Disruption of new central heating system

[danlightbulb]

Hi all,

Soon going to be getting quotes for new central heating system. House currently storage heaters.

I have a couple of questions about the fitting which I will also be asking the installers when they quote but just wanted to get an initial feel.

1. Will the installer want us to vacate the property during the working day?

2. How does the installer route pipework upstairs (wooden floorboards) and downstairs (concrete floor).

3. What will likely be done about exposed pipework, boxing in, etc. Can pipework be chased into a wall and is this messy or substantially more expensive?

4. Will we have any long periods without water? How will the installer minimise the length of the changeover between our immersion heater hot water and the combi hot water?

5. Making good - what can I expect as I have been dissappointed in this area before with electrical work.

6. We will be redecorating the whole house after the work is done, but not all at once and the missus is stressing that we will have chunks of wall missing, wall paper ripped off, carpet up etc. Is there anything you pro's say to customers to reassure them in this respect.


Many thanks
Dan

 

[clf-gas]

1. Will the installer want us to vacate the property during the working day?

No, Who would make the tea/coffee

2. How does the installer route pipework upstairs (wooden floorboards) and downstairs (concrete floor).

He/she will run pipework under the floor, with small tails upstairs and drops for downstairs

3. What will likely be done about exposed pipework, boxing in, etc. Can pipework be chased into a wall and is this messy or substantially more expensive?

He/she will mote than likely use trunking in the corners

4. Will we have any long periods without water? How will the installer minimise the length of the changeover between our immersion heater hot water and the combi hot water?

No, he/she will do the prepwork first, then tap into water and commission in one day

5. Making good - what can I expect as I have been dissappointed in this area before with electrical work.

Discuss this with installer

6. We will be redecorating the whole house after the work is done, but not all at once and the missus is stressing that we will have chunks of wall missing, wall paper ripped off, carpet up etc. Is there anything you pro's say to customers to reassure them in this respect.

Erm?. Pretty much same as above, you should'nt have chucks of plaster missing, carpet should be relaid, Ect.

 

[gas4you]

1) I always work around the customer and their lifestyle as much as possible to all practical extents.

2) Flooring and floorboards upstairs will have to be removed where required and joists notched/drilled for pipe runs.

3) Walls can be chased up very expensive, time comsuming, messy and unnecessary usually, unless you have a severe problem about seeing pipe work. Usually drops down walls are left visible. Will look awful with fresh, new and bright copper, but once you have painted them will blend in.

4) I only turn water off as and when needed, usually only once or twice for about 5-30 mins each time. How long hot water will be off depends whether your hw cylinder has to come out first for boiler to be fitted or not. If not usually no more than a couple of hours. I usually get my combi's up and running on dhw only before finishing the heating system circuit.

5) I do basic making good, but usually there is not much to make good that can't be done when you re-decorate.

6) If you have any new or good quality carpets I always recommend customer employing a carpet fitter to remove then refit carpets. We are heating engineers, not carpet fitters

Can't see why you would have wall paper ripped off or chunks out of your plaster etc. IF that happened on one of my jobs I would employ a plasterer to make good.

But saying all of above, it IS a major job installing full ch and you MUST be prepared for some reasonable disruption for about a week and the ensuing dust that will follow. Good installers always allow 1/2 hr each day for cleaning up, but this will never be to a homeowners own standards

As you are having storage heaters taken out, use an installer who is registered on Plumb Center's A1 boiler scheme. They will get you a £275 grant/cashback for having them swapped to a gas ch. I always let my customers have £225 of this. The other £50 is what I would normally get for a gas boiler anyway.

HTH

 

[gas4you]

F*** you're quick Craig

 

[clf-gas]

F*** you're quick Craig

No I not , took a good thirty minutes did that

 

[danlightbulb]

Thanks for your replies.

When you do downstairs drops, you take the pipework down in a room corner. How do you then get the pipework across to the rad position? In my current house it is just pipe clipped to the skirting which I was hoping there would be a better solution because it is near impossible to get a good painting finish on this lot afterwards. I also want to replace existing skirting with some nice plain pine one, deeper too. Obviously cant do this if that is how the rads will be fitted downstairs.

Cheers

 

[gas4you]

Where possible I drop pipes in corners or at the sides of windows so the curtains will hide the majority of them.

All sideways pipes from these are drilled into and clipped to wall under rad, NOT into skirting board URGH!!!!!!!!

 

[clf-gas]

Assuming the rads are going under windows, then pipes can be brought down to one side cased in trunking. Curtains (if your having them) will hide most of this.

Or. You could mount the rad so pipe runs go above the skirting.

 

[danlightbulb]

Thanks.

If a room needs replastering and I want to fit deeper skirting, I now take it that this needs doing first?

 

[clf-gas]

Where possible I drop pipes in corners or at the sides of windows so the curtains will hide the majority of them.

All sideways pipes from these are drilled into and clipped to wall under rad, NOT into skirting board URGH!!!!!!!!

Tis scarery is this

 

[EliteHeat]

Anyone tried running pipes straight down and behind the radiator? if you use talon clips then you can just whack a cover right over the pipes.

I wanted to do this a few weeks ago, but customer disagreed and would rather have loads of exposed pipework, dunno why.

 

[danlightbulb]

So you dont do this then!

 

[Balenza]

I would never consider fitting pipework on the surface. Its amatuerish from an installer point of view.
Tracking the floors is the best option by a long way. Use a diamond blade and then chisel them out with an electrical or air driven machine. (Very fast)

 

[clf-gas]

I would never consider fitting pipework on the surface. Its amatuerish from an installer point of view.
Tracking the floors is the best option by a long way. Use a diamond blade and then chisel them out with an electrical or air driven machine. (Very fast)

Would agree but that laminate floor seems to be in the way.
The OP's missus wants minimal disturbance.

 

[danlightbulb]

No thats my existing house.

My new house needs complete redec anyway.

I take it that cutting concrete floor is not on most installers preferences?