Combi Boiler Advice Needed

zom247

zom247

zom247

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Got the keys yesterday to our first house in Chippenham. As the boiler is a bit old (15+ years) we decided to get it replaced with a more efficient combi boiler. British Gas rolled up this morning and after explaining what we wanted he gave me an estimate for almost 4.5k! The world dropped from my hind quarters when he gave me this! Is this how much it's gonna cost me to get the boiler replaced or is he ripping me off? I've got another couple of bods coming next week to have a look and give me quotes so I want to get my facts together before they come.

All I want is the old boiler to be replaced with a combi one.
 
It may not be as simple as that though, depending on how old your current boiler/heating loop is your whole system might need looking at to cope with the increased pressure from the Combi?

Also, do you have a hot water tank at the moment as if you do obviously you'll need some pipe work done to take that out of the loop. Also, the flu requirements may be slightly different for the new boiler, again depending on how your current system is so that may require re-routing.

Can't give you any of the answers I'm afraid as I don't know that much, but they're some of the issues I've seen when swapping an old style boiler for a Combi.

I'm assuming that price includes supplying the new boiler also? If so that price doesn't sound that far off being right.
 
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We had a top of the range Worcester combi boiler fitted + all of our rads fitted just before Christmas and it cost us just under 3.5k iirc? get a load of quotes before you commit to anything also get a decent make (Worcester is one of the best)
 
Depending on the job it's not unusual for us to charge that much, but you will be getting the best boiler on the market, along with the re-assurance of the warranty, service cover etc. It is a tad higher than I'd expect but I'm assuming you're inner M25?

You can get it done for cheaper, as I'm not afraid to admit that we're far from the cheapest, but if you do make sure it's a reputable company and you get a decent boiler rather than just the cheapest.
 
Don't go with the British Gas quote, they are way overpriced.

BTW, I worked for them for 11 years in the past.

Recent regulations state that new combi boilers that are installed should be of a high efficiency (condensing) type.

Don't settle for anything less ;)
 
JBuk said:
our combi cost £800 fitted

4.5k sounds very expensive
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Just for comparison sake, was that Combi for Combi? Or did you have a non Combi type boiler before that required any additional work to fit it?

Might be of use to know what type the OP has at the moment to try and get a more accurate comparison with what other people have had done and paid?

Also, what BTU boiler are you likely to need, as obviously the larger the house with more radiators/taps/showers the higher BTU you're going to need. As far as I know my dad has just had one fitted in 5 bed/2 bathroom house with about 11 rooms in total plus hallways over 3 floors and he had to have about a 100k BTU boiler fitted (which was the largest domestic one he could get from Worcester), and it cost over £1.5k at trade cost so even the boiler alone could be a large chunk of the overall cost depending on the house.
 
Brum Man said:
Just for comparison sake, was that Combi for Combi? Or did you have a non Combi type boiler before that required any additional work to fit it?

Might be of use to know what type the OP has at the moment to try and get a more accurate comparison with what other people have had done and paid?
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Absolutely.
At the base level, the change from a tank/cylinder fed system to a combi system involves the disconnecting of tanks/cylinders and a bit of re-piping.

But then you have to deal with the extra pressure in the existing pipework and old rads, from changing from a tank fed system to a pressurised system (possible new leaks).
 
Brum Man said:
Just for comparison sake, was that Combi for Combi? Or did you have a non Combi type boiler before that required any additional work to fit it?

Might be of use to know what type the OP has at the moment to try and get a more accurate comparison with what other people have had done and paid?

.
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combi for combi

British Gas condemned the old one then told us it would take 3 weeks for a new one

we got a corgi registered plumber who done the job right away
 
We currently have a non combi boiler in situ. Having never had to buy/have a boiler installed before I'm just trying to find out if this the sort of price I'm going to have to pay or if it's hugely inflated. It was for a Worcester boiler as well. Can't tell you much else cos I've left the quote paperwork at my other house.
 
Go to a few of your local plumbers merchants, get a few prices for boilers and ask them for a plumber and get a quote from him, problem solved ;) If you want a combi boiler go for a Vailant or a Worcester. Stay away from British Gas, rip off merchants.....
 
Jazz said:
Go to a few of your local plumbers merchants, get a few prices for boilers and ask them for a plumber and get a quote from him, problem solved ;) If you want a combi boiler go for a Vailant or a Worcester. Stay away from British Gas, rip off merchants.....
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I've got another couple of guys visiting next week so I'll see how their prices compare to today's quote.
 
So as you haven't got a Combi at the moment it is going to take more work than just a straight swap, so that's something to take in to consideration.

But yeh, obviously the best way is to get 3/4 quotes. The only problem I have ever encountered with this is getting the ******'s to turn up to do a quote. In my experience plumbers are OK once you get them on the job, but getting to that stage can be a pain in the bum.
 
zom247 said:
We currently have a non combi boiler in situ. Having never had to buy/have a boiler installed before I'm just trying to find out if this the sort of price I'm going to have to pay or if it's hugely inflated. It was for a Worcester boiler as well. Can't tell you much else cos I've left the quote paperwork at my other house.
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Non combi to combi system involves extra pipework, tank/cylinder removal, but £4,500 still sounds WAY too much ( for around my area anyway ).

What area of the country do you live in?
Give further details on your quote when you can.

Anyway, get further quotes and recommendations from friends.
 
They will be much less, it should never cost you that much for a combi system. Megaflo maybe but definitely not combi. Should cost you at most £2k-£2.5k depending on which boiler you have, will work out cheaper if you bang a cheapo boiler up. That will include a powerflush and changing of your tank system to a combi. I think these days the boiler companies insist on powerflushes or your guarantee isn't valid, might be worth changing your rad valves as well as your system will be drained so will be easy to change them now, can be a real hassle afterwards.

Reason I say go to your local plumbers merchant is because they deal with loads of plumbers and if they think you are gonna buy the boiler from them they will usually recommend someone good and reasonable to get your business. Buying boilers and stuff usually always works out cheaper from them. Usually works out better if you buy your own material and tell a plumber to come and fit it but more convenient to tell the guys to supply you material and fitting. If you know anyone local ask them if they have had any plumbing work done and use that guy, then at least you know what to expect.
 
We had a combi and a lot of plumbing done when we moved in to our house, the heating system was ancient and was costing a fortune, it cost just under 2k all in all.

You'll find your independent quotes a lot nicer than anything British Gas give you!
 
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