Boiler & Central Heating

mtysocks

Hi All

We have been in our home for a few years now, and have decided to go get a boiler and central heating. We live in a small 2 bedroom house (near Leeds), with 1 room downstairs (kitchen & lounge together), a basement and a bathroom. At the moment, we have a gas fire downstairs, but no other heating in any of the other rooms. Our hot water is done via an immersion heater and works on electric.

We are looking for a combi-boiler (i think!) so that our hot water can be instant, and works off gas. Also, we are looking to put some radiators around the house. We have about £2000 to spend. We just want something to get us started and doesnt have to be top of the range, it just needs to do the basics. Also, the money we have, needs to pay for someone to fit it as well.

We would appreciate some help and advice regarding the above. Is the money we have saved enough? Are there any current offers with any companies that you know of? Can you recommend anyone that you have experienced etc...

Thank You

Richie-from-the-Boro

HappyMJ will get to you shortly with a reply.

phill99

I think you may struggle with £2k. Even in Leeds where labour is cheaper, it may be a problem. A basic cheap boiler is likely to be £600, allow 7 rads say at an average of £70 each, doesn't allow alot for pipework and labour. Think you may need another £1k +

aboard_epsilon

£2000 may not get you it, from reading these forums and the prices quoted ..the boilers alone are between £500 and £800.. excluding flue if you buy one cheap

the copper alone is going to be about £200 upwards
all systems now need a magnetic filter £100 upwards

some plumbers want astounding £50 plus an hour.. so shop around ..

the plumbing company in trouble on watch dog last night charged at £88 per half hour !!!!

get a price for the whole job inc vat and everything.not hourly rate

and find a plumber is qualified electrically .."part p"..or you will have other costs for an electrician

i know i could probably heat my house with one gas fire alone.. if i had to pay for the whole lot to be done by a so called pro.

depends where you live, there are some parts of the country cheaper than others .

and another thing ..buy cheap ..and in another 4 years time, even before, you could be forking out again ..either to have it replaced or fixed...

whatever model you buy ..these new boilers just aint reliable ..and youre going to be forking out again and again ..you wont get one to last 10 years .

all the best.markj

mtysocks

Its taken us ages to save this much up. I thought it would be enough! I thought in summer, the prices dropped? I'm guessing I was being naive! Do the utility companies any incentives or offers? Im pretty sure we dont get any grants because I earn more than the 20K and dont get any qualifying benefits. Also, I have seen plastic tubes advertised. IF copper is expensive, would plastic be better? or are they just not good enough? Again, all help and advice will be much appreciated. Thank You

aboard_epsilon

well price it up ..
copper mini bore 10mm is £15 for 10 mtrs..that will do one "near" rad from manifold on the landing....anfd that doesn't include the joints

then you got all the other stuff

all rads except the one near the stat have to have thermostatic valves now.

you need the earth bonding on the pipes ..so a huge length of earth wire has to be run out ..plus fused connection for the boiler ....thermostat wiring ...copper pipe from the meter to the boiler

rads ..a 3kw large rad for the hall is about £120 upwards

maybe the only way you can afford it is to do all the work except the boiler is DIY..then its going to cost You £700 for the boiler and £300 for gas safe plumber...plus the piping ..rads thermostat and other .

you quickly see that it will be over £2000 even if you do 80 percent of the work yourself.

if the house is occupied ...the whole of the landing floor has to come up if you have concrete floors down stairs...plus many bedroom floor boards ..and they will be damaged as a result of this...if done by the cheapest plumber you can find...and the cheapest job will be done with cheap nasty plastic trunking boxes screwed to your walls..and done in a hurry.

all the best.markj

Mankysteve

Cost my rents the bast part of 2k for just for a conversion from a tank to combi and decent boiler kept existing rads. B&Q did do dicount on newboiler systems 20% I believe but the boiler are not the best(but I haven't heard too many complaints at the same time)

aboard_epsilon

BTW Ive just done some shopping around ..price differences on copper are nuts..it surprised me a lot .
here are the prices for 10 metres x 10mm minibore

the independent plumbers merchants i usually shop at £15.80 plus vat

another independent local builders yard £17.50 plus vat

another independent ..plumbers merchants £31.60 plus vat

and worse of all "the plumb centre" at £45 plus vat

at B&Q £32.99

so pays to shop around ..even with petrol prices the way they are.

so if you got your stuff from, for example, the plumb centre ..you may be paying £600 for the copper.

all the best.markj

rob7475

Hi,

I can recommend a company in leeds called Skelton Wood Gas - it's a family business run by two brothers. Before anyone asks, they are nothing to do with me - I used them in November to replace our central heating in Halifax.

We paid £2400 in November for a Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30SI, 7 radiators, wireless stat/programmer etc. They are also Worcester Bosch approved so can give a free 5 year warranty on the boilers.

Ours is a 3 bed semi and also a radiator in the attached garage so they may get close to your budget of £2000.

If you search on google you will find their details, but if you want any more information, just ask.

Rob

GreenFuture

I don't know if you ever thought of flooring heating systems ...if you also consider replacing the floor it may be a good option.