Boiler Brand

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted User 298457
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Deleted User 298457

Deleted User 298457

Hi guys,

Sorry for another thread on a repeated topic - but looking for quick guidance on boiler brands. My Mum's IDEAL has packed up after 14 years of faultless service. Rather than chase our tail we're thinking replacement.

Local chap is offering a BAXI Combi for £2k fitted - does that seem reasonable?

It is a small semi; 8 rads - shower is off of the boiler. No bath.
 
Seems to be a reasonable price.

Just on brands, you’ll get loads of comments saying X or Y but in reality they are all pretty similar and installers just tend to install what they know or like to work with.
 
My boiler failed at my old house soon before moving, so got a cheap glow worm fitted for about £1600. Used it for about a year before eventually moving house and was very impressed with it.

At the new house, we have a valiant already installed and it's been nothing but trouble from day one.
 
Not really, I’m sure plenty of trades live comfortable lives, I’m not sure I have ever met any normal one/two person bands that are any better off than that and they risk having battered bodies by the time they are 55.

There is a lot more cost to the job than the main part.
 
200sols said:
If its a straight swap then not really. Probably under a day's work for £1100. Not bad.
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Don't forget you've also got the sundries/consumables like pipes, magnetic filter, chemical flush, inhibitor etc. flue kit since your old one probably won't fit.

I'd hazard a guess it's more like £7-800 for the day after taking off the above, and since a lot of these guys are self employed/sole traders, don't forget to include overheads such as the van, tools, insurance, travel time, holiday pay, sick pay etc.

Sure it's not badly paid, but they're also not exactly raking it in.

Re. boiler - I'd go for whatever has the longest warranty to be honest (assuming the efficiency is comparable). We went for a Worcester Bosch (10 year warranty) a few years ago, since the difference in cost between the cheaper options was £1-200 which was just a small fraction of the total cost, and as long as we get it serviced annually then we basically don't have to worry about it until 2029 :)
 
The good news is I recognised the chaps name - he is a very close friend of a mutual friend who I have a lot of history with. Much better recourse than just paperwork :cry:

For context I paid £2k in South East for a Vaillant regular boiler so £2.3k for a Combi of a larger size doesn't seem that bonkers.
 
It's still about £100 an hour which is more than my accountant (also self employed) and my solicitor (also self employed) charge. £4k a week / £16k a month / £184k a year !!
 
SimonR said:
It's still about £100 an hour which is more than my accountant (also self employed) and my solicitor (also self employed) charge. £4k a week / £16k a month / £184k a year !!
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Its really not after overheads, you also assume all their time working is chargeable, it isn’t. There are loads of other large costs of doing business which need to be taken out of that cash.

As above, not badly paid, but not exactly taking it in either.
 
200sols said:
If its a straight swap then not really. Probably under a day's work for £1100. Not bad.
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It's not £1100 for a days work.....

Tax - 20% gone
Extra piping/bits of materials/joints etc
Training/qualifications/insurance/travel/van costs/van insurance/petrol/tool costs
Pick up/delivery of new boiler/disposal of old boiler/clean up time etc etc

Lots of other things to consider - it's not £1100 in their pocket.
 
We got a Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30i fitted in 2019 for £1700 including nest thermostat which I sold as I already had one.

Fitted by two lads on a Sunday.

Includes a 10 year warranty if we service it for £60 per year.
 
booyaka said:
It's not £1100 for a days work.....

Tax - 20% gone
Extra piping/bits of materials/joints etc
Training/qualifications/insurance/travel/van costs/van insurance/petrol/tool costs
Pick up/delivery of new boiler/disposal of old boiler/clean up time etc etc

Lots of other things to consider - it's not £1100 in their pocket.
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We all pay tax. We had training, qualifications, we all have cars and travel costs, insurance.
 
booyaka said:
It's not £1100 for a days work.....

Tax - 20% gone
Extra piping/bits of materials/joints etc
Training/qualifications/insurance/travel/van costs/van insurance/petrol/tool costs
Pick up/delivery of new boiler/disposal of old boiler/clean up time etc etc

Lots of other things to consider - it's not £1100 in their pocket.
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All of the above are factored into the hourly rate as a proportion of the job. Average time to replace a combi boiler is 6 man hours, call it a full day, 8 hours that is 8 x £50 = £400, still leaves £700 as pure profit...

Disposal of the old boiler, most plumbers / gas fitters weigh them in with all of the old copper / brass thats actually a + not a -

As for plumbers not being able to charge a full 40 hours a week LMAO every time I have tried to book a plumber / gas engineer they are booked solid for the next 2 months, so when is this not employed time?
 
SimonR said:
All of the above are factored into the hourly rate as a proportion of the job. Average time to replace a combi boiler is 6 man hours, call it a full day, 8 hours that is 8 x £50 = £400, still leaves £700 as pure profit...

Disposal of the old boiler, most plumbers / gas fitters weigh them in with all of the old copper / brass thats actually a + not a -

As for plumbers not being able to charge a full 40 hours a week LMAO every time I have tried to book a plumber / gas engineer they are booked solid for the next 2 months, so when is this not employed time?
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Just because you are so irate I tipped the chap £100 as well
 
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