Complete replacement pipework/heating

ladywood

We've just had a (reputable) plumber examine the plumbing in our new house. It seems it is a disaster! Pipes too small and not fixed, low pressure from main, boiler knackered and botched with some switch to try to keep the pressure up (explains why it kept cutting out), unsafe gas pipes running over concrete (not fixed), unused pipes not having been removed etc.

He has recommended replacing all the pipe work (water and gas) with larger pipes and replacing the combi boiler (which is not up to the job) with an unvented cylinder/boiler system. In addition we will either need to apply to increase the mains input (not guaranteed in our area to be possible) or install a pump with a tank (not sure what it is called).

It is a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house with washer, dishwasher etc. so will have a fair demand on the system at times. He says this will be sufficient to meet any demand we are likely to need.

His quote is around £8.5K + vat! :eek: This includes the above and some new radiators and fitting those that can be reused with thermostat controls. I trust the guy to do a good job and he is used to working with the builders who are doing the rest of the renovations. I am sure that it is not the cheapest possible but he is very reliable and we need to be sure this is going to last and be able to meet capacity - we would get very frustrated if the pressure was a trickle! Is that a suitable solution and is it a reasonable price?
Thanks

moneysavingplumber

Hi there,

It is alot of money but it is also alot of work with alot of materials.

It does sound as though the work will be high quality using high quality materials. I did a very large installation about two years ago now in a large three storey house with a Keston C40 condensing boiler and a large Range unvented cylinder, and a large amount of 28mm copper pipe work, zoning each floor of the central heating system. It included about 14 new Myson radiators and TRVs.

Overall that was about £9000. If the job is done correctly there are alot of costs to consider. In a large house the hot water circuit should be complimented by a bronze-pumped (about £100 to begin with, plus the cost of the pipe stat and wiring) secondary loop to keep the water hot near the furthest outlets. All shower outlets from an unvented cylinder need a balanced cold feed taken direct from the pressure reducing valve assembly. The electrician's wiring costs alone on the above job was £550.

It's hard to scrutinise a price without seeing the job in person, but I'm sure these people could have had the work done far cheaper (but not to as high a specification or quality) but stuck with me (despite having budgeted only £8000 for the work) because of the recommendation and because I assume they trusted me. They don't appear to have regretted it and seem very happy with the work. Compare that to a job I lost that sounds very similar to yours that I quoted at about £7500 with a similar specification which the customer rejected in favour of a heat-store combi installation at around £5000, my electrician tells me they deeply regret it.

Get another couple of quotes just to satisfy your curiousity and make a comparison, then go with your gut instinct.

ladywood

Thanks that's reassuring - those things were all mentioned in the discussion we had so it does sound like he has all the necessaries covered. We'll be getting the final spec shortly.

Looks like we will need to find the money then - better get going on eBay!

loungelizard_3

2 years ago we had a new hot water/central heating system fitted. We had a good quality Vaillant unvented system fitted. However, poor mains pressure meant that it never performed very well. You could be running the bath or having a shower (hot water) and if a hot tap was turned on downstairs the bath/shower stopped completely.

I don't think that the plumber did his homework properly and didn't test the pressure and flow prior to the installation.

We are now three houses later and are in the process of getting this one re-plumbed. We are not going to make the same mistake again and will be carrying out the tests prior to deciding on what type of system to have.

If the pressure is good the unvented systems are very good, if the pressure is low, you may well regret going for an unvented system.