Radiator/pipe replacement - what questions should I ask?

Snakey

I'm all set to go ahead with getting this done. It's new radiators and new larger pipes to a two-bedroom flat (six rads in total). Here's what's included in the quote:

Strip out micro-bore pipes
Remove old radiators
Install new piping in 15mm and 22mm
Fit new radiators
Power flush system
Fit new Magna-clean filter

I am new to all this "having the builders in" lark, and while I have no reason to believe that anybody is trying to rip me off I'd love it if someone who knows about these things can tell me if there's anything missing from the above (i.e. not included but will need doing), or if there is anything that I need to get clarification about. I would hate there to be a misunderstanding resulting in me not getting a full job or having to pay extra for stuff which I assumed would be automatically included. So I'd like to minimise the chance of this happening but without going OTT and being a difficult customer mithering them over every tiniest thing.

I am supplying the radiators (which I need to look for and get ordered very soon, so today is Radiator Research Day) and they are supplying absolutely everything else - I did check this much. I already have a boiler which doesn't need moving or anything.

Thanks!

booty40uk

Why are they power flushing a new system?

Snakey

Because of the boiler? I think?

Also, I may keep one or two of the old radiators (because I am hoping to re-do the kitchen and bathroom over the next 3-4 years and this will probably involve changing or removing the rads in those rooms).

Is it something that isn't needed?

Ruski

booty40uk wrote: »

Why are they power flushing a new system?

^^^^^ Agreed!!

Should be chemical flush, drain, and refill +inhibitor.

Are you on combi or vented boiler system?

What price are you paying??

Russ

booty40uk

Can't see any reason for a power flush. A chemical flush would be fine imho. The rads your keeping can be flushed through outside.


Id like to know what the breakdown of costs is too.

Snakey

It's a combination boiler.

Total cost is £1,440 including everything except the radiators which I am buying separately. I had another quote for £1,500 (nobody saw each other's quotes). There's no breakdown within that fee. They say it will take a week, and we're in central London so if that's five days of labour plus all the pipes and the power flush that's not too bad is it? How much should the power flush bit cost?

I really have very little time to cancel this, if I'm going ahead I have to get the rads ordered or they won't arrive in time. I have already turned down two jobs that these guys have quoted me for and so to say yes and then pull out will probably burn my bridges.

So if I am being ripped off badly i.e. this is a half-day job and the pipes and valves etc only cost fifty quid, then please tell me now so that I can bite the bullet and have a row with these guys.

Frankly, if it's only a couple of hundred quid over then I'll probably just go ahead - it's all very well being told that you can get it cheaper, but I never seem to be able to find these cheaper people in the real world. (I don't mean any offence by that, it's just that it seems to be easier said than done. Perhaps I have a sign on my head saying "mug" that's visible only to tradesmen, or I just don't move in the right circles.)

Thanks for your replies btw, I do appreciate it, the whole thing's just getting me down a bit this week. Everything seems so simple until I tell someone about it, and then I get told I'm doing it all wrong and I feel like an idiot.

Snakey

http://www.nwtdirect.co.uk/26-vertical-aluminium-radiators

Thinking of getting some of these (the Vesuvius ones) - any advice/feedback? I haven't ordered them yet...

They're not my absolute ideal style, but the ones I liked were coming out at 3-4 times the price of these! And they're lovely and slim (width), just what I wanted for where I want to put them.

I'm going to get a normal chrome towel rail for the bathroom, it turned out that it was only about £50 which is peanuts compared to the total cost of all this and so I may as well change all the radiators instead of trying to save a few quid by leaving the one in the bathroom.

When it says that to have these radiators you also need a valve and blah blah, is that something that the builders will already know about (i.e. it's advice for if an idiot like me might be trying to DIY for the first time ever) or is it something that I need to make sure they are specifically aware of? I am supposed to only be buying the rads and everything else is included in the quote and I am still busy trying to anticipate things that could go wrong and that sounds like it could be one area...

I'm going to see if I can catch the builder tomorrow to ask him about the power flush and so on. My trouble is always going to be that because I know so little about these things if someone says "don't be stupid, of course it's [whatever]" then I have very little to come back with.

My boiler has a zillion more BTUs than I need for these rads, which is one less thing to worry about.

Ruski

The only thing I would ask is if trv's are included - this can add a lot to the cost. Pipe, clips, fittings etc are pretty standard prices.
And, of course, there are cheap trv's and expensive trv's - ask which ones are being supplied, then do your research.
Also ensure that any floorboards that are lifted are screwed back down - nothing worse than a squeaky floorboard because they've tried to nail the flooring back down.

Having said all this, try not to p them off - sounds like you did't get much detail in the quote, which you are really entitled to.
And always, always leave them a kettle, tea milk and biscuits - a happy workman is (generally) more considerate workman (well, at least I am!!)

HTH

Russ