Gas cooker installation

Now, this is not strictly DIY as I don't like the idea of messing with gas. But I can see why people do. I've just spent an hour and a half trying to get someone to quote me for installing a gas cooker. The bayonet will need to be moved a little, and that seems to throw people off earning some money. So, how much do you think it would cost to move the bayonet 12" and plug the cooker in? £140+vat, and that's the only quote (over the phone) that I've managed to get. Most bloody phone numbers have a wife or kids that answer! Sorry for the rant.

Reply to
Grumps
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Where in the country are you?

Remove antispam and add 670 after bra to email

Reply to
tarquinlinbin

Reading.

Reply to
Grumps

there are so many regulations to think about it is very time consuming and i think about £140 - £180 is not out of they way for a cooker install. please do not,in the intrest of safety attempt anything without a qualified installer. and if you want to look at the regs go to opsi.gov.uk.

all the regs also affect your home insurance if you need to claim!

Reply to
Gav

Care to justify all that .

?

Stuart

Reply to
Stuart

Gav" > that's the only quote (over the phone) that I've managed to get.

Well I agree with one point; I will not attempt a DIY on this. Our regular plumber charges £260/day for him and his mate - not CORGI though. Moving a bayonet and a little pipe can only take an hour!

Reply to
Grumps

Doncha just love people who can't do something saying how long it will take a skilled person to do it? ;-)

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

If that were true, insurers would never pay out on any claim, since the chance of finding a home compliant with all the regs is pretty near to zero!

Reply to
John Rumm

We'll see.

Reply to
Grumps

Taking your post in reverse order: if you get answered by the installer's wife of kids it means that they wouldn't be charging you for employing an admin person (or even department). If you want a professional-sounding telephone answering service try some of the big companies with display adverts in the yellow pages, and smile when you pay more for the overheads than the work :-)

Now I don't know what _your_ telephone manner is like but from my own few years in the business I get a sense when a potential customer is likely to be more troube than they're worth. Indicators of this are (a) if they try to pin me down to an exact price for a job, sight unseen; and (b) if they tell me that it's just a little job which shouldn't take me 5 minutes or cost more than the price of a few beers.

In the first case I usually explain that an exact figure would have to be vastly inflated to cover eventualities, tell them my rates and give an idea what the cost is likely to be. If they're happy with this then we can proceed, but I'm not short of work and if I sense that I'm going to have grief trying to get paid for my work then I'll give the job a miss. The second indicator generally suggests that the customer isn't going to be happy to pay me what the job costs whatever it is.

Reply to
John Stumbles

No problem with wife or kids answering the phone.

I didn't even flinch when they said that installation would be £80+. And this only includes fixing the pipe (extra charge) to the bayonet and checking for leaks. Or have I missed something? I then moved on to saying that the pipes need adjusting, and still accepted a revised price without complaint.

When it comes to gas, the words barrel and over spring to mind with CORGI plumbers.

TBH, I left three messages with plumbers and asked them to call back. None have. I actually only managed to speak to two. Three didn't even answer the phone.

The first plumber I called said that he could install the cooker but not make adjustments to the pipes.

The eighth one I called is coming out to have a look today. If he says £140+vat, then I'll be happy to pay to get this simple job done.

I don't know what your prefessionalism is like, but if you don't return calls or answer the phone, you ain't getting my cash.

Reply to
Grumps

It made me smile too!

sponix

Reply to
Sponix

If you've done some successful water plumbing, then this sounds like a very easy job. I certainly wouldn't pay someone else to do it just because its gas. Parts cost can't be more than =A315 and unless it's in a /really/ hard-to-get-to place, should take less than an hour.

Regards, Jon.

Reply to
Tournifreak

Yes, I've done quite a bit of water plumbing here (well, two bathrooms, a utility room, a shower and 4 rads). Not had any problems. But I really don't want to do gas.

It's a real easy place to get at, and should not take more than an hour. But that's just my unskilled view.

Reply to
Grumps

Shame-Manchester

Remove antispam and add 670 after bra to email

Reply to
tarquinlinbin

if you are confident enough to do the work yourself then you should be ok. also check clearances of things like doors, cupboard, wall hung cupboards. why does the pipe need to be moved 12 inch anyway? you really should be familiar with tightness testing tho. you can obtain leak detection fluid from diy stores. if all that seems too much then get out your wallet. its all about bieng able to sleep at night!

ideally you need also to fit a new and correct type of bayonet for the cooker hose

Reply to
Gav

That's a half day job with a load of pitfalls: What if the existing installation leaks gas. What if the other appliances are not safe enough to relight. Travelling The fitter will have to supply the stability bracket (very likely) and the gas hose (almost certainly). Electrical work needed?

Building notice to be submitted (Part J - heat producing appliances).

Why do you think the family answer the phone?

Reply to
Ed Sirett

As I said in my post the actual work in this case and many others is a small proportion of the total job. There are so many other aspects which can be ignored by those who don't even realize they are part of the job.

Reply to
Ed Sirett

I take it all back. It didn't take an hour. It was 30 minutes. Well worth £80+vat. Pipe didn't need moving. Kept the old bayonet. Job done! We is cooking on gas! I'm not sure where the skill comes in just connecting a hose though.

Reply to
Grumps

Gav" > that's the only quote (over the phone) that I've managed to get.

I'm not. It's too risky.

All clearances comply with the fitting instructions. The plumber didn't check this.

So the bayonet would sit in the recess provided at the back of the cooker.

And indeed it is well worth spending the money to get a competent person to do it.

New hose was fitted, but the bayonet was 'as good as new' apparently. The old bayonet was removed and an elbow added to allow the bayonet to be repositioned closer to the wall (thus allowing the cooker to be pushed far enough back).

Reply to
Grumps

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