I thought about changing the boiler (or at least doing some of the work) myself but there are plenty of other major jobs to do around the house and I think it might be easier to pay someone to take on the hassle of this one (also don't want to be without hot water for ages).
The fitter we got the quote from comes recommended by the neighbours. We're in Leeds. It's a 3-bed semi with one bathroom. I mentioned Remeha Broag to him as they seemed to be the favoured name a while ago but he said he'd never heard of them, didn't like foreign stuff because you couldn't get the parts and always fitted Worcester.
This is the quote:
- Remove old gas water heater
- Remove old cast-iron boiler
- Fit Worcester Bosch 28 condensing Combi in same place as old water heater
- Bring heating pipes through to new boiler
- Fit room stat
- Upgrade gas as required
- Remove header tank
- Flush with acid
- Fill with inhibitor
=A31939 inc VAT
The old cast-iron boiler is in the understairs cupboard (accessed form outside). The gas meter/supply is also in there. The old gas water heater is on the opposite side of the wall in the kitchen (so about 1m away).
The house had been empty for a year when we bought it although the heating had been coming on every day all that time: some of the radiators are pretty sludged up I think, and some of the valves are stiff (I mentioned this to him prior to the quote).
After we got the quote, I spoke to him briefly about which boiler he was quoting for and he said it was 28kW but I was doped up on antibiotics at the time and hardly able to speak and didn't really feel I was getting the full gen. The neighbours are away at the mo' so I can't quiz them about theirs.
Having looked at the specs on the Worcester website, the only boiler with a 28 in the name is the Greenstar 28i junior which seems to me to be about the absolute minimum that would be acceptable (and that
24kW). None of the boilers listed is 28kW.Is it likely to be some old stock he's getting cheap? I assume plumbers have their favourite boilers that they get quantity discounts on - is that usually true?
I'm loathe to use anyone who doesn't come recommended but, before I start looking for other quotes, is this price/spec in the ballpark?
Thanks for any advice.