How much should you expect to pay to have a header tank replaced?

[jon.p.weaver]

My colleague has just asked me a generic question about plumbing costs.. Quite why he thinks I will know I have no idea, but I am sure that someone here would be able to help.

It turns out that his Mums loft header tanks is 'split'.. Water is pouring out and she has called someone in to take a look.

The first nightmare is that apparantly, this is NOT covered by her house insurance? Does that sound right?

But more imporantly, the costs.. She has been quoted =A3450, which seems an awful lot....

To be honest, I can't tell you much about this, as its word of mouth. And its not like we can go and visit to take a look as she lives at the other side of the country...

Does anyone have an approximate idea of what she should be looking to pay for a job like this?

Jon

[dennis]

Yes/no. I expect the damage to be covered, not the actual tank.

That depends on what they are going to fix.. if its just putting a plastic tank, with easy access then its a lot (one man, a couple of hours, £40 of bits). If its fixing the damage it sounds cheap.

I wonder why people don't fit a tank above a tank, so the one tank catches the leaks and puts it out the overflow? It would be cheap enough to do.

[The Natural Philosopher]

No. Unless the policy specifically excludes it, this is precisely the sort of thing that househ9od insurance should cover. Even if the work itself is classed as 'maintenance' any consequential loss - i,e. redecoraton of water damaged rooms, should be covered.

That will buy you a plumber for a couple of days and a few bits of copper pipe, and a new tank..sounds fairly reasonable to me.

£250-£650 depending on what's up there.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Only with a crap insurance policy. Burst pipes etc are covered by most.

It does - but then again it's difficult to say without seeing the actual job.

If it includes making good damage it might be quite a good price.

[Joker7]

To restore balance to the world [e-mail] wrote in [e-mail]

I would take a good look at the house insurance...

Depending where you are,but it sounds not to far off with out see what is involved- some are easy some are pigs. Chris

[John Stumbles]

Guessing that it's a galvanised steel tank (which rust through eventually) and that the connecting pipework is screwed steel it's probably a good half day's work, maybe a day's if the pipework's particularly difficult to get to or in very bad condition, so it could reasonably be what she's been quoted. Best to ask specifically what's involved and why so much, and maybe get another quote if it seems unreasonable.