Veissman shortages - is my builder being reasonable about delayed boiler?

[Adsibob]

Currently no pipework in my house whatsover, just the new stopcock that was installed a couple of weeks ago in preparatio for the Thames water connection survey.

The plumber/gas engineer is starting work this week, fitting:

1. new pipework;
2. UVC cylinder;
3. three showers;
4. 4 hand basin taps
5. 3 other sinks
6. two baths
7. a couple of external taps
8. secondary loop for hot water
9. four UFH manifolds
10. new boiler
11. low loss header
12. water softener

Even though my contract says my builder is responsible for buying the boiler, for some reason he asked me to get it. I didn't really mind at the time because it will actually help me with financing if i can put it on a credit card. This was a couple of months ago, but I delayed purchasing because I needed to finalise heat loss calcs etc. and also wanted to see the plumber's approval certificate as a certified installer so i could get the 10 year guarantee.

Finally placed my order on Thursday from a website that was advertising 3-5 business days. They called me this morning to say none of these boilers in the UK at the moment and I'm not going to get it until mid December "at the earliest". I'm keen to stick to this boiler because of various reasons including its 1:17 modulation range and the fact that I've already purchased a "pre-plumbing jig" that is designed for this specific boiler. When I met the plumber/engineer who is installing it last week, the builder was already in a flap about the boiler not being on site, but the plumber was less concerned, saying he usually commissions the boiler at the end of jobs like this.

 

Having scoured the internet, I have found a plumbers merchant some 85 miles away that has one in stock. Not sure why, makes me suspicious it is one that somebody returned because there was something wrong with it.

 

The pre-plumbing jig is already on site, so not really sure why builder is in such a flap as presumably all the pipes can be run to the various connections on that jig, ready for the boiler to be mounted on to it when it's ready. The jig is described as having Fixings Valves/Fittings Gas shut-off Valve R3/4 with integral, thermally activated safety shut-off valve.

 

Should I just tell my builder that he has to wait till mid December and the plumber has plenty to get on with in the meantime? Or should I really consider driving a 170 mile round trip? There is no gurantee that the company I've purchased from will actually deliver mid December. Or does one need hot water to be able to test the installation of shower valves etc.?

 

[SteamyTea]

29 minutes ago, Adsibob said:

consider driving a 170 mile round trip?

I am about to drive 300 miles.

Have been doing a 600 mile round trip every weekend for weeks now.

Drive up, look at it, if it seems pristine, get it.

It is one less thing to worry about.

[PeterW]

Veissmann Direct usually have them in stock in the UK - what model..?

[TonyT]

Listen to the plumber

[Adsibob]

38 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Veissmann Direct usually have them in stock in the UK - what model..?

I went to them first. They were the ones that told me there were none in the whole of the UK until mid December.

It's a Vitodens 200-W System boiler 32kw

[PeterW]

Ah ok, thought it was the 100-W. They are correct, the 200-W is an order item. 

[Adsibob]

Thought I'd update on this after a frantic day of TWO false alarms, or at least I HOPE THEY ARE just false alarms!! Crikey.

Ended up ordering the same boiler from both Veissmann direct and from Plumbnation. Both told me it would take until January, and then about ten days later they both miraculously got one, so I cancelled Veissmann direct which was about £150 dearer.

After the builder insisting he needed it ASAP, he listened to the plumber and decided it didn't need to be done so urgently. But then I realised that it would really help get the remaining moisture out of the screed floor if we could start to heat the floor up a bit over the Christmas hols as I know my builder is keen to lay the wooden flooring in january and we only poured our screed on 11 October. Plumber is due to go on hols tomorrow, but managed to persuade my builder to get on with the boiler commissioning so that it's done before that given he is away for 4 weeks!

Mid way through the day the plumber calls me to say "the jig is in and I've tested the gas, but you've ordered the wrong boiler, this is a combi boiler not a system". This obviously put a big spanner in my plans to have the wood floor laid in January and was particularly galling after all the effort I'd put in to get the boiler.

Plumber is convinced it's the wrong boiler but eventually he acknowledges he's mistaken. False alarm 1 dealt with. Blood pressure still high though!

At about 8pm I call the plumber to check that he managed to commission it. "Yes" he tells me, "it's on at the moment".

"What temperature did you set the floor to?"

"Oh I left it at 40C"

"Are you sure that's not going to crack the screed? Seems a bit high for a first time" my blood pressure is sky high right now.

He tries to reassure me that with the screed having been laid "ages ago it should be fine". But there I am wondering if he knows that our screed is about 90mm in some places and needs much longer than the 64 days we've had. So I call my builder, who is ultimately responsible and he assures me that they switched off the heating before they left.

Given they leave at 530pm and at 2pm the boiler was reboxed and ready to go back to the supplier, I can't see how the screed would have been exposed to more than a couple of hours of heat. So fingers crossed there are no issues, but in my head I thought that with sand and cement screed you don't want to heat it too quickly the first time and only increase it by a degree a day. Or is that only the case when there is a virgin wood installation already installed? The house is well insulated with about 6 guys on site, so I think the temp probably gets to about 14 by the end of their day.

[Johnnyt]

I have a vitodens 200w system boiler and curiously my plumber initially thought it was a combi.

I seem to remember the boiler has a dedicated screed drying setting.

[Adsibob]

3 minutes ago, Johnnyt said:

I have a vitodens 200w system boiler and curiously my plumber initially thought it was a combi.

I think it is something to do with the number of pipe connections that it has.

3 minutes ago, Johnnyt said:

I seem to remember the boiler has a dedicated screed drying setting.

Yes, you're right. Incredible. Here it is, has six different screed drying profiles: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1418392/Viessmann-Vitodens-200-W.html?page=148#manual