I Qualify for a Free Boiler But......

trundlecat

Hi All,

I had an assessment this week for the boiler replacement scheme & to my surprise I qualify for a new one. The company assigned have booked me in for an installation next week. At the time of booking I asked what my options were & was told, basically, none: I have to have this one particular type of combi boiler.

The reviews for the boiler range from really bad to mediocre, the mediocre are reliant on it being fitted well. My current boiler is old as the hills & part of a tank system but I've never had a single problem with it & the tank system suits the way we live. I also can't find any reviews about the company that's been assigned to fit it. I'm now really concerned that I'm going to be replacing a perfectly adequate system with one that could cause all kinds of problems. The new one may come with a warranty but that's no comfort when you're stuck with no heating in the middle of winter then have to take a day off work (I'm self employed so that equates to no pay) or uni for an engineer visit.

I feel a bit bad winging like this, it's like looking a gift horse in the mouth IYKWIM. However, I've worked so blooming hard & the kids & I have sacrificed a lot to have this little house & I'd like a say in what goes in it. It feels like I'm being told to shut up & accept what's going to happen or do without & I can't find anything regarding what options I should have. If anyone knows the ins-&-outs of this scheme or where I can find them I'd really appreciate being pointed in the right direction.

Thanks,
TC

ollski

as far as I know it depends on the company who fit it, when I worked for bg they used worcester as their preferred but I have seen other companies fitting vaillants aswell.

oldskoo1

ollski wrote: »

as far as I know it depends on the company who fit it, when I worked for bg they used worcester as their preferred but I have seen other companies fitting vaillants aswell.

Surely they don't fit those types for free?

What is the boiler in question?

Ken68

Sounds like a con, Trundle, surely, they should replace 'like with like'.

ollski

yep, the big companies have their own supplier deals and also have to guarantee the boiler for 2 years. It's in their own interest to fit quality where they can.

sherbie28

Before they do anything just double check that they know how they are going to do it and what it will entail. I know someone who was told they could have a free one, raved up all the floorboards etc and then said for some reason they can't do it. Left them with a load of mess and only heating working in one room. I have no idea who were doing it but they didn't sound competent and it's no really something you need to be dealing with in the cold weather when you're an OAP like my friend of the family.

adonis

I am looking to get a free boiler too, depending on the company doing it you should be able to upgrade to a better model by paying the difference.

Mrs a said the same thing, it is a free boiler what are you worried about, but I don't want to have to replace it in a couple of years time if it is unreliable junk when I can pay a little bit more for a better one.

As far as I know you can go to any energy company to get the deal and a lot of other companies are doing it as we'll, even B & q, don't be fobbed off with something you don't want.

Boiler reviews can vary and every installer has a preference, I tried to look at the models in Which magazine in the library but you need to log into their website to see the results.:mad:

macman

What combi boiler are they going to install?

Pincher

It's the lowest quote culture, what can you do.

The most important thing is the condensate (dripping condensed water from burning the gas) pipe. If they don't do it right, the water freezes outside, the water will backup into the boiler, and it's a nightmare. This only happens when it's really cold, when you need the heating the most.

The next thing is to make sure they put in a filter on the return flow from the radiators, so sludge doesn't block the heat exchanger. Get them to show you how to clear the filter.
Ideally, you should know how they will mount the filter before work starts, because you need to have reasonable access.

Ideally, they should do a power flush. A proper one is done where they disconnect the old boiler, clamp in a circulation pump, and flush each radiator INDIVIDUALLY by closing off all the other radiators. Both valves on the radiator should be fully open, of course.

They should also install TRVs (temperature control per radiator). One radiator should be left without TRV, usually the bathroom towel radiator, so that the hot water always has a return path to the boiler.

This means they will have to re-balance the radiators afterwards.

If they did all this properly, they will have spent too much time and lose money on the job.

matelodave

The alternative is not to accept this free gift that's being paid for by the rest of us and keep your old one

Southend1

Nobody's going to give you a free boiler. If it sounds too good to be true......