Worcester Boiler-heat only-one of the best ? Export quality

[michael1000]

mickyg-yes rinnai are big here, but only for hot water boilers. Not heating. Actually they are huge with their units. Very very reliable, an example for their instant hot water units, a plumber I know has put in he thinks "600" or so over the last ten years, and not one service call. Note they are hot water only so a bit simple but even so, they really have a great reputation. They do not do Heating only in aussie though so maybe the numbers are too small for them.
In australia Panel heating is always referred to as Hydronic..
Bosch put out an identical hot water unit as well. I think the units both originated in Japan where space was a premium. It is a great unit as well, but not quite a popular here, mainly due to Rinnai having better marketing I think, as I have yet to hear anything bad about the Bosch units, hence our interest in worchester/Bosch.

 

[michael1000]

glasgowgas if you have Fernox f1 or F3 in 500ml bottles Im sure you can sell it to Aussie for a good profit on ebay.
It must be listed under Hydronic as that is where any aussie sells or buys Boiler rated materials. Have a look at some stage , I am sure any UK resident would be surprised to see what old boilers sell for or even ten year old Panels.
If you could list Fernox at postage say 10 quid, and im not sure of the sell cost, say 15 quid, that still makes it nearly half the price that we pay for it here.
As I mentioned before its about 40 quid for 500ml. Offer Worldwide postage and a few buyers will pop up, if you can be bothered.
The Hydronic market really is a bit of a closed shop due to prices, as I say before dealer margin is very very high, hence most people then look at other systems.
People will pay more for a Condensing boiler, save greenhouse gases and all that stuff. But in aussie they are three times the price of a standard boiler hence the reason we want to import directand lower the price.
We can manage this if we just are select in the right boiler.
A sime format that SIME italy no longer make, which is a standard boiler, sells new for 1200 quid. Thats the only sime we get here.
Thanks for everybodys advice. Seems so far Worchester is a good pick.
Just for a plumbers perspective, a boiler plumber in Aussie City, such as Melbourne charges about 40 quid and hour and 30 quid callout fee. Now remember cost of living here is half also. Plumbers do very very well if they are good at their job, and speaking from experience it is hard to get a good boiler Plumber.
Experienced Boiler plumbers welcome to Aussie. Please move here.

 

[Agile]

You seem to be forgettinhg a lot of things.

First any plumber/boiler engineer cannot just move to Aus and start working.

He has to be employed for FIVE years before he can run his own business!

Next, if there was any significant market then I would have expected that all the boiler manufacturer's would be selling their boilers there. Because any manufacturer would have to set up a sales office with spares and engineers to do warranty repairs then thats a significant investment and has to be covered by the sales.

I can only assume that the local attitude to having central heating totally makes any boiler market insignificant.

As for selling on Ebay, any aussi can already buy heating profucts from UK sellers now but I never hear of any aussies buying up all our heating products.

Tony

 

[mickyg]

mickyg-yes rinnai are big here, but only for hot water boilers. Not heating.

yes, but they do sell a heating boiler in europe(albeit someone elses-rebranded) so obviously selling a heating boiler with an already recognised brand name is a big advantage. Not only that but the brand is already well established with sales and support and possibly spares.

 

[bengasman]

You seem to be forgettinhg a lot of things.

First any plumber/boiler engineer cannot just move to Aus and start working.

He has to be employed for FIVE years before he can run his own business!

There are ways around that, like there are ways to get around paying more than 20% tax no matter what you earn.

As for established and non-viable markets, I'm sure you are familiar with the fact that Mr Ford was told there was no market for cars, Mr Honda was told there was no market for bikes, and Marconi was nearly sectioned by his relatives as he was clearly too nuts to walk around free.
Oh, and the frogs said Mcdonalds would never work in France.

 

[michael1000]

agile-tony ,my replies to a few things

First any plumber/boiler engineer cannot just move to Aus and start working.

[

i]He has to be employed for FIVE years before he can run his own business[/i]!

not true, you can come on a points system, or you can have a certain amount of assets. Or yes be employed by another Company, you do not need to be here five years to run your own buisness, this is quoted by some immigration agents but not enforced once you have been in Australia for two years. Many examples of this here. But I am not preaching about moving. Just a comment, along the lines of Australia, but mainly Melbourne short of experienced Boiler plumbers. Or better still, know their stuff.

Next, if there was any significant market then I would have expected that all the boiler manufacturer's would be selling their boilers there. Because any manufacturer would have to set up a sales office with spares and engineers to do warranty repairs then thats a significant investment and has to be covered by the sales.

Well there is a market, otherwise the other Heating/hydronic Companies would not import Sime, ferroli, or Baxi. I am proposing to be an agent, as are the other importers. Hence my original questions re availability of spares for worchester. The market is not here for a factory, but a small office the same as the Sime importer has. He does not carry many spares, just basics and air ships twice weekly if needed.

[

i]I can only assume that the local attitude to having central heating totally makes any boiler market insignificant[/i].

The market is small, but I would not pursue it if it was not viable. I am already an importer. I just wish to bring in a great boiler, and move small numbers at a better price than what is available now, and with a better unit, as we have but one Condensing boiler (baxi) at over 2000 pounds...in fact one guy quoted recently 2700 pounds plus install for the Baxi Condense 30kw, heating only. I can do a lot better than this both for the customer and for myself. The market is small also due to the wild prices charged. Aussies will pay for effeciency, but not 3 times the price.

As for selling on Ebay, any aussi can already buy heating profucts from UK sellers now but I never hear of any aussies buying up all our heating products.

Tony
We cannot buy gas products. Not legal. We can buy spares, but in case you have ever looked on ebay, it is very difficult to find a seller offering shipping to Australia. I have looked into this already. You can ask the seller but 8 out of 10 say no, to much trouble.
Example-magnaclean, must be 30 on ebay UK, not one offer overseas postage. Just one example.
Most gas,electrical, water products dont offer shipping or not legal.
Hope this answers some questions Tony.
Any more comments on Worchester Package Boilers 30 or 40 still welcome.

 

[michael1000]

LHT1-0450 NG-ID,Luna HT Indoor Nat. Gas 45Kw. 2500 pounds plus installation. It would have a different model number if available in the UK.
Is the Baxi worth the Money ?? Most aussies say no. Hence I need a reliable cheaper boiler, and mine and my partners search for a great boiler with parts and reliabilty. Still looking at the Worchester CDI System 30 etc.
We are happy to pay a lot more than the UK/Europe market, but this is over the top price wise. The Baxi boilers in Australia come with a clause as well-read this- Note if you are purchasing these boilers for a new installation you will need a Circulating kit fitted to the boiler, it consists of a Grundfos Pump,Expansion Tank,Digital Control Panel,Pressure relief valve and Fill valve please add another 800 pounds.
So that makes it 3300 pounds plus installation of about 400 pounds.

 

[BingoBongo]

install £400

i`ll stay right here in the rain then

 

[bengasman]

Installing it for 400 quid? No wonder you have trouble finding people.

 

[michael1000]

when i say install, I mean replace an old boiler. Straight where the last one came off. Just minimal pipework. Plus commisioning new boiler cost 150 quid. Plus materials if needed, copper etc.
Plastic is used under floor and walls in aussie, not copper. Copper only for exposed work. Plastic a lot cheaper and faster here.
note-cost of living half the UK as well.

 

[BingoBongo]

when i say install, I mean replace an old boiler. Straight where the last one came off. Just minimal pipework. Plus commisioning new boiler cost 150 quid. Plus materials if needed, copper etc.
Plastic is used under floor and walls in aussie, not copper. Copper only for exposed work. Plastic a lot cheaper and faster here.
note-cost of living half the UK as well.

i dont buy that whole 1/2 the cost of living

some things are cheaper but if the moneys poor then id say it balances itself out

summit about roundabouts and swings

 

[bengasman]

when i say install, I mean replace an old boiler. Straight where the last one came off. Just minimal pipework.

Typical view of someone who does not know a lot about installing boilers

Plus materials if needed, copper etc.

Very generous, as I reckon the IF is a pretty sure thing

Plastic is used under floor and walls in aussie, not copper. Copper only for exposed work. Plastic a lot cheaper and faster here.

Aussie plastic faster? Do I have to run after it? Kangaroo plastic?

note-cost of living half the UK as well.

Following that example, you would be paying the equivalent of five and a half thousand for a heat only boiler of mediocre quality. That means you happily pay ten times the English price for materials, but you expect the labour to be less than half of what it is here.

Could be me, but I'd say you don't have the slightest notion of what you are on about

 

[michael1000]

bengasman

Could be me, but I'd say you don't have the slightest notion of what you are on about

Well we have two guys from our Company who came immigrated from England a few years back, they both say cost of living in aussie is about half. Wages in proportion, but their view is Plumbers on a slightly better kick here all things condsidered. One an ex plumber.
We already import from England so that gives me a bit of an idea I would say, and I lived in London for five years setting up our previous Export Contracts so I also think that gives me some idea.
Anyway Back to boilers.
Yes boilers are wildly overpriced especially for Condensor boilers, again the reason for the original post.
Worchester CDI boilers ?
Thanks for your great opinion and advice Bengasman

 

[Agile]

I am sorry but you seem to be basing your views on what you can see without asking anyone.

If you ask any seller on Ebay then most will post to Aus if they get the best price that way. I agree they dont specifically say anything about Aus because there are hundreds of countries in the world.

Based on what I have heard from plumbers who have gone to Aus, what I said about running your own business is correct.

If you want to sell boilers then you have to offer a warrantee and have engineers available to do the repairs. There is nothing clever in that !

Who do you imagine is making all this profit?

What do Worcester say in reply to your offer to set up an inport/service in Aus?

I can put you in touch with a merchant here who will fill a container for you if you want.

Tony

 

[mickyg]

still don't know why you don't look at the ATAG instead. Its a far superior product to the worcester, its very reliable, and they already supply Rinnai with rebadged boilers. So not only are the boilers better but they already have a well known brand name stuck on the front.