New Boiler

coolagarry

My floorstanding boiler has just about given up the ghost and I am having it replaced with a Wall Mounted Valliant Condensing Boiler (one of the more expensive makes) and having the system cleaned out etc. I've been quoted £2100 by a local reputable Central Heating Engineer.
Mine is a 4 bedroom detached so it is a fairly powerful boiler.

Alos take a look here. (Energy Saving Trust) http://www.est.org.uk
Apart from anything else they will supply a list of approved installers
and give details of discounted boilers

moneysavingplumber

HugoSP wrote:

Mind you I have built up a good relationship with a good Corgi guy who now works for someone else but is trying to pay his mortgage off as well.

I've mentioned this before in similar threads, but it's worth checking that the person you use is Corgi registered in his or her own right, and NOT a named operative of another company. The reason being that he or she will be unable to certify the installation to building control unless the company they work for agree for them to do it in the company name, which is unlikely. If you have not received a certificate for your boiler from Corgi certifying it as compliant with Building Regulations, and it was installed after April 2005, then when you come to sell your property you will have problems, as your buyers' solicitor will ask for this document and the sale may not go ahead until the problem is rectified, which will mean you may have to pay an engineer to come and inspect and certify it retrospectively.

Carrying out a boiler change in a manner that corresponds to all the building regulations is not a five minute job. The system has to be thoroughly cleansed, flushed and treated, and on completion there is a lengthy commissioning procedure which includes setting the boiler up for optimum performance and balancing the system so that every radiator gives a 20 degree differential between inlet and outlet of each radiator, which is not easy. Unfortunately alot of installers don't bother to do alot of the above correctly, and in the case of balancing then the benefits of having a condensing boiler are wasted.

In the case of Ravenheat combis from B & Q it's worth remembering that these generally don't incorporate an automatic by-pass which is required under building regulations and is necessary for optimum performance and which means one will need to be added to the system directly above the boiler, most I've seen installed do not have this added either. The cheaper ones also do not include in-built frost-protection and have aluminium heat exchangers as opposed to more durable stainless steel used by premium models.

HugoSP

To be fair to the chap 2 out of the 3 installations were new installations ie no CH system. The third that he did in 2001 was a replacement and conversion from a gravity fed system to a combi system. We upgraded all the radiator valves, flushed out the system completely and then connected the boiler.

The boiler was a brand new Halstead finest 80,000 btu. I had bought this from a chap whos project never got off the ground. It cost me £300. It was still stapled inside its box.

Yes, he is Corgi registered in his own right.

kazzagrezza

mleonard79 wrote:

Wow kazzagrezza - that isn't half a power of work you got done for just £2,500!! Do you mind me asking what size of house/flat do you have as that can make a difference to the price as far as I know. So when you get a combi boiler in do you have to change your fire??

mleonard79, We have a 3 bed semi and live in Cardiff and yes it was a good price - we were really pleased!