Plumber wants 60% deposit upfront

brightontraveller

LostGeek wrote: »

Thank you. The house isn't really big - 88.5 square metres. Is this WB 42 boiler too big - one bathroom but we may get a shower room one day?

I'm suspicious because he has followed up on his quote with a text which no one else has done. So it smacks of him being desperate for work. But then I've been tearing my hair out at tradesmen who don't communicate well so maybe I'm never happy. He has a liveried van, lists his home address on his website and says he doesn't want a bad name.

Wouldn't say desperate just professional following up estimates ?Maybe they no certain trades are notorious for not following things up leaving clients in the air? So offering clients peace of mind but your damned if you do damned if you don't :rotfl:

LostGeek

This guy is quoting for the Worcester Bosch. We only have 6 radiators

SuzieSue

How many years guarantee is he offering? WB accredited usually give 7 years.

macman

How huge are the rooms if 6 rads require a 42kW boiler? We are talking about only a 2 or 3 b/r property here?
What spec of boiler did the other RGI's suggest?
BG will typically quote you 40% more than an independent.

EmmyLou30

42kw is huge and definitely not right from what you've said. Ours is a 38kw WB and is more than man enough to do 13 rads and two bathrooms. It won't run very efficiently or correctly if it's over sized. We had a 30kw WB at our old house with 6 rads and one bathroom.

LostGeek

3 bed detached house. Old house - 1930s. Dining kitchen is 21square metres. Small bathroom, 3 rooms are 12-15square metres and then one small bedroom is only 7 square metres. Sounds like boiler is too big for us then. He was also trying to flog us a cylinder version. We were quoted elsewhere for 38 ariston.

He is on the gas safe register - can even see a photo of his ID badge on it.

It sounds like I need to research for myself what size of boiler to get. Then before having more people out to quote, establish if they will want money up front. I just don't think I can hand over more than a few hundred to a complete stranger. Thanks for all your advice.

LostGeek

only 5 year warranty from this guy

TheCyclingProgrammer

We had the old boiler replaced in our house when we moved in earlier this year. Had the old boiler, tanks and cylinder removed and had the new boiler fitted where the tank was (in the upstairs airing cupboard). Old boiler was in the cupboard under the stairs. Boiler was a 33kW Baxi Platinum HE with 10 year warranty, gas pipework needed to be re-routed upstairs and of course new flue and condensate pipe had to be run to outside. The whole job cost just over £2k, this was in Essex. The next cheapest quote I had was about £2.5k.

I'll be the first to admit that what we paid was a bit on the cheap side, it was just one guy no mate and I think he slightly under-estimated the work involved as what should have been a 2 day job became nearly a 3 day job but he did a good, tidy job in the end, cleaned up after himself and made good the hole in the wall for the old flue too. We've only had one issue since it was fitted which was a slight leak on the compression fitting for the water filter which he came back and fixed at very short notice.

The boiler does sound like more than you need, as I said we have a 33kW, 1930s semi detached with four bedrooms, one bathroom and a downstairs shower room. 10 radiators, 2 towel rails, one bath and now thermostatic mixer shower (replaced the old electric shower when we refitted the shower room). We get good pressure and no problems heating the house. We also had a Nest thermostat fitted at the same time as the boiler (there was no room stat previously).

Considering you also need the old fireplace/back boiler removing I'd say your £3.2k quote is a lot nearer the mark.

Doozergirl

If you go onto the Worcester Bosch website, answer some questions and it will recommend a boiler for you - it would certainly be a good place to start!

He's recommending something far too big. I have four bedrooms, two bathrooms and only a 28Cdi

kev25v6

Having a high kW boiler is loads better in the winter if it's a combi. Nothing worse than a boiler that can't heat a bath of water nice and hot and quickly.