Hecateh Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 in my experience, which is admittedly limited, some jobbing plumbers, have a limited range of boilers that they have worked with and anything different, it's easier to just condemn it rather than admit they don't know it. Like with many trades - if you find a good one, hang on to them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 (edited) 13 hours ago, PeterW said: Yes it is ..!! Can pick up a Greenstar 25i for £900 inc VAT and it’s the same size, pipework layout and connections as the one it’s replacing. Its a days job to fit it, even if you powerflush (which is easy with the old one off the wall) so £900 for a days work is a little excessive ... @newhome these are prone to circuit board faults - £60 to £100 for the board depending on where it’s from and 15 mins to fit Would be interested to see how this works out. I was assuming a 28i. I had a Greenstar 28i last Nov, an£ the emergency quotes were between £2000+ and I think £3800 via an online workman site as my regular plumber was not contactable. It was the boiler, a new through the roof flu due to brand change, and a bit of investigation. Eventually I paid 1900 but it took a couple of weeks to find the right guy and get a slot. Two men about 2/3 of a day. What would you regard a# an acceptable emergency premium? F Edited August 17, 2018 by Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 Nil - its a unit swap with the flue, pipes and fittings all in the same place and a like for like brand. Even if you follow the MIs to the letter and powerflush the whole system and fit (another) magnaclean its a days work comfortably. Yours I would class as a new boiler install rather than emergency. Unless I was asking them to work overnight, I wouldn’t expect to pay 3-400% markup on a day rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexphd1 Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 5 year old worcester, that's still a good boiler. I know worcester will come out themselves for a set fee think around £300, usually next day (sometimes same). They will give the boiler a once over and any weak parts that a prone to failing they usually replace aswell. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexphd1 Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 We once had a worcester flue that the flue wasn't correctly installed (vertical that somebody cut short) and not sealing correctly and everything in the main exchanger was signs of corrosion gas valve, fan wiring loom etc. We ended up changing the boiler like for like in a few hours. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted August 17, 2018 Author Share Posted August 17, 2018 It all looked pretty perfect inside. Just a tiny bit of water, like a few spots, in the bottom of the case that honestly you struggled to even notice. There seemed to be no water damage anywhere so even if the fan and circuit board both need replacing the parts are circa 250 for those. I wouldn’t exactly say it was treated as an emergency. He was a no show on Tuesday and then came Thursday. My mother doesn’t mind waiting a few days to get it replaced. It’s only DHW that she’s without as clearly no CH is needed at present and her neighbour is letting her use a shower. Her boiler is a 28i but she doesn’t think he told her what he was fitting instead. Might have been a straight replacement but we don’t know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliMcLeod Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 (edited) 7 minutes ago, newhome said: Her boiler is a 28i but she doesn’t think he told her what he was fitting instead. Might have been a straight replacement but we don’t know. At £900 new, i hope someone has contacted the cowboy to cancel, or at least ask him to justify both the need for replacement and the £900 fitting cost. And why he charged a call-out fee (though I guess he could say the callout was free, it was £80 for the diagnostic check - do you know how long he was there for?) If it does turn out the boiler can be fixed with a replacement part, i'd also be contacting local trading standards. Edited August 17, 2018 by AliMcLeod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 FWIW, I replaced the main board in our Vaillant 831 EcoTec some time ago. Board was around £120, IIRC and replacement took at the most 30 minutes, and that was for an amateur who had never changed one before and had to read through the second level diagnostic instructions as I went to make sure I programmed in the correct DSN number, to programme the board to work with the EcoTec 831 (they use the same main board for several different models, so it's supplied un-programmed). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliMcLeod Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 I know what you're saying @JSHarris, but this 1 minute ago, JSHarris said: that was for an amateur and this 1 minute ago, JSHarris said: had to read through the second level diagnostic instructions as I went to make sure I programmed in the correct DSN number, to programme the board to work with the EcoTec 831 are a bit at odds with each other I doubt many lay people would attempt to replace a boiler main board. But, it could be that the boiler could be repaired (parts and labour) for under £3-400 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 I should have made a You Tube video. It was all undoing plastic clips, unplugging connectors that would only go one way, removing five wires from a terminal block and then reversing the process, plus some button pushing to get the DSN set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted August 17, 2018 Author Share Posted August 17, 2018 7 minutes ago, AliMcLeod said: At £900 new, i hope someone has contacted the cowboy to cancel, or at least ask him to justify both the need for replacement and the £900 fitting cost. And why he charged a call-out fee (though I guess he could say the callout was free, it was £80 for the diagnostic check - do you know how long he was there for?) If it does turn out the boiler can be fixed with a replacement part, i'd also be contacting local trading standards. My brother phoned him to cancel. He just said he was going to get a second opinion. He didn’t tackle him about the cost or the fee charged and for all we know £1800 could be the going rate for a replacement boiler in Sevenoaks. It was more the fact that the boiler wasn’t that old and it needed replacing and we wanted to be sure she wasn’t being ripped off. The Checkatrade leaflet looks very official with Sevenoaks District Council and Trading Standards printed on it. Thus my mother thinks everyone listed is completely honest and reliable. I looked at how to review a Checkatrade trader however as all the reviews are amazing and essentially if you write a bad review Checkatrade contacts the company to discuss it. Hmm. This guy apparently has no missed appointments and I can’t believe that my mother’s appointment is the only one he has ever missed. The company’s website lists WB as one of the makes they service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 Checkatrade, and the others, seem often to be more commonly used by those who either can't get work by word of mouth, or who are just starting out and haven't yet built up a customer base and reputation. My experience of them on the one occasion I used them was that the trades person concerned was a useless rip-off merchant whose work was positively dangerous. I ended up re-doing all his cable terminations to make them safe, then asking the electrician we had in for the main house wiring to unofficially test all the other blokes work that I'd tidied up (we already had a waste of space Part P chit for it) just so I could be confident there weren't any other flaws lurking around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted August 17, 2018 Author Share Posted August 17, 2018 I just checked online and there are numerous sites complaining that you can’t leave a poor review. You can only leave a review if you say you recommend them apparently because if not it’s treated as a complaint and not published. Someone said they had the most useless plumber, tried to complain but you have to allow the tradesperson to put it right and they didn’t want them back in the house, so they said they recommended them and gave them a poor score but that wasn’t ever published. It’s just unfortunate that the installer is on holiday really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted August 17, 2018 Author Share Posted August 17, 2018 I also looked at the WB site and they list the plumber my brother has asked to go round as a recommended installer but not the one who has been there already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hecateh Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 (edited) BB is on Checkatrade - says it all to me! I know he got some bad reviews removed, (I didn't know that when I employed him) Edited August 17, 2018 by Hecateh 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliMcLeod Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 With services like checkatrade, its always safe to follow the money when trying to determine how impartial are likely to be. The service provider is their customer, not the person looking for a trade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexphd1 Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 Take the WB website with a pinch of salt aswell. All it means is they fit X amount of WB boilers, attended a sales course and a odd day training course. Being ex trade the few good guys I would trust in my own house don't advertise Inc no sign writing on van! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted August 17, 2018 Author Share Posted August 17, 2018 (edited) And the verdict ... Fan had packed up. New guy went and got a new one and fitted it. He turned up at 12.30 and left at 5 and it was £400 plus vat. That was fine. That’s not the end of the saga however. He called us and said that after running the gas safety checks he needs to run after a repair it failed because it was leaking carbon monoxide at low flame (not high) so it needs a valve to be replaced or something and he needs to leave the boiler switched off until then. He’s coming back on Mon to do that. This is unconnected to the fan failure so looks like that was a blessing. He said that he didn’t think a new boiler was warranted in this case but he said that they generally look at what the parts would cost and if it starts getting above 500 plus vat they look at whether a new boiler is a better option. A new boiler would be 1800 - 2000 so sounds like that’s the going rate for Sevenoaks. He also suggested that a British Gas service contract was taken out. She used to have one. God knows why it got cancelled. She also said ‘oh I’ve got a plug in carbon monoxide detector somewhere, wonder where I’ve put it’ ??????? Edited August 17, 2018 by newhome 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 Leaking carbon monoxide at low flame so a valve needs replacing? Something about that doesn't sound right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 £140 including the VAT. £300 for an hours work is very nice going. 19 minutes ago, Temp said: Leaking carbon monoxide at low flame so a valve needs replacing? Something about that doesn't sound right. +1. Over gassing at low setting ( CH mode ) would throw readings off from the MI's, but leaking CO? Leaking from where ? I wonder if he fitted the fan properly. Its part of the combustion pathway so its definitely a contender for causing issues with CO if its not fitted properly ( new seals / overhaul kit bought and fitted ). Sounds like this guys in for a good £7-800 for a couple of hours work total. I'd ask for copies of the invoices for 'warranty purposes in case he goes bust' That'll squeeze a turd out of him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted August 17, 2018 Author Share Posted August 17, 2018 (edited) He was there way longer than an hour though. As in, assess boiler to determine problem, drive to Orpington and back to collect fan (an hour for the round trip), fit fan and run safety checks. He was deffo there for 4.5 hours all told so I’m not toooo bothered about the initial charge. It doesn’t sound like anyone will do a job round there for less than that tbh. 36 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said: Over gassing at low setting ( CH mode ) would throw readings off from the MI's, but leaking CO? Leaking from where ? I wonder if he fitted the fan properly. Its part of the combustion pathway so its definitely a contender for causing issues with CO if its not fitted properly ( new seals / overhaul kit bought and fitted ). I’m a bit concerned by this however . Does this mean that there might still be an issue once he’s fitted this ‘valve’ thing? He deffo said the word valve on the phone. He said £120 for the part, £80 for the callout plus vat so all told I reckon it will be circa £720. Still less than £1800 mind. I will ask bruv to get the invoices and say we need evidence that it’s not carrying a fault for the service contract. It does state that it has to start fault free in the T&Cs anyway. Jesus Christ why is nothing ever straightforward in my world? Edited August 17, 2018 by newhome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 Copies of the PARTS invoices. ? £300 for a half day isn't bad either. Time to move to the other side of the Severn bridge I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted August 18, 2018 Author Share Posted August 18, 2018 21 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said: Time to move to the other side of the Severn bridge I think. You know it makes sense. The land of milk and honey ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 6 hours ago, newhome said: You know it makes sense. The land of milk and honey ? The land of "charge whatever you want" more like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted August 18, 2018 Author Share Posted August 18, 2018 8 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said: The land of "charge whatever you want" more like. Well maybe but I just looked at where the plumber lives. In Orpington, not the most expensive part, not the cheapest. 250k for a 1 bedroom flat, 3 bed semis are upwards of 500k. So you can see why fees vary TBH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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