Split Flue Liner, debris inside Back boiler, cost to fix?

[slickster]

Hi, my first post so if I say anything I shouldn't please let me know and I'll change it accordingly.

Basically, noticed that the back boiler in our dining room was smelling a bit gassy, when on and there looked to be soot around it so got in touch with BG who sent out transco, who turned it off. BG came round and took the fire off and then gave this report:

For BCK BLR FRE HOUSEWARMER 30/45 SUPERI, Suspect split flue liner (debris inside) No debris plate, builders opening.

We now have gas on but the boiler/fire has been capped.

BG said that our boiler stopped being produced in 1990 so must be that old. He give me a quote for £1380 to fix these problems (Replace flue liner, seal builders opening, de-soot boiler, 2 men 6 hours, ladder crawler required and access platform). Or suggested we may wish to consider a whole new system (and 7 radiators). I thought this seemed a bit overpriced! Tried a friend who works for the local council's house improvements and his contacts said it also seemed expensive but they were all busy for the immediate future.

Obviously I would like to get it sorted soon as being without heating in this weather is not that good (11degrees or less in most rooms... although do have a gas fire in the living room).

We've been here 3 years and have to admit to not having had it serviced in that time. House it estimated to be about 100 years old, it's a 3 bed end terrace. Now, we are currently considering moving to a new house, if we do we just want to get the heating working again, but if we end up not moving we may consider getting a whole new system put in (£4k?), so how much do you think is should cost to do the work BG specified, and do you think that we have any chance of getting it sorted this side of Christmas?

 

[gas4you]

I would say approx £700 +vat to re-line a standard flue. new ch would be around £4000 + vat as a starting guide

 

[namsag]

Oh feck of dave 700 quid that is taking the **** as much as BG ... length of copex terminal,clamping plate and a roll of fibre glass is about a hundred quid take less than 2 hours to do...sO JUSTIFY 600 quid labour.

What showed up on test to suggest liner(copex ) is split

 

[chrishutt]

take less than 2 hours to do...

Thems was the old days, when men were men and health and safety was the name of a soft porn mag. Now we gotta have lots of expensive access equipment just in case we slip and fall off the roof. So it ain't a cheap job no more.

 

[fitz1]

flue liner, clamp and cowl , will cost over 300 quid.

 

[numpty1]

Oh f**k of dave 700 quid that is taking the p**s as much as BG ... length of copex terminal,clamping plate and a roll of fibre glass is about a hundred quid take less than 2 hours to do...sO JUSTIFY 600 quid labour.

What showed up on test to suggest liner(copex ) is split

you need at least a double ladder and roof ladder, or if you want to do it properly scaffolding then you need a harness plus the completion of a recognized course to say you are competent in the use of a harness or a suitable cherry picker with trained operative and lookout plus one man inside to assist with pulling the liner down starts getting expensive now does it not??i think the above will exceed £600 welcome to the nanny state

 

[doitall]

Not allowed to use a ladder anymore for this type of job, you need at least an tower scaffold for access

The job in the pic took 6 hours to get the old liner out and another 5 hours to get the new one in and build a new register plate.

If namsag can doitall in 2 hours we can pass loads of work his way

 

[DP]

Get second opinion on the boiler. It is not for the first time I have been to a back boiler which has never been serviced and is full of soot.

Sounds like a job I went to recently (Vokera Excel), which was down for replacement as ' pilot was flooded as main heat exchanger is leaking- so pilot could not be established (even with a lighter))'. Initial check suggested no gas. Went to the gas meter and turned the gas on. Pilot lights, burner ignites. Cover off the combustion chamber. Inside dry as a bone.

Another one. Old Vokera Turbo down for replacement by a large organsiation as main burner 'cracked'. Owner lives across the road, asked me for second opinion. Could not see any cracks. On the phone he goes, to call the manager in charge of the people who had capped the boiler. Same afternoon the boiler was back in service.

So, do NOT take any chances. Gas will kill. Also do not assume any one with nice clean hands is a cowboy, fancy company logoed bod is not, white vanman wears spurs and so on. Be on your guard and look for proffesionalism and be weary of smart clever talk. Have seen many jobs done by pros who could not pick their nose and householders doing work which was better than that done by those whose job is to do so. Check out the CORGI card every time.

Now I am going to have a cup of tea. Where is my beano and mars bar.

 

[DP]

John, merry christmas

 

[doitall]

John, merry christmas

And a very Merry Christmas to you and the Family Dan.

Thats me practicing for my Santa roll

 

[namsag]

Fitz i think you will find a copex pack is far nearer to 100 quid than 300 last time i bought one 2 year ago it was around 70 quid plus vat from plumb centre.
As for specialist equipement i think you will find out that we can still work off a roof ladder providing it is under a certain amount of time,yes big companies always go for scaffolding but that is them covering there ass.. And as an installers everyone should have at least a triple extension ladder and access to a roof ladder i own both and very rarely use the roof ladder as i prefer to walk up.
In a standard house the longest it has ever took me to pull a liner is 15 mins and that was with it being stuck usually it is less than 5 mins.
And on an awkward one with a couple of tight bends to get it back down 30 mins this usually can be done in less than 15 mins.
As for taking 2 people yes but have none of you got mates that would come around an help. I regularly pull copexs out for mates who arescared of heights.
Guess when you have done hundreds it makes it an easy job and the customer benefits by gettin a quick job

 

[fitz1]

priced a pack three weeks ago at cityplumbing. over 300 quid.

 

[doitall]

Does that include cementing the top and sealing the plate Namsag

Are you saying you can arrive on site, unload the ladders and flue, set the ladders, climb onto the roof balance a pair of steps on the ridge ( not all chimneys can be reached from the ridge) pull/push the liner down the chimney, mix a bucket of sand & cement and seal the top, fit/refit the plate and seal it, connect to appliance, test, pact the kit up, and tie to the motor and be gone in less than 30 mins.

Magic

 

[numpty1]

i feel a song coming on along the lines of
you can't get quicker than an ex bg fitter [quick fit ad] nice blue uniforms with the company logo on show, but no orange shield telegan in hand for a safety check

take my remarks with a pinch of salt namsag,on the odd occasion i have dropped a liner and all the other bits done in a short time but the vast majority have been a pita and time consuming.

 

[namsag]

Doitall your so eager to have a go you forgot that i said a couple of hours in my first comment . It is a bag of cement not a cement mixer full and as for sealing the bottom rock wool is a perfectly legal and allowed means to do this on a gas boiler so trhat is a 2 min job.
Some of us actually get onto the job and dont fan#y about, not interested in making a job last longer than it has to or charging customer more than they need to pay. Setting up and taking down a ladder is a 5 min up and 5 min down job. The town i live in has very few chimneys that would need an additional ladder on the chimney.

Fitz suggest you go into plumbcentre . List price of copex by the metre is £16.89 as mostr chimneys can be done with a 9 metre pack that equals 178 quid including vat gc1 is £6.60 and a plate is about £3 so even at list price the stuff is £190 and as we all know we don`t pay list and a 9metre pack is far cheaper than off the roll price.


Just done a quick search and even on the net you can get a 5 inch 9 metre pack for a £161 including that took me 30 seconds to find.
EDIT
Sad i know but Just texted manager of PTS price of pack is £110 plus vat so it has gone up a bit in past few years but as i said closer to a hundred quid....Who is kidding who