Boiler rant

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AlanW
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Boiler rant

Post by AlanW » 25 Oct 2016 11:24

Rant one.

Several weeks ago I started the process of looking for a replacement boiler, easy enough process I thought? Get a number of quotes, then pick someone who you think will do a suitable job, based on: a) their conduct and feedback during the quotation process, b) personal recommendations. And it’s also fair to add that I am all in favour of supporting the local tradesmen over large corporate companies’ every time.

With that in mind, five local “recommended” heating engineers (three being Worcester Bosch accredited) were invited to come around and quote me. During each visit each one subsequently advising me on what they thought was my best option based on their personal beliefs and that a written quote would follow in due course.

But weeks down the line and not one single person has come back to me with either a written or even a verbal quotation? In fact, and against my better judgement I have even chased two of them last week and enquired after the quotations and still nothing despite being promised a date that I would receive them by? In fact, one even promised to come back last Saturday afternoon to check out the flue arrangement, we waited in all afternoon and he never made an appearance.

In the meantime, and as a comparison I have contacted the likes of British Gas, Homeserve and AA Boilers. With the site surveys completed they all supplied a fully comprehensive written quote within 24 hours.

So draw your own conclusion, but when local businesses go under because the larger corporate companies have taken over, don’t be too surprised!

Rant two.

Buying a boiler isn’t like buying a tin of paint for example, you cannot just buy whatever takes your fancy. So many important factors have to be taken into account when specifying a boiler, you cannot just simply walk into a house and say “you need an xyz boiler”. And just because they have recently fitted an “xyz boiler” to a house down the road is no reason or logic to assume that your household has the exact same requirement. Water pressure/ flow rate and gas pressure/volume to name just four factors are all critical measurements that need to be measured before the correct boiler can be recommended for that household. So buying a larger capacity boiler “just to be on the safe side” is equally as inefficient and wasteful as one that is under powered.

So based on the above, why did the five local tradesmen all fail to carry out the (at least) four critical measurements, with only one person that carried out a proper water pressure test. Opening the cold water tap for a couple of minutes is NOT deemed as conducting a proper flow rate test! And to add to the confusion, all five have all verbally suggested a different specification boiler, but all recommended the Worcester Bosch range.

And to add, even the four large corporate companies that did the tests and yet they have also all recommended a different specification boiler as well? So they are worse IMHO because they have ignored the necessary data in which to make an informed and fairly precise boiler recommendation.

Thanks to the few companies that did the relevant flow measurements, I now have all the required measurements necessary, which I have since given to direct to the Worcester Bosch Technical team. Based on those measurements, it’s also interesting that they have given me their recommendation for a boiler. Which out of ‘all’ those boilers that have already been suggested, only one company agrees with Worcester Bosch?

Drawing the rant to a close, like most people, I have to work hard for my money and before spending around £5k on a new boiler installation, I need to be 100% happy that the information that I have been given is correct and that my expectations will be met afterwards. It’s not looking good so far!!
"You only need two tools: WD40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD40. If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape"

Yosser
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Post by Yosser » 26 Oct 2016 10:45

Hi Alan, remember that many / most heating engineers are incentivised to install particular boiler brands. Best boiler for reliability and performance is Bosch / Worc according to many surveys.

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Ed Moss
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Post by Ed Moss » 27 Oct 2016 13:37

£5,000 on a new boiler????

I converted my house from hot water tank system to combi earlier this year, decent Worcester Bosch boiler, 5 year warranty, think it was around £2800 with a few other jobs thrown in.

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Andy Terry
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Post by Andy Terry » 27 Oct 2016 14:46

Ed Moss wrote:£5,000 on a new boiler????

I converted my house from hot water tank system to combi earlier this year, decent Worcester Bosch boiler, 5 year warranty, think it was around £2800 with a few other jobs thrown in.
That does sound a bit steep. Got ours done for £3500.

50+
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Post by 50+ » 01 Nov 2016 16:51

Its a bad time of year to be getting quotes. The weather gets cooler - people put there heat on - it doesn't work..

I wanted to get my bathroom done - but my regular guy told me the only people I would get this time of year are novices or those that no one wants to use. Might be best to hang on !

The price can vary so much as to comply with regulations they have to upgrade your electrics as well - so £3k isn't bad - £5k not unheard of

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