This is my first post so i apologise up front.
My parents live in a 1960 detatched house, they intend to replace the central heating boiler (Glow worm hideaway circa 1982) with either a combi or a condensing boiler.
They have been in touch with BG and got a date for one of there engineers to come round and access the best option for them.
I read with some concern that they need to powerflsh the system initially at a cost i hear of up to £1k, then replace the boiler. My parents want the TRV's and controller relacing as well.
Any ideas of cost we should be looking at? (The system presently has 10 radiators).
Should we wait and see what they quote and then get the local heating firm to come in as well ??
The reason for this work is that they need to remove the hot water cylinder to create space in the bathroom and replace it with a shower cubicle (health reasons) and the existing boiler is unpredictable.

Thanks in advance

Mark

In message , mark harrison
writes

This is my first post so i apologise up front.
My parents live in a 1960 detatched house, they intend to replace the
central heating boiler (Glow worm hideaway circa 1982) with either a
combi or a condensing boiler.
They have been in touch with BG and got a date for one of there
engineers to come round and access the best option for them.
I read with some concern that they need to powerflsh the system
initially at a cost i hear of up to £1k, then replace the boiler. My
parents want the TRV's and controller relacing as well.
Any ideas of cost we should be looking at? (The system presently has 10
radiators).
Should we wait and see what they quote and then get the local heating
firm to come in as well ??
The reason for this work is that they need to remove the hot water
cylinder to create space in the bathroom and replace it with a shower
cubicle (health reasons) and the existing boiler is unpredictable.

Thanks in advance

Mark


I wouldnt touch British Gas with a bargepole - their prices are almost
at Rogue Trader levels.

Make sure you get a few quotes, and have it done by someone who is
recommended.

--
Richard Faulkner

mark harrison wrote:

This is my first post so i apologise up front.

Welcome to the group!

(No need to apologies, you have not done anything wrong yet! ;-)

My parents live in a 1960 detatched house, they intend to replace the
central heating boiler (Glow worm hideaway circa 1982) with either a
combi or a condensing boiler.

All boilers you can install these days will be condensing. A combi is
one that heats the domestic hot water directly (usually) without any
storage cylinder. (for the pedants there are some hybrid combis that
include stored water all inside one box as well)

They have been in touch with BG and got a date for one of there
engineers to come round and access the best option for them.

"Them" being BG no doubt... ;-)

I read with some concern that they need to powerflsh the system
initially at a cost i hear of up to ï½£1k,

Flushing (power or otherwise) is probably well worth doing. However
there is no need for it to cost anything like that much (even from BG
who are well known for charging twice to three times what anyone else
would charge).

then replace the boiler. My
parents want the TRV's and controller relacing as well.
Any ideas of cost we should be looking at? (The system presently has 10
radiators).

You could be looking at anything from about £1500 upwards. BG will no
doubt come in nearer £3K!

Should we wait and see what they quote and then get the local heating
firm to come in as well ??

No, get the local firm in now as well - no point in waiting. That way
you should have a few quotes to compare.


--
Cheers,

John.

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John Rumm wrote:
mark harrison wrote:

This is my first post so i apologise up front.


Welcome to the group!

(No need to apologies, you have not done anything wrong yet! ;-)

My parents live in a 1960 detatched house, they intend to replace the
central heating boiler (Glow worm hideaway circa 1982) with either a
combi or a condensing boiler.


All boilers you can install these days will be condensing. A combi is
one that heats the domestic hot water directly (usually) without any
storage cylinder. (for the pedants there are some hybrid combis that
include stored water all inside one box as well)

They have been in touch with BG and got a date for one of there
engineers to come round and access the best option for them.


"Them" being BG no doubt... ;-)

I read with some concern that they need to powerflsh the system
initially at a cost i hear of up to ï½£1k,


Flushing (power or otherwise) is probably well worth doing. However
there is no need for it to cost anything like that much (even from BG
who are well known for charging twice to three times what anyone else
would charge).

then replace the boiler. My
parents want the TRV's and controller relacing as well.
Any ideas of cost we should be looking at? (The system presently has 10
radiators).


You could be looking at anything from about £1500 upwards. BG will no
doubt come in nearer £3K!

Should we wait and see what they quote and then get the local heating
firm to come in as well ??


No, get the local firm in now as well - no point in waiting. That way
you should have a few quotes to compare.


If they realy want BG and are not in a hurry get them round to give an
estimate. Then, if at all like when I got an estimate for full CH
installation over the next three months they kept sending me reduced new
offers. Eventually it was slightly lower than the company I had to
install it in the first place.

On Wed, 21 Sep 2005 07:52:03 +0100, mark harrison
wrote:


This is my first post so i apologise up front.
My parents live in a 1960 detatched house, they intend to replace the
central heating boiler (Glow worm hideaway circa 1982) with either a
combi or a condensing boiler.

Mark,
as usual you will read a tirade of comments slagging off BG. There is
good and bad everywhere and it is unfair to say that BG rip off all
their customers/do crap jobs etc etc blah blah blah. This equally
applies to independant contractors. The whole area is a minefield and
you really do need to be sure that you are comparing like with like
both in the equipment quoted for,the skill and ability of the
installation team and the back up/service.

I have no particular axe to grind save for the fact that i worked for
BG from 1980 until 1995 and installed heating for them most of the
time.

Flushing of some description,prior to new instllation,is certainly
adviseable. It doesnt necessarily have to be a powerflush job
though,just get some Sentinel X400 or similar and put it in the
system, let it run round for a week or so then flush out.

Always get a series of quotes but as i said,make sure your comparing
like with like!

joe



Remove antispam and add 670 after bra to email

Be a good Global citizen-CONSUMECONFORMOBEY

Circumcision- A crime and an abuse.
http://www.sexuallymutilatedchild.org/

In message , tarquinlinbin
writes
On Wed, 21 Sep 2005 07:52:03 +0100, mark harrison
wrote:


This is my first post so i apologise up front.
My parents live in a 1960 detatched house, they intend to replace the
central heating boiler (Glow worm hideaway circa 1982) with either a
combi or a condensing boiler.

Mark,
as usual you will read a tirade of comments slagging off BG. There is
good and bad everywhere and it is unfair to say that BG rip off all
their customers/do crap jobs etc etc blah blah blah. This equally
applies to independant contractors. The whole area is a minefield and
you really do need to be sure that you are comparing like with like
both in the equipment quoted for,the skill and ability of the
installation team and the back up/service.

I have no particular axe to grind save for the fact that i worked for
BG from 1980 until 1995 and installed heating for them most of the
time.

Flushing of some description,prior to new instllation,is certainly
adviseable. It doesnt necessarily have to be a powerflush job
though,just get some Sentinel X400 or similar and put it in the
system, let it run round for a week or so then flush out.


Being told that a flush will cost £1,000 is a rip off, and nothing
less!!


Always get a series of quotes but as i said,make sure your comparing
like with like!

joe



Remove antispam and add 670 after bra to email

Be a good Global citizen-CONSUMECONFORMOBEY

Circumcision- A crime and an abuse.
http://www.sexuallymutilatedchild.org/

--
Richard Faulkner

In article ,
tarquinlinbin wrote:
as usual you will read a tirade of comments slagging off BG. There is
good and bad everywhere and it is unfair to say that BG rip off all
their customers/do crap jobs etc etc blah blah blah. This equally
applies to independant contractors. The whole area is a minefield and
you really do need to be sure that you are comparing like with like
both in the equipment quoted for,the skill and ability of the
installation team and the back up/service.

True, possibly, but BG seem to quote near double the price that an
independant does for like for like boiler replacement. Since they've got
big purchasing power for the parts it means they're charging truly
excessive rates for labour. Or just making a large profit. ;-)

--
*When the going gets tough, the tough take a coffee break *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Wed, 21 Sep 2005 07:52:03 +0100, mark harrison wrote:


This is my first post so i apologise up front.
My parents live in a 1960 detatched house, they intend to replace the
central heating boiler (Glow worm hideaway circa 1982) with either a
combi or a condensing boiler.
They have been in touch with BG and got a date for one of there
engineers to come round and access the best option for them.
I read with some concern that they need to powerflsh the system
initially at a cost i hear of up to £1k, then replace the boiler. My
parents want the TRV's and controller relacing as well.
Any ideas of cost we should be looking at? (The system presently has 10
radiators).
Should we wait and see what they quote and then get the local heating
firm to come in as well ??
The reason for this work is that they need to remove the hot water
cylinder to create space in the bathroom and replace it with a shower
cubicle (health reasons) and the existing boiler is unpredictable.

Thanks in advance

Whatever BG quote the likelihood is that a fair price is around 60-75% of
their quote.

My guess is that a mid+ quality boiler with new cylinder, TRVs and correct
controls would come in around the 2000-2500 with all the correct paperwork
etc. etc.

A good combi with TRVS and correct controls would be around 1250-1750
depending on the boiler and the difficulty of getting mains cold and hot
to the boiler location and the work involved in a possible gas pipe
upgrade.

--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html

mark harrison wrote:
My parents live in a 1960 detatched house, they intend to replace the
central heating boiler (Glow worm hideaway circa 1982) with either a
combi or a condensing boiler.
They have been in touch with BG and got a date for one of there
engineers to come round and access the best option for them.

Should we wait and see what they quote and then get the local heating
firm to come in as well ??
The reason for this work is that they need to remove the hot water
cylinder to create space in the bathroom and replace it with a shower
cubicle (health reasons) and the existing boiler is unpredictable.

Others have already said all tat needs to be said re BG etc. Get several
quotes. When you have several you will probably not be comparing like
for like, so compare specifications and use that as a guide to sorting
out what you really would like. Then go back and get a requote on that
basis. Repeat as necessary and follow any number of threads here on the
topic boilers until you have found a quotation and a contractor you
have some confidence in.

This is now the 'boiler season' as the plumber who installed my new
boiler over the summer calls it. You will probably get a better quote
and a less rushed job if you don't need it done right now.




--
David Clark

$message_body_include ="PLES RING IF AN RNSR IS REQIRD"

Thanks for all the replies and help. The intention is to try and get one quote from the local heating firm and one from a local self employed heating engineer (need to ensure that he is corgi registered though) before BG come round.
If my parents were to go with someone other than BG, would they still have to come round and inspect the installation as they have CH cover with them and on there records would state the old boiler details ??

Thanks again

Mark

On Wed, 21 Sep 2005 07:52:03 +0100, a particular chimpanzee named mark
harrison randomly hit the
keyboard and produced:

Should we wait and see what they quote and then get the local heating
firm to come in as well ??

If you're in the Merseyside area, whatever you do, _don't_ use
Merseyside Central Heating.
--
Hugo Nebula
"If no-one on the internet wants a piece of this,
just how far from the pack have you strayed?"

John Rumm wrote:
mark harrison wrote:

This is my first post so i apologise up front.


Welcome to the group!

(No need to apologies, you have not done anything wrong yet! ;-)

My parents live in a 1960 detatched house, they intend to replace the
central heating boiler (Glow worm hideaway circa 1982) with either a
combi or a condensing boiler.


All boilers you can install these days will be condensing. A combi is
one that heats the domestic hot water directly (usually) without any
storage cylinder. (for the pedants there are some hybrid combis that
include stored water all inside one box as well)

I had a plumber in school the other day. I was not that busy, so I
stated to chat to him about the scarcity of building tradesmen.

The subject got round to the fitting of my new boiler just before the
regs came into effect. I had a standard boiler fitted on the grounds
that the less there is inside, the less can go wrong.

We then went onto the subject of what part P says you can install.

He then amazed me by telling me that he paid a visit to his favourite
plumbing merchants, who were just taking delivery of 100 standard Baxi
boilers. So it looks like they are still making them.

After quizzing the merchants and ringing CORGI up, it came out that it
is not illegal to sell the old style boiler, but he has not yet worked
out just who is installing them. Maybe the DIY boys are buying them.

He also didn't get on his high horse, when I said you only need CORGI if
you are paid to install. He agreed with me about DIY, but did emphasize
about competency and the fact that it is not defined.

Dave

Dave wrote:

He then amazed me by telling me that he paid a visit to his favourite
plumbing merchants, who were just taking delivery of 100 standard Baxi
boilers. So it looks like they are still making them.

Yup they still make them, and in fact in certain circumstances you can
still fit them legitimately. I was simplifying however ;-)

(it also seems that so long as you don't want certification paperwork
etc there are plenty of plumbers who are happy to install non condensors
as well).

--
Cheers,

John.

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| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
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| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
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