Phil L wrote:
HelpDiy wrote:
BG have quoted to replace hot air heating system with a wet system and
I really would be grateful for opinions on whether it sounds a good
system (is the boiler any good). They said could not have sealed
system as mains water pipe is too small and so need header tank in
loft. Recommended a British Gas 330 boiler which I think might be
Glow Worm HXi. Our house is a 4 bed 70's style detached (its not a
mansion!).

If it's a 70's house,the mains pressure should be fine, he's ripping the
p!$$.

Pressure and flow rate are very different. My house was built in
60's/70's (not too sure exactly which). The mains pressure is fine but
our flow rate is quite low. It's on my list of things to investigate so
not too sure why yet.


BG quoted £7100 for British Gas 330 boiler (condensing), 10 radiators
and a towel rail (6ft towel rail sounded a bit excessive in our small
bathroom!), new water cylinder, radio controlled thermostat in hall,
thermostat on each radiator except the hall one, digital controller
box.


not bad, only overpriced by about five grand.

It depends on the amount of work involved. It sounds rather high at
first sight but the only way to check is to get real quotes.

We are changing the system for two reasons. Firstly people seem to be
against hot air heating and we are worried about future resale
(especially with the new seller packs and all that). Secondly we want
to add an extension and it is not easy to extend the hot air system
(so Johnson & Starley say). BG salesman said the boiler would take
another three radiators ok.

He's bound to say this.

Extending a hot air system isn't easy. Ducts are bigger and more
difficult to install than pipes.
If the salesman says a boiler will run the extra radiators, he's
working from tables based on maufacturers data and typical heat losses
for houses of that age.

The sales man said that the engineers would make good all the floor
boards that they take up - the small print says that it is the
customers responsibility to make good!

He's bound to say this.

I would certainly get this confirmed in writing. It's a normal
exclusion since some removals may not be reversible.

Those are normally extras.

I am sorry for all the waffle but really would appreciate views from
those that knows - many many thanks.

BG contract their work out to other installers, so you may as well cut out
the middleman and get a different installer from the start....there's one
around here that does a new condensing Glow worm boiler and 6 rads with
TRV's fitted in one day for £1800 + vat...you should be looking at about
2.5k approx.
http://www.bartonsheatingcontracts.co.uk/

When I had my boiler changed, the fitter was a BG employee.
I would be wary of prices such as these. If they are so good, why does
the customer have to contact them for a quote? They are frequently
unrealistically low designed to attract interest. How many jobs have
they done for that price? Again, the only way to compare prices is to
get multiple quotes for exactly the same work.

I've just noticed the type of boiler the O/P is suggesting. FWIW, we've
had one of those and it's broken every year for three years. PC board
failed, valve block split and PC board fuse blew.

John