Getting a new boiler fitted

[David937]

Hi there,

My friend has a Vaillant VCW boiler fitted in his house (been fitted for over 20 years) recently it was not delivering hot water unless the tap was open fully, they have 3 star BG cover and BG said the boiler needs replacing.

They wanted a new boiler anyway now that the current one is rather old so they called BG for a quote. One radiator doesn't heat up properly and BG said the system needs a power flush which will be £600.

I feel it is wrong that they get rip-offed by BG but I am not sure what to tell them as they seem to love their BG cover etc and are always saying that it's so good that the boiler gets serviced and fixed when it breaks (I am told that it has hardly ever broke down).

Can you guys tell me what I should tell them about BG and how the service is not a proper service etc?

What is the best advise I can give them?

I just find it so wrong that BG can go and rip-off people who don't know much about heating etc.

Thanks.

 

[mickyg]

What is the best advise I can give them?

keep the boiler, sounds like it might need a new water valve and some tlc from a decent engineer. Cracking boilers, will prob last another 10years if looked after properly. BG love telling people they need powerflushes, funny how they can guess without taking water sample! They must have a 6th sense

 

[dextrous]

For a start, I'd advise them to get a couple of independent quotes for a powerflush - that is likely to make them question the value for money aspect of BG.

Then I'd get them to get a quote for a full service from a couple of independent gassafes who will also advise them of the need to replace their boiler. That should make them question how much extra they're paying each year for the name of BG (what is it - about £20pcm = £240pa).

I'd also a recommend that they ask the aforementioned heating engineers to quote for a replacement boiler supplied and fitted to help them realise the curious pricing policies of BG, who largely subcontract anyway.

 

[Agile]

If they are happy with the service they receive from BG and do not mind their prices then good luck to them.

Some people do not mind paying rather higher prices because they think that they are getting something better.

Tony

 

[bengasman]

****ish gas is known to have a significant number of people that try to flog overpriced powerflushes, needed or not, and push new installations that are also overpriced and often not needed.
A lot of people wrongly think they have a service contract, what is done annually is a safety check; you can compare that as a full service on a car and the mot.
Chances are however that you will be wasting your breath trying to tell them that they are being ripped off.

 

[David937]

Thanks for the information, I was at their house in winter and all the other rads were too hot to touch, the curved one in the lounge wasn't hot enough- could the system need balancing?

 

[dextrous]

Thanks for the information, I was at their house in winter and all the other rads were too hot to touch, the curved one in the lounge wasn't hot enough- could the system need balancing?

More than likely. Recommend a standard chemical flush with fernox or sentinel and then balance the system (see the wiki for how). If this solves the problem, maybe then they may query why BG want to charge them all that money when £10-£15 would quite happily have done the job.

 

[mickyg]

could the system need balancing?

yes

 

[David937]

Would you be able to tell me what a proper service of this boiler involves and what a BG service involves? This will help me make them realise that they are not getting a proper service.

So what should be done is:

1.Proper service (possibly by Vaillant)
2.Chemical clean of system, Sentinel X800?
3.Protect system with Fernox or similar..could any harm be done shutting off all radiators but the problem one?
4.Balance system.

 

[nogoodatfaultfinding]

My advice would always get 2/3 independants in as well as BG.

I went to a job last week where BG had told an elder lady to replace her Mexico with a Combi as you could no longer get parts for it if it broke down(Lies), I have been to an other job where they advised customers to replace a back boiler with a combi for the same reasons, hence why alot of people have a bad taste in their mouths when it comes to BG.

As for the Power Flush an independant with the equipment like myself will do one for an average of £250 and as stated the boiler in question is a cracking piece of kit that can no doubt be kept in full working order with some TLC.

I would not trust BG as far as they can be flung but people genuinally beleive they are getting the best for their money by using them!!

 

[simond]

I have found curved rads do have a strange heat distribution.

Probably for the same reason, the Powerflush is less effective than in a straight panel.

I should tread carefully, there may not be a problem to solve.

 

[David937]

Thanks

I have found curved rads do have a strange heat distribution.

Probably for the same reason, the Powerflush is less effective than in a straight panel.

I should tread carefully, there may not be a problem to solve.

Thanks for that very useful information, do you think replacing the rad with a new one of equal or more output will solve the problem provided the boiler is big enough to cope?

 

[Agile]

Since each rad is power flushed on its own I dont see what a curved one would be much different.

As they are usually quite long they need to be balanced properly otherwise they may not get hot enough.

Tony

 

[JohnD]

if you, or they, are fond of DIY plumbing, you can get a surprising amount of muck out of a neglected system with £15 worth of Sentinel X400 circulated for 4 weeks (at this time of year you can turn the boiler stat down) and half an hour's work to fit a £100 Magnaclean.

It will do nothing but good, and will probably remove the need for powerflushing.

I am a householder not a pro. I guarantee you will be amazed and delighted to see how much black sediment theh Magnaclean traps, and it continues working permanently.

 

[muggles]

Thanks

I have found curved rads do have a strange heat distribution.

Probably for the same reason, the Powerflush is less effective than in a straight panel.

I should tread carefully, there may not be a problem to solve.

Thanks for that very useful information, do you think replacing the rad with a new one of equal or more output will solve the problem provided the boiler is big enough to cope?

If the boiler's big enough to cope then a bigger output rad would of course give out more heat, but beware that curved rads are made to order and are hideously expensive.