I had a heating engineer come out to look at the problem.
He said that the problem was the 3 Part Zone that is used to regulate the hot water to different areas of the house.
1) He said that it would cost £175 fitted to get this fixed - is this reasonable? 2) Is it calleda 3 part zone? I can't seem to find any reference on the web.thanx
AMO
3 port, not part. It's the lump under the circulator (pump) that directs the water to heating, hot water, or both. Should have a little manual lever sticking out of it. When you switch between heating and hot water it should move.
Si
They are about £30 - £50 and take 5 mins to fit.
This is true. Mine was =A330 from screwfix, and it took me about half an= =20 hour to fit, and I know next to nothing about plumbing.
I knew it was that part because the lever had become so stiff I couldn't=20 move it.
HTH.
--=20 Nick Webster
Is it something that you would want to try yourself if you are not skilled in this area?
What is the average charge I should expect from a heating engineer to fix this?
Thanx.
AMO
It's the reason why I do those sorts of jobs myself! Normally it's just the motor part, which is just a case of undoing the screws, removing the old one, putting the new one on and reconnecting the electrics.
Even if it requires the whole valve, it's no great task to drain down the system (or isolate the valve if you're lucky), undo the compression nuts and swap the whole valve.
Christian.
If you can wire a plug, you can change the motor assembly. If it needs the wet part changed too, then a complete novice might be scared, although every part of the job is actually pretty simple, but there are plenty of steps.
Christian.
3 port zone valve goto
I can wire a plug. Actually, I would be happy to pay a Heating Engineer to do this. If the item is around £40. If I paid £60 callout plus labour, that would still only come to £100.
However, from everyone says on this newsgroup £175 fitted is a bit of a rip off. Or am missing some calculation somewhere. I guess its inclusive of VAT and the chap does need to go to the DIY shop to get the part although he's going in that direction anyway.
Any recommendations on websites with a step by step guide?
Currently looking at:
Thanx for that Tony.
Just a quick question....are all 3 port zone valves the same?
I mean, if I got one and it does not work?
AMO
Plubers aren't reasonable, they're necessary - unless you can find a cowboy or do it yourself.
The code above is fully compatible for an industry standard system The is another product which i beleive is exactly the same which is code
30424 I beleive this is just the same but from a different manufacturer. If you call screwfix, they will be able to tell you exactly.Also i have a book which shows how to install one of the contraptions. I will scan it into my pc and put it on my webspace 2day. I will post a link later
SwissT
Many thanx for the replies Tony.
Greatly appreciated. I think that these days everyone specialises in their own industry such that we're absolutely clueless outside of that.
I think I'll try replacing the component myself after downloading the guide from your link.
Thanx again.
AMO
Thanx Rob - I must have been dozing when you mentioned this - I don't recall your post.
The first comment you made - are you suggesting that plumbers charge the world but I should go with them?
Thanx.
AMO
Well, the entire valve will cost about 50 quid. The actuator assembly (easiest to change) about 20 quid. The synchon motor alone (requires some fiddling) about 6 quid. Of course, which needs to be done depends on the actual problem with the valve. If you've got something wrong with the actual water carrying parts, you'll need the whole valve.
Replacing the actuator assembly really is a case of unbolting the old one and bolting the new one on, then connecting up the wires. Usually the wires are the same colour, although normally they come with a chart converting between various makes, in case the old one is something weird. If you want to avoid this, just buy the actuator from the same brand as the old one.
Christian.
They come in different sizes. Also, there are two types, "mid position" and "diverter". You must ensure you get the right type, or the heating controls will need rewiring.
Christian.
So when I order the item from
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3 port zone valve goto--------------------------------------------------------------------------
or
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As far as I can tell from people's posts and looking at the diagram above, there is the motorised dry component and the pipe bit. You're saying I can get away with changing only the motorised part, but I might also need to change the pipe part?
Thanx for the advice Christian - its been great.
The 'actuator assembly' means the motorised component right?
Also, if I need to replace the pipe part, do I need to put that PTFE tape to seal the pipe components together? Is there anything else I need to be aware of?
AMO
Dependant on how you contacted him and how long he needed to 'look at the problem" and talk to you; - there's twenty-odd quid of his time spent already .. his overheads include advertising, transport, holiday- pay, National insurance contributions, taxes etc. etc. While he was dealing with you he couldn't be generating income.
That's his diagnosis carried out; - you, self-evidently, didn't/ couldn't understand what he said.
Hmm, is it reasonable?
A rule-of-thumb for costings is forty percent materials, sixty percent labour plus general mark up of thirteen percent. [If 'he' buys a length of tape not every millimetre will be used - some will be wasted: not ever item obtained will function -some will have to be returned; all this 'costs'] This 'works' for painters, plumbers, asphalt layers etc. which are predominantly material-based.and can be applied at a consistent rate
An alternative costing strategy is to charge for all time spent and add on the coat of materials. This strategy 'works' for activities which require diagnosis and rectification ... "we won't be able to tell (forecast) what it's like until we've taken that off"
[Note the labour hourly rate is _not_ what the guy pockets but includes a huge surcharge for the Dept of Works and Pensions and the Treasury - You _do_ want the kids to get schooling, the Hospital to be open, the bins emptied don't you?]By requesting the services of someone who knows more about a problem than you do [aka expert], you've already added to his overhead costs ... that 'liability' needs to be 'recovered' - there's no such thing as a free lunch.
If his charges are unreasonable; he'll go out of business. What IMHO is unreasonable is to exploit the services of this expert. This is different than getting three tradesmen to quote/estimate for rectifying your problem; then they're competing against each other on a level playing field Even though this is a _DIY_ newsgroup you seem to be defrauding a heating engineer by offering him the expectation of remunerative work while merely stealing his diagnosis.
Good plumbers aren't cheap. Bad plumbers can be even more expensive. Call a few other plumbers for quotes before you decide. A job like this should be within the capabilities of someone who is comfortable changing plugs and tap-washers/ballcocks, but it could be traumatic if it went wrong :-) As long as you have the right parts and suitable tools and prepare properly you should manage it, but if you're unsure then you could put yourself through some stress and then end up calling in a plumber anyway.
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