually design it myself and get an electrician to fit advanced controls (Vsmart etc.). No point asking these traders how enhanced controls works, just a waste of time.