Brit Gas quote £765 for power flush???

essexmjj

Hi,

Really need advice as i sense i am being ripped off? problem we had was heating worked fine and rads operate ok....just we were getting lukewarm/warm water at best from all taps....never piping hot.

british gas engineer came, after banging around on the hot water tank and trying to boil out any blockage - he said we needed new release cyltrol valve on the tank as other once seems ceased up and thats why no hot water being released. he then showed me all the sludge coming from one of my rads it was slimy and black and quit a lot...he said this would need a system power flush as thats was probably clogging the tank up. it was then that he quoted me £765!!! after checking on web average price even from places like EON seem to be 350-400 quid how can this be right??

also since he left yesterday we now have not hot water at all ...its just cold now so we have gone from functioning fine just not piping hot to cold water and a bill for more work of 765! can anyone advise?..i have hm coming back today to explain why my water is now cold.
1: does it sound like powerflush is going to solve our problems? i admit the water looked sludgy and does probably need doing the issue i have is the price
2: is it better to go for cheaper quotes any recommendations?

Please any tips or advice appreciated this bill is going to clean me out !

Ta
MJ

MillicentBystander

essexmjj wrote: »

Hi,

Really need advice as i sense i am being ripped off? problem we had was heating worked fine and rads operate ok....just we were getting lukewarm/warm water at best from all taps....never piping hot.

british gas engineer came, after banging around on the hot water tank and trying to boil out any blockage - he said we needed new release cyltrol valve on the tank as other once seems ceased up and thats why no hot water being released. he then showed me all the sludge coming from one of my rads it was slimy and black and quit a lot...he said this would need a system power flush as thats was probably clogging the tank up. it was then that he quoted me £765!!! after checking on web average price even from places like EON seem to be 350-400 quid how can this be right??

also since he left yesterday we now have not hot water at all ...its just cold now so we have gone from functioning fine just not piping hot to cold water and a bill for more work of 765! can anyone advise?..i have hm coming back today to explain why my water is now cold.
1: does it sound like powerflush is going to solve our problems? i admit the water looked sludgy and does probably need doing the issue i have is the price
2: is it better to go for cheaper quotes any recommendations?

Please any tips or advice appreciated this bill is going to clean me out !

Ta
MJ

Absolutely. If you don't have a recommended plumber from family/friends, just type your postcode into the gas safe website and be shocked at how many self employed plumbers there are in your area. This should tell you one thing - they are probably struggling for business. use this to your advantage by getting a quote from several and inform each and every one of them what you are doing. You'll be amazed at how much cheaper than BG this will turn out to be.

Canucklehead

MillicentBystander wrote: »

Absolutely. If you don't have a recommended plumber from family/friends, just type your postcode into the gas safe website and be shocked at how many self employed plumbers there are in your area. This should tell you one thing - they are probably struggling for business. use this to your advantage by getting a quote from several and inform each and every one of them what you are doing. You'll be amazed at how much cheaper than BG this will turn out to be.

I suspect that anyone who uses this tactic might be seen as a timewaster/quote chaser and be given the short shrift. Many RGIs only work for clients recommended to them by a source they trust : unfortunately 'cowboys customers' have been on the rise as economic conditions worsen and a cold caller could be viewed as suspect. Btw...I suspect it is more likely that recent, inexperienced entrants to the trade rather than the time-served (and always busy) RGIs/plumbers will be the ones struggling.

O.P.: a powerflush will not cure your CH system issues. GSI to diagnose and advise for a fixed fee. Try here.

Canucklehead

MillicentBystander

Canucklehead wrote: »

I suspect that anyone who uses this tactic might be seen as a timewaster/quote chaser and be given the short shrift. Many RGIs only work for clients recommended to them by a source they trust : unfortunately 'cowboys customers' have been on the rise as economic conditions worsen and a cold caller could be viewed as suspect. Btw...I suspect it is more likely that recent, inexperienced entrants to the trade rather than the time-served (and always busy) RGIs/plumbers will be the ones struggling.

O.P.: a powerflush will not cure your CH system issues. GSI to diagnose and advise for a fixed fee. Try here.

Canucklehead

Sorry, only just seen this post. 'Cowboy customers'?? What the? I think you are speaking as a plumber outraged at my perceived insolence. Plumbers aren't immune from the current economic downturn and aren't immune from having to be competitive to get work. Those days are long gone and I think you know it. The plumber I eventually chose (after 5 written quotes from 5 plumbers only too happy to provide one and not ONE refused to quote) had been trading for 15 years and admitted times are hard (so hard he was having to travel the country working as a contracted hand on one of the Big 6's overpriced installations). There were over 50 Gas Safe registered plumbers within 2 miles of my post code, by the way.