Boiler Installation Price Help!!

Avatar261

At my house i am having a new combi boiler installed. the work involved is:

remove old boiler and associated tank.
connect shower to new combi.
install combi in loft with flu out to roof.
replace 5 radiators with thermostatic valves.
wireless temperature and time thermostat.
flush system.

I obatained 3 quotes at the following prices:

£3777
£3750
£2300

As you can see there is a major difference between the cheapest and the expensive ones.

Would i be crazy to go with the cheapest one? is there any reason that anyone can suggest why he is so much cheaper?

There anything i can ask or do to fin out why?

Sooler

Are they all using the same boiler - make and model?

Nile

Hello Avatar261


Welcome to the MSE site.:wave:

I've moved your thread to the 'Is This Fair' board.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [email="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/email].

Kind Regards

Nile

Avatar261

No, different boiler makes. The cheapest is using a Biasi 29kw. Does that help?

Or does anyone know what general cost would be to do the above?

caveat_emptor

Biasi boilers are at the lower cost end of the market so could explain part but not all of the lowest overall cost. It depends which boilers the others are quoting. A boiler costing £500 more than the Biasi wouldn't explain a difference of £1200 in overall cost.
Make sure they're all CORGI by checking their current registration.

moneysavingplumber

Moving the boiler into the roof space is quite a job and involves quite a few considerations, such as access via a loft ladder, fixed lighting, flooring, a guard rail around the hatch, and fire proofing and frost protection. I'm not sure if the Biasi has in built frost protection or auto by-pass but I'm guessing it doesn't. Flueing through the roof also adds considerable cost to the job, and I for one will no longer clamber onto a roof without a suitable tower scaffold, and that costs too.

If you are in England or Wales it must be a condensing boiler.

A good quality, 'A' rated combi with a stainless steel heat exchanger will cost about £800. Assume an average radiator cost of £70 each and TRVs at £7 each. Wireless RF3 programmable stat at about £100. Tube and fittings are likely to be around £100-£150. Fernox inectible chemicals £40. Electrician will set you back about £150. Add the costs of the tower scaffold you're looking at roughly £1700 for overall materials. So assuming a £300 difference in cost of boiler between a Biasi and, for example, a Vaillant, then the £2300 begins to look more feasible.

Having said that the above is just speculation and estimation, you can never tell for sure without seeing a job, but I think the top-end prices are pretty heavy. Ask around if anyone can recommend a plumber or heating fitter that has done that type of work for them in your area and get another quote. I'm guessing with a good quality boiler and good quality British copper tube and good pipe work you'll be looking at about £2.5K. Someone's bound to post here saying they had it done for fifty quid (! ) but as I said, all jobs are different and roof installations of combis are expensive when done correctly.

covbaldy

Hi,
I'm moving into a new house and am having a brand new CH system installed.
I've really looked into the materials and am supplying my own.

Vaillant EcoTec boiler, copper pipework, rads and TRV's + got a wirless Drayton FR1 off ebay for £40.
Back price for above boliers and evrything else is £1030 + VAT.

I then got a couple of plumbers to come round and quote, both were recomended by friends & family. Both were happy to just supply fittings and quote on labour, both guys came in at just over £1000 which I thought was pretty good.

Although our boiler isn't going in the loft, I guess like moneysavingplumber has already said its the extra costs for fitting it in the loft that push the price up.

I have heard Biasi boliers are to be avoided, have you considered supplying the parts? Always worth checking your local plumbing store.

HTH )

Alan

Avatar261

Many thanks for the replies so far.

Im sorry i should have been a bit clear on the loft. The loft is converted and actually acts as a 2nd bedroom.

Are Biasi boilers really bad? he did say he can supply a potterton? if we wanted to spend more money, have you heard of them?

covbaldy

I can only comment on what I have read in various forums. The https://www.screwfix.com plumbers forum doesn't seem to rate them (and there the guys that fit them!). I think its mainly down to a good installation of the actual boilr and system and also a good clean of the system, the guys here can tell you more about that.

Have a look at Mrcentralheating.com they've got some great deals on combi packs, I'd recomend the Glowworm 30CXI I was going to have this installed at my house - it has very good write ups etc. Now having a vaillant EcoTec insted (just a different pack option from my local plumbing supplies).

botmission

I'm just about to put a new boiler in for my dear old mum, and, as much as I love her, I don't want to be round there every five minutes repairing it! So I'm putting a Vaillant in, safe in the knowledge that I won't have to look at it for years. It's a no brainer as far as I'm concerned. They're the best.

I have issues with the latest cxi/hxi Glowworm boilers, as it takes forever to get spares for them, and every one I've worked on over two years old seems to leak to some degree.

Here's a quick list in my opinion of popular manufacturers of boilers. Good at top. The bottom ones I personally will never install.

1.Vaillant
2.Worcester
3.Baxi/Potterton/Myson, Ideal, Glowworm, Keston
4.Biasi Ravenheat Saunier Duval Chaffoteaux Ferrolli Vokera

botmission

covbaldy wrote:

I'd recomend the Glowworm 30CXI I was going to have this installed at my house - it has very good write ups etc. Now having a vaillant EcoTec insted (just a different pack option from my local plumbing supplies).

A very wise decision, trust me!