Never rains but it pours

[Ironballs]

Got a few quotes in finally to replace our windows, front porch and to build a side porch - the last lot of rain prompted a big leak again. Painful but needs doing and it will make the house a lot warmer and quieter as our old wooden DG windows are screwed.

The karma gods obviously spotted this and on the same day we had the snow last weekend the heating pump finally packed in, so had a very cold week this week with only the stove in the front room to provide heat. Plumber came out in the week and fixed the pump (and a couple of other minor probs) and then checked the boiler.

Now we know the boiler is old and decrepit and very inefficient, but were banking on it lasting another year. However, it needed a clean and he spotted the thermocouple was done in, the inspection window was split and there was a risk the seal would go when he popped the cover off - and they don't make seals for our boiler any longer.

He came back today to do the work, popped off the cover and found there was no seal at all - which would explain why he could smell combustion products when he came in :shock:

Boiler officially dead. Bugger

So two grands worth of new boiler and fitting follow this week. Oh joy

 

[jlawrence]

2 grand. Hells bells Ironballs how big is your house ?
I might have been lucky when we replaced our boiler (in our previous house) as we had 22mm gas pipes almost all the way to the boiler position.
It wasn't much work for the guys - compared to having to do a long run of new pipe - and if I remember correctly it came in at about a grand. That was in a Victorian terrace - so it wasn't exactly a small boiler.

We made the mistake of getting our windows replaced this time last year. Fortunately it was nice and dry - but it was damn cold. Whole set of windows + doors came in at 5K - well chuffed with both the price and the quality of work manship.

 

[Ironballs]

It's not really the size of the boiler, it's all the work to remove the hot water cylinder and re-route a load of pipes and replace all the radiator valves etc etc

 

[jlawrence]

Ah, yes that makes more sense now. I was very lucky in that nothing needed replacing other than the boiler.

 

[Ironballs]

Apparently we'll have to watch out for small leaks, our current boiler outputs like a hamster farting, the new one will be like a wildebeest letting go

 

[Dibs-h]

It's not really the size of the boiler, it's all the work to remove the hot water cylinder and re-route a load of pipes and replace all the radiator valves etc etc

That might add an extra days work on - i.e couple of hundred quid plus < £10 per rad for valves. Still a bit on the high side? I'd be looking at no more than £1.5k and that's with a Vokera or Worcster Bosch (i.e. 28Kw Combi).

Or are you having a system boiler fitted with mains pressure tank? In which case £2k is about right.

PM me, if you want a nbr of someone who might be more competitive.

 

[Ironballs]

Think it's the latter Dibs but thanks for the offer. We're gradually working our way round the house and each job tends to create 2 or 3 others; it seems the house was gutted and done out in the late 70s/early 80s and the then owner did much of it himself - which was why the downstairs lights were blowing the upstairs sockets :x for example

We may p*ss and moan about some laws and regs and associated costs, but it does stop fools with little knowledge and experience doing things they shouldn't. Our current boiler was a potential CO hazard and probably was since we moved in - especially as it resides in our en suite

 

[promhandicam]

We may p*ss and moan about some laws and regs and associated costs, but it does stop fools with little knowledge and experience doing things they shouldn't.

How do laws and regs do that? Until the sheds stop selling consumer units to anyone who has a pulse there is nothing to stop any numpty trying to rewire their house. The laws and regs, at least for electrics, seem to affect the qualified competent tradesman far more than someone who is completely unqualified.

Steve

 

[Jenx]

We may p*ss and moan about some laws and regs and associated costs, but it does stop fools with little knowledge and experience doing things they shouldn't.

How do laws and regs do that? Until the sheds stop selling consumer units to anyone who has a pulse there is nothing to stop any numpty trying to rewire their house. The laws and regs, at least for electrics, seem to affect the qualified competent tradesman far more than someone who is completely unqualified.

Steve

Quite correct ! ...theres little to stop the 'un-initiated' from buying and connecting gas boilers up with garden hose and jubilee clips.. I kid you not, I have seen it done ...:shock:
Regulations tend to mean not much more than a licence to print more money for some 'government body' clamping down on properly qualified, time-served, capable people.

Equally as much of a problem to my mind is the 'I've been to college for 6 months and now I'm an Electrician / plumber / joiner / brickie etc etc... because, "No you are not... not by a long, long way" !.
I refuse to have my trade and my skills 'devalued' by this method.. and we should be putting a stop to it, in my humblest of opinions.
A vet, or an accountant, or a dentist or a lawyer wouldn't stand for that... why should we ?
:roll:

 

[RogerS]

Ironballs, are going the combi route? Careful if you are. Lots of pitfalls.

 

[Smudger]

I refuse to have my trade and my skills 'devalued' by this method.. and we should be putting a stop to it, in my humblest of opinions.
A vet, or an accountant, or a dentist or a lawyer wouldn't stand for that... why should we ?

Well said.

 

[Ironballs]

Either way "the amateur" that plumbed and wired this house was a complete knob end, obviously had no training and probably bragged to his mates down the pub about how he'd done all this work himself and saved a load of cash. No frigging stop cock in the house either until we had a new kitchen put in

 

[Tom K]

Either way "the amateur" that plumbed and wired this house was a complete knob end, obviously had no training and probably bragged to his mates down the pub about how he'd done all this work himself and saved a load of cash. No frigging stop cock in the house either until we had a new kitchen put in

Thought that too. fortunately found it had been tucked under the floor and the boards nailed down :roll:

 

[woodbloke]

I've just had my boiler cleaned and serviced. The gas man said that it's still good (it's now 21 years old) and working well, but once spare parts are no longer available, it's kaput.
For the gas people to replace it...£4Kish :shock: He told me to buy the combi boiler myself and then find a registered firm to install it...£2k all in - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

buy the combi boiler

I'm not convinced that combi boilers are a good idea unless you need to save space. Most people I know who have them have been disappointed. When I replaced my boiler, I went for a conventional one, having looked into it and concluded that combi boilers are really only suitable if you live in a flat and haven't room for water tanks.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[wizer]

When moved into my first house it was a 1990's build 2 bed semi and for some reason they decided not to install gas\central heating. So after a year of storage heating misery, I had gas run to the house and a combi boiler system put in. Evermore the heating\hot water situation was faultless. It just worked. Loved it. The new house is a different story. Decades old pipework which has been added to and fiddled with for years (admittedly by my Dad). The combi boiler here is shockingly bad, despite being a Vailant.

I dunno what that means. But I agree that combis are not the answer to everything.

 

[RogerS]

Yup...combis can be a nightmare especially if the ch pipework etc is old. Then expect leaks, leaks and more leaks.

 

[les chicken]

I also agree combis can be trouble especially if installed on old systems, as said by others leaks can almost be guaranteed. It then becomes mega expensive for repairs.

We have two systems in our house, a thermostat output controlled boiler for the hot water including the shower and a conventional boiler for the central heating.

As per a combi, hot water on tap no tanks to fill up and heat and mains pressure for shower. The central heating side bonus is low pressure in the system with less chance of leaks, the bonus side if you remove a radiator for decorating or relacement the system tops itself up and the radiator only needs bleeding, no expensive plumbers to reset the pressure etc.

Les

 

[RogerS]

.....no expensive plumbers to reset the pressure etc.

Les

:shock: It's a simple job these days and definitely DIY

 

[Ironballs]

Well it gets fitted tomorrow so we'll find out. Can't come too soon, it's brassic in the house with only a solid fuel stove and oil filled radiator to keep me going