A dose of realism, please

Not sure - I would have thought that this is at the lower end of the price range - Can you still get just 12kw these days? I would have thought not. You might also want to think about supplying your hot water with the new boiler as well while you are at it.

Are you CORGI registered? If not, you are forbidden from installing gas appliances - it's a criminal offence to do so. You HAVE to employ the services of a qualified gas man, I'm afraid.

£1100 for a new boiler - installed - isn't that bad. BG would try and charge you twice this amount.

RM

Reply to
Reestit Mutton
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Just had a thought though...

If you can find an "independent" person to get a second opinion from, it is possible that he's simply trying to sell a new system when it ain't necessary.

Of course, the "independent" bit is the killer - anyone that you call in to look at this may err on his side as it may mean more work for them if they can persuade you to go with them for the replacement.

If you can find "a friend of a friend" who is sympathetic to your situation - they may be able to give an honest second opinion.

RM

Reply to
Reestit Mutton

Had the boiler service man (small local guy, not BGas) 'round the other day to service the boiler. He said that the heat exchanger was "getting thin in places" and would start to leak "within the year". Given that the boiler concerned is about 20 years old he may be right.

I asked him what a replacement would cost. He said "about GBP1,100 installed". I nearly fell over with shock. That much for a 12kw heating-only boiler ?

He then went on to explain that the local council is stupid enough to subsidize boiler replacements to the tune of GBP200 and another £150 for upgrading "controls", so he suggested replacing the (perfectly serviceable and newish) thermostat/programmer with another unit for GBP30 and to pocket the difference of GBP120 in addition to the GBP200, bringing the cost down to GBP780. (!)

My way of looking at it is this:

Boiler, 12kw: GBP350, tops. Installation: Free, I can do that myself. Two water pipes, a gas pipe, a flue, and a control circuit, how hard can it be ? Professional commissioning and testing for leaks, just in case: GBP50 Total GBP400.

I think he was trying it on AND inflating the price by the amount of subsidy to boot. Opinions please - what IS a realistic price for this sort of thing ?

Reply to
Medallion Man

Low end of price range, but possible.

But you're not comparing like-for-like. If you're trying to see if he's ripping you off, assign an hoursly rate to your time in the same way he does.

Water + gas not hard. Flue - depends. What if the new flue is a different shape/location to the current one? May mean enlarging hole through wall, making good afterwards etc. Easily add a couple of hours to the job.

Let's assume you get your £350 boiler. Say it takes 3 hours to do a straight swap (drain down, remove old boiler, install new one, fill back up + bleed). Allow another couple of hours for things that go wrong. Call it 5 hours total tops. At say £50ph, that's £250. Plus your £50 for commissioning makes £300. Plus boiler is £650. Plus VAT.

So his price is high, but your estimate is low. Reality is somewhere in between.

Reply to
Grunff

Yeah, it's more than likely true.

Where do you get a 12Kw boiler from these days ?

For a boiler that will be nearly a thousand times more efficient than the one you already have, and will probably save you more in running cost over the first year, then yeah, it's not to bad.

That's even better than the £1,100 you were first quoted then, providing you get the subsady, even better deal for a profesional job.

Good thinking about the profesional commisioning bit, but where is it £50 ?

For a boiler that had better last another twenty years, professionally installed and serviced for the length of time of its makers warranty. I think it's not a bad price.

Reply to
BigWallop

There's a number of modern boilers listed at SEDBUK that go down to below

12kw. For example the Potterton Promax 15HE, ecoMAX 613/2e, ecoMAX 618/2e. In fact a lot of the modern modulating boilers can go down to comfortably below 12kw.

Once again the urban myth strikes rears its ugly head. It is not illegal to diy your own gas installation as long as you are "competant". However, you cannot do installations for reward or for other people without being CORGI registered. However you may very well require building regs approval for the new boiler. Had to laugh at the B & Q website where it states with regard to installing a Biasi Combi that "Please note that this product must be fitted by a CORGI registered electrician". Presumably they'd recommend an NICEIC gas fitter for a consumer unit change :^)

You could buy a Keston Celsius 25 (7kw - 25kw) for less than £750, and that comes with integral pump, stainless steel heat exchanger (5 yr guarantee), is a high efficiency condensing boiler suitable for both vented and sealed systems. Would require very little effort to fit. And B & Q stock both Biasi and Ravenheat boilers starting at around £400.

hth Clive

Reply to
Clive Summerfield

Is there any reference that you have for this assertion? I wouldn't want to touch any of this stuff with a bargepole unless I am CERTAIN that it is not illegal.

RM

Reply to
Reestit Mutton

You might like to check up on your misinformation before you make more of a fool of yourself. Just about everyone in this newsgroup knows exactly what the law in this area is, except you it seems.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

1100 for replacing a boiler is one of the cheapest quotes you'll get. I actually got a quote this low once. All the other quotes I had were between 2000 and 3200.

However, don't replace it with the cast iron lump you hinted he proposed. A cheap condensor might be a better idea, if it is suitable for the location proposed.

BTW, you'll never get a CORGI to commission a boiler for 50 quid, unless you sleep with them. However, it might still be good idea to do, as it will be much cheaper than getting them to install the whole lot.

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

Dear, oh dear. CORGI would certainly like you to think so. However, it is certainly permitted to do the job yourself, provided you have the skills to do so. You are, however, required to submit a building notice to the local council to comply with Part L. In any case, the OP was proposing that final commissioning was done by a CORGI anyway, so could skip the building notice and take advantage of the CORGI exemption.

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

Yes, I got that the first time around - I would just like to be pointed at a reference for whatever regulations exist that could, in effect, confirm that it is legal under certain conditions.

RM

Reply to
Reestit Mutton

It isn't illegal. Your initial statement was totally incorrect.

Reply to
Grunff

I've already acknowledged that I could well be in the wrong here - I just want confirmation.

If there are regulations saying what is required if you fit it yourself (i.e. you do not have CORGI exemption) then these imply that it is legal with conditions.

RM

Reply to
Reestit Mutton

Thanx Clive.

RM

Reply to
Reestit Mutton

Thanx Ben.

RM

Reply to
Reestit Mutton

From the HSE website:

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the 1998 Statutory Instrument from HMSO:
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Part B "Qualification and Supervision".

Cheers Clive

Reply to
Clive Summerfield

Not regs, but:

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Reply to
Ben Blaukopf

You're asking for the impossible, it's *you* that needs to point at regulations that say it *is* illegal.

Can you prove, for example, that it isn't illegal to breathe? Where's the statute that says it's legal?

Reply to
usenet

I somehow doubt it'll be "a thousand times more efficient". :-)

Reply to
usenet

... but what I'm saying is that unless there is something that specifically says it's illegal then by default you're allowed to do it. There may not be anything written down.

Reply to
usenet

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