Solicitor making mountains?

Aquatronixjenny · 27 August 2011 at 7:22PM

30 minutes?? £30??

It can take up to an hour to drain a central heating system, then you have to cut the pipe and fit the valves, then refill the heating system (adding inhibitor) and then bleed the radiators.

You're looking at between an hour (if all goes well) to 2 hrs work... Add £5-10 for the valves depending on the mood of the plumber, and at least £10 for the inhibitor. If they use Sentinal inhibitor expect about a £20 - 25 charge for this. Could be a £200 job depending on hourly rate.

DVardysShadow · 27 August 2011 at 8:27PM

G_M wrote: »

God people get their knickers in a twist about everything these days!

Yeah, but you can get an indemnity policy for your knickers from a solicitor.

pararct · 27 August 2011 at 9:17PM

Aquatronixjenny wrote: »

30 minutes?? £30??

It can take up to an hour to drain a central heating system, then you have to cut the pipe and fit the valves, then refill the heating system (adding inhibitor) and then bleed the radiators.

You're looking at between an hour (if all goes well) to 2 hrs work... Add £5-10 for the valves depending on the mood of the plumber, and at least £10 for the inhibitor. If they use Sentinal inhibitor expect about a £20 - 25 charge for this. Could be a £200 job depending on hourly rate.

Plumbers are ripping people off then. Isolation valves are around a £1 each when bought in bags of ten. If the OP has some DIY/basic plumbing knowledge then he may want to consider tackling this job himself. It sounds complicated but it really isn't.

Aquatronixjenny · 27 August 2011 at 9:21PM

pararct wrote: »

Plumbers are ripping people off then. Isolation valves are around a £1 each when bought in bags of ten. If the OP has some DIY/basic plumbing knowledge then he may want to consider tackling this job himself. It sounds complicated but it really isn't.

Ok, so £1 each + the mark up could be £1.50 each. Add 1-2 hours labour + the cost of central heating inhibitor. 1-2 bottles depending on number of rads at £15 - £25 a bottle.

This job involves draining down a central heating system which is the main cost. Fitting an isolation valve on a mains water pipe is a 5 minute job, on a central heating pipe its completely different.

And for £1 each, you must be talking about the crappy bulk buy isolation valves that you get called back to because they leak out of the screw, rather than the quality full bore valves.

pararct · 27 August 2011 at 9:34PM

Aquatronixjenny wrote: »

Ok, so £1 each + the mark up could be £1.50 each. Add 1-2 hours labour + the cost of central heating inhibitor. 1-2 bottles depending on number of rads at £15 - £25 a bottle.

This job involves draining down a central heating system which is the main cost. Fitting an isolation valve on a mains water pipe is a 5 minute job, on a central heating pipe its completely different.

And for £1 each, you must be talking about the crappy bulk buy isolation valves that you get called back to because they leak out of the screw, rather than the quality full bore valves.

Been using them for many years without any issues at all! In fact have fitted en-suits to every bedroom in this house and fitted these to every shower, toilet and basin tap feed.

Not everything has to be expensive to function properly.

Aquatronixjenny · 28 August 2011 at 7:42AM

pararct wrote: »

Been using them for many years without any issues at all! In fact have fitted en-suits to every bedroom in this house and fitted these to every shower, toilet and basin tap feed.

Not everything has to be expensive to function properly.

We went through a phase of getting called back to them, really annoying! It was about 6 months back and we had a whole bag of faulty ones. Now we fit the more expensive ones if they are to be on a heating system as it's not a 5 minute job to change them if we get called back.

Sticky77 · 28 August 2011 at 8:54AM

The solicitors are saying whether the valves are fitted or not that they want a policy taken out. The price for this has gone from £30 to £88! And they want me ( the seller) to take the policy out. Why is it the seller who does this?
The conservatory was built in 2002 so exempt from the change in building regs.
Who would I contact in the council to say it doesn't need them?
We were due to complete next wk but this is holding it up.
Thanks.

WestonDave · 28 August 2011 at 9:00AM

Interesting game of tactics - do you want to lose the sale for £88, but then would they pull out and lose all their survey etc costs for £100-£200 plumbing costs. Contact building control at the council but these days you'll probably have to pay the council to issue anything in writing! You can try calling their bluff by going back to them and stating that as the conservatory was constructed before 2010 it was compliant with building regs at the time, and as such you have no intention of paying for an indemnity policy, but if they want one, you are happy to take one out for an appropriate addition to the sale price!