Quote for installing Loft Combi

[Carolyn]

I have today had a plumber`s quote for removing my dead Baxi Back Boiler with its associated front fire (one of the old ones that stick right out the wall), in order for him to then plumb upwards from the front lounge which faces the street (and where the gas meter is, ie boxed off in the lounge, & the only point of gas in my end terraced house), through my bedroom above, and finishing up in the loft, where he will install a Worcs-Bosh HE 28W Combi, and flue it out of the outside terraced wall. He tells me because its a Condensing Combi, this will also necessitate a pipe going along the side of the end terrace wall, down into my back yard, where it will terminate into a grid there.. Not entirely sure if that is usual, but he mentioned something about the need to take the water away somewhere, hence the pipe running along the side of the house, etc.. Can anyone explain further why this is needed? I have been quoted approx £2.5k for all this work, taking over 2-3 days , he tells me- is this a fair quote, too?

TIA

[Andy Hall]

A condensing boiler is an excellent choice and you will save a fair amount of money on gas.

The pipe that he mentions is to take the condensate from the boiler. This is a liquid that is mildly acidic and so has to be taken to a drain or soakaway. It would mark concrete etc.

This is a boiler which costs about £1000 at discounted heating suppliers There is then probably about another £100 to 200 in materials.

Because the boiler is going into the loft, an area around it has to be boarded and a rail fitted. This is a Health and Safety requirement for anybody servicing the boiler.

You don;t say where you are, but in the south east I wouldn't say that the price is unreasonable.

.andy

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[Ian Stirling]

"Hmm, how about 2.5K, but this is a rip-off, excluding VAT".

A condensing boiler is called that, because it condenses the steam in the exhaust of the boiler that results from combustion with gas, along with CO2.

This recovers quite a large amount of energy. Needless to say, this water needs to be disposed of somewhere.

[IMM]

If the drain pipe is totally exposed and makes the exterior look crap, get a non-condensing boiler. Or from the gable end, he could break into the gutter down pipe and then you will see little, if any, of the pipe.

It appears that if he is taking all the pipes up a duct then he could run the safety expansion pipe and drain down the same duct. The safety pipe can be, but the drain is another matter.

[Andy Hall]

I wouldn't have thought that discharging condensate into a surface water drainage system is allowed, although considering the crap that comes from the sky can't see why.

It may be in a house of this age that the drains are combined anyway, but condensate going into a cast iron drainpipe???

.andy

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[Andy Hall]

There is quite a lot of work here and two days may be optimistic.

I think that it would be more likely to take three if he is cleaning up and making good as well. There is quite a bit of fiddly plumbing in this.

In effect this works out to about £350 to £400 per day, which depending on area, I don't think is so unreasonable.

.andy

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[Ian Stirling]

Sorry, I was just commenting on the "he tells me this is a fair quote".

[Ed Sirett]

Keston are happy wih this so other manufacturers may be also.

[IMM]

About as acidic as Coca Cola, how can that harm a rainwater drain.

[John Stumbles]

Pretty sure Worcester/Bosch instructions permitted this. It's certainly how one of our number has his Greenstar's condensate disposed of! A long condensate pipe running outside the house is a bad idea as it may block with ice in freezing weather.

[John Stumbles]

...

Parse error methinks Ian. I read it as the OP saying:

1) taking over 2-3 days , he tells me 2) is this a fair quote, too? i.e. the installer wasn't claiming that his quote was fair.

[Ian Stirling]

Odd. My only excuse is that I'm an idiot.

[Andy Hall]

Have you seen what Coca Cola does?

I was thinking of this from the perspective of the water authorities who certainly care about what goes into surface water drains.

However, the amounts are quite low of course.

.andy

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[BillV]

As its an old terraced house the drains are more than likely combined anyway, so compared with all the other stuff that's going into the drain the condensate is benign