New Boiler fitting

[silverbmw528]

Hi all, first post...

I was just searching the net for boiler prices and came across this site, Brilliant !

For the last 6 months our Glow warm Energy saver 40 has been playing up and leaking, being
slightly technically minded I had the cover's off and was surprised to see a 6 year old boiler in such a state of corrosion.

It's a combi condensing boiler, and I'm told the to replace the jacket and
burner is as much as a new one.

It's still working (I'sh) but isn't going to last much longer. now we've had British Gas out who were talking re-mortgage money at £3700, a bunch of local plumbers ranging from £1200 to £1700. I've called Glow worm who say that the new boiler replacing my 40 is the HXI 15 at about £669.00.

Now I can't get my head around why we are talking almost £800 for what most say is under a days work. Gas, water in, out and electric connections.

I'm now considering doing the job myself ?

Has anyone done this ?

Can anyone give me some advise ?


Cheers

 

[breezer]

welcome to the forums.

the fact is you can not do it your self.

you do not know how to test it, flush it, etc, you are also not allowed to work on / with gas

You can however hang it on the wall, but if you do that you then have to get a heating engineer that is willing to work on it after you have touched it.

Get several more quotes for installation only from heating engineers, not plumbers, and 1st thing to ask is do they work on (your) brand of boiler

 

[ratonnastick]

do you know how to correctly fit & sight a flue.

do you know how to correctly install a gas pipe, test it, and guarantee it .

do you know how to correctly test a boiler to make sure it cannot explode or kill you.

would you know how to wire the system so it doesnt kill the boiler.

Get the flue or gas wrong and you can be prosocuted. it is a criminal offence if you muck up the flue or gas, even for corgi reg and even if it is only found out ten years later.

i'll put money on the fact gloworm would not help if it all goes wrong.

if you really want to try make sure you get a qualified engineer to do the gas and commision the boiler. (if you can find one that will even do that.)

sorry bit one sided but you did ask

ps did you ever have the old boiler serviced it shouldnt have been that bad
and any problems should have been picked up.

 

[DP]

Pricing a job is mixture of many things and no one can come up with a definitive price.

Let us assume, you source the boiler and have a RGI ready to fit your boiler. He might install only by connecting the aforementioned gas line, two heating pipes, flue and power to run the boiler. He takes his money and walks into the night. Boiler breaks down. He will not return unless his fitting is defective. Boiler breaks down because the system has not been cleaned, manufacturur's engineer ends up billing you for his call. Furthermore, the installation may not be up to scratch with respect to Building Regs. Engineer is onto a winner here as his off site time is minimal as you will be supplying all the fittings etc and he the labour. You waste his time, his charges go up. Some in any trade. Try this with your solicitor or your dentisit.

Second option. RGI supplies everything. He assume responsibility of the complete job.

For a fair price comparison, get quotes for a set specification.

 

[breezer]

bet he wishes he hadn't asked now

 

[silverbmw528]

So this is why Uni graduates are re training as Plumbers....
£800 labour for a days work, daylight robbery !

Well I suppose if they can get away with it why not.


I'm in the wrong game.

 

[breezer]

thats not actually true, out of that £800 comes vehicle, office and admin so that leaves £799.99 profit.

also there is the fact they may not be doing one boiler /day

 

[silverbmw528]

Well, It looks like I'm far from the only one.....


Watchdog Tonight !! Rip off Plumbers.

 

[croydoncorgi]

Maybe you should tell US how you price YOUR time.

After all, something has to pay for the Beamer! : :

 

[silverbmw528]

Not £800 a day........ Unfortunately,,,,

Lets see what they say…….

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Do it yourself and save all that money from going into some worthless plumbing /heating engineers pockets, plenty of people going round unregistered and nothing being done about it, anyway you can do what you like in your own house as long as you dont do it for payment anywhere else,
have a nice time.

 

[silverbmw528]

Thanks above... thinking about it.


And thanks Watchdog !!!

For Plumbers, the Government are proposing fixed licensing
with guide prices for all Plumbers and other contractors, no license no Job,, Oh dear I knew it wouldn’t be long what with the EEC.

HERE, HERE to our Government !!!!

No more rip off England

 

[blahblah]

Oh goodie. Another 250,000 civil service jobs and un-enforcable legislation.

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

How can someone else decide what you can charge, Pimlico plumbing is going to be vastly different on price in London as to say Joe Mc Bloggs plumbing in bonny Scotland, it will be totally unenforcable, it will just put up prices even more to cover licensing, I certainly wont take a wage cut to implement it just like any other new useless legislation, oh dear looks like mr public will end up paying even more plus the vat for a worthless peice of paper.

 

[silverbmw528]

They didn't give too much away but I believe it's going to be controlled like Hackney Carriage fares and will vary throughout the country.

The did say Guide price so I guess it's going to be published and the consumer can make up his own mind however anyone reported for
extensively over charging will be fined.

Sorry, at silly £800 a day (Just because I know) charges I and I'm sure most will welcome it.