Replacement boiler advice please.

[Nick67GT]

You can get a price from BG in two ways.

1) An actual visit & survey and itemised fixed price.

2) An online quote (also itemised) after you fill in various parameters. This is subject to the possibility of ‘extras‘ when they come to actually fit it, which can’t be quantified online. Fair enough.

Bizarrely, the like-for-like price of the boiler is substantially cheaper than the online quote as are some of the ’extras’ I know are required from the actual survey. This, coupled with the fact they include stuff in the online quote which I either don’t want (Hive thermostat) or some magnaflux type filter arrangement (not enough room to fit it) but can’t remove because it’s ‘a fixed price package’

I will speak with the guy today who did the survey to see if I can get some sense out of the situation…

 

[gaz1]

Avoid the Ariston
WB or vaillant are both good
Viessman are also good, as long as you don't get the 050 with rubber hoses (designed for mlcp and aluminium rads, not steel and copper)

23 years in the trade, now doing something different but the odd job needs a couple of hundred kws and use Viessman exclusively

its nice to see your still around kayos i had noticed that you had gone quiet and hadnt posted in a while on the forums

 

[Morris]

The top end vaillant is all metal, no plastic. WB have been plastic for years, by the time it starts filling the boiler is past it anyway

I like Baxi, but they have value engineered the latest ones (not fitted any myself)

Ideal? I'd rather freeze to death, which is ironic as it's a real possibility

We had a Baxi combi fitted 2 years ago, plumber said he preferred them as they were proving reliable.
At the last service he was talking about the redesign, said the jury was still out on them.

 

[RWD3M]

The top end vaillant is all metal, no plastic. WB have been plastic for years, by the time it starts filling the boiler is past it anyway

I like Baxi, but they have value engineered the latest ones (not fitted any myself)

Ideal? I'd rather freeze to death, which is ironic as it's a real possibility

This is pretty much exactly what each of the 5 engineers that quoted me to fit my combi said.

Key was that (new-build) builders like to fit ideal boilers 'cos they're cheap.

 

[tom 748]

Coincidentally, I'm just going through a similar process myself. I have finally caved in to pressure from Mrs RWD and am having my very old, ultra reliable Baxi back boiler replaced with a combi.

I have only yesterday selected the installer (from 7 people invited, 5 surveys and 4 quotes received) at a price of just under 4k. Now, what's worth bearing in mind is that he has not only to install the combi and decommission the back boiler, but the combi is going to be install in the garage at the opposite end of the house so has to contend with all the plumbing issues that will bring about. It also includes fitting new valves to all 12 radiators.

His biggest task of course is to try to explain the controls to me!

For balance, I had one very slightly cheaper quote (only by a couple of hundred, but I took a dislike to him!) and two others that were considerably more (one circa 5k and one over 6k!)

All of the plumber that turned up to quote advised against Baxi (for combi's, I didn't even know they made them!) and Ideal (because they are cheap). They recommended the Vailant as it has a 10 year warranty or the Worcester which can have a 10 year warranty but you do have to pay more for it (it's normally 8) unless your installer is fitting a lot of them. There was also something about ongoing maintenance costs which fall in favour of the Vailant iirc.

BTW, I see your in Glos. my chap is in Swindon so if you'd like I'm happy to share his details.

done the same £4000

 

[Ubique]

Not a bad price...

Catalogue

Everything Viessmann, Complete Range, Boilers, Cylinders, Accessories, Spares, Nationwide

viessmanndirect.co.uk

TBH I think I'd be buying something like that then getting installation & consumables/incidentals only quotes.

 

[Kayos]

Not a bad price...

Catalogue

Everything Viessmann, Complete Range, Boilers, Cylinders, Accessories, Spares, Nationwide

viessmanndirect.co.uk

TBH I think I'd be buying something like that then getting installation & consumables/incidentals only quotes.

That boiler should not be sold in the UK, the rubber hoses will fail.

Plus anyone who wanted to supply a boiler never wanted to pay my install price, and there is a missguided belief tradesmen charge a fortune for the boiler, I charged for my time, I was never the cheapest but I was always busy

I left the race to the bottom to others

 

[Kayos]

its nice to see your still around kayos i had noticed that you had gone quiet and hadnt posted in a while on the forums

I've been keeping away, too busy and needed a break from uninformed idiots, spouting incorrect nonsense

I came back to pass on my condolences for Paul.

I don't think I will be posting much these days

 

[Ubique]

That boiler should not be sold in the UK, the rubber hoses will fail.

Plus anyone who wanted to supply a boiler never wanted to pay my install price, and there is a missguided belief tradesmen charge a fortune for the boiler, I charged for my time, I was never the cheapest but I was always busy

I left the race to the bottom to others

Regarding prices, a lot of trades now seem to be charging 'what the job will stand' rather than 'cost plus'. No doubt there will be a slew of tradesmen saying similar to you - not many will admit to pricing to the market 'in public'. The BG scenarios above appear to be pretty close to pyramid selling to me.

 

[Ubique]

I've been keeping away, too busy and needed a break from uninformed idiots, spouting incorrect nonsense

I came back to pass on my condolences for Paul.

I don't think I will be posting much these days

'Every cloud' etc.

 

[Bornfree]

Getting a non condensing boiler is becoming a problem these day's. It seems only mistral make them.

 

[Kayos]

Getting a non condensing boiler is becoming a problem these day's. It seems only mistral make them.

Non condensing boilers have been in contravention of the building regs since 2005.

Vokera still make one, for SE and U duct flue systems

 

[Bornfree]

Non condensing boilers have been in contravention of the building regs since 2005.

Vokera still make one, for SE and U duct flue systems

Do they do oil or just gas?

 

[Kayos]

Do they do oil or just gas?

Gas

 

[angellonewolf]

You can get a price from BG in two ways.

1) An actual visit & survey and itemised fixed price.

2) An online quote (also itemised) after you fill in various parameters. This is subject to the possibility of ‘extras‘ when they come to actually fit it, which can’t be quantified online. Fair enough.

Bizarrely, the like-for-like price of the boiler is substantially cheaper than the online quote as are some of the ’extras’ I know are required from the actual survey. This, coupled with the fact they include stuff in the online quote which I either don’t want (Hive thermostat) or some magnaflux type filter arrangement (not enough room to fit it) but can’t remove because it’s ‘a fixed price package’

I will speak with the guy today who did the survey to see if I can get some sense out of the situation…

will they install a boiler with oout a magnaclean type i dont think id want one with out it cleans the system an dfor newer boilers its important ?

 

[Wozzaaah]

Replacing a boiler is definitely a big decision, especially with the range of options out there. From my experience, simplicity and reliability are key, especially for rental properties.

So is joining a welding forum to discuss boilers.......
Tata