Re: Any Boiler/heating experts on here? : Mon Mar 11, 2013 4:47 pm  

If I were you I'd get someone to have a look at it, you prob will only need an expansion vessel and maybe a leak fixing, maybe a rubber washer on the heat exchanger, get it done for less than £200 easy.

Re: Any Boiler/heating experts on here? : Mon Mar 11, 2013 4:49 pm  

post wrote:

If I were you I'd get someone to have a look at it, you prob will only need an expansion vessel and maybe a leak fixing, maybe a rubber washer on the heat exchanger, get it done for less than £200 easy.

Thanks. I've been given the number of a local plumber who is meant to be good by a friend, so I'll let my mum know to consider letting him have a look before agreeing to have a new boiler fitted, I just hope that all the steam that blew out of the bottom after I last turned it on wasn't a sign that it has gone alltogether,

Re: Any Boiler/heating experts on here? : Mon Mar 11, 2013 7:30 pm  

My mate is a plumbing & heating engineer, based in Bury and is definitely not a rip-off merchant. He's done boiler servicing for me & fitted a new boiler for my mum at reasonable prices and I can vouch for the quality of his work. I have no idea how busy he is but you can PM me if you want his number.

Re: Any Boiler/heating experts on here? : Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:28 am  

Well my mums decided to just get a new one fitted and chosen the cheaper option of an "ideal" boiler which is around £1150, would have been cheaper but We have a different type of floo or something so it's a bit more for that and we need a thermostat too apparently.

The boiler was 10 years old so maybe getting a new one is for the best, I'm just glad to not be seeing her hand over nearly 2 grand in cash to the chuckle brothers, asked the guy who came today what he thought n he agreed that it sound's like they've been trying to have us on. I've a good mind to report them.

Re: Any Boiler/heating experts on here? : Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:50 am  

I fitted plenty ideals but I'd have gone for a baxi, main or potterton which is around the same price but you don't get as long a warranty

Re: Any Boiler/heating experts on here? : Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:18 am  

our worcester bosch junior has been playing up for the last month or so(fortunately weather has been mild and we ve got a gas fire and a power shower, but prefer baths in winter and showers in summer)sometimes we had hot water, sometimes we didnt, same as heating. it was 8 1/2 years old. we had a new vaillant fitted yesterday. our plumber did it for 1600 supply and fit. not too bad a price and it had to be done but could have done without that cost.still, hot water and heat is essential especially for someone like me who feels the cold these days.
the saying goes you get what you pay for and to the OP your mam might be better off getting a better quality boilerfor a few hundred quid extra. might work out cheaper in the long run.hope she gets her water/heating sorted soon though.

Re: Any Boiler/heating experts on here? : Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:35 am  

post wrote:

I fitted plenty ideals but I'd have gone for a baxi, main or potterton which is around the same price but you don't get as long a warranty

The warranty on this is 2 years whereas the Worcester one they offered had a 7 year warranty but that would have come to £1900 anyway by the time we paid for a new floo and stuff, she's having to get a loan out so needed to be the cheapest option unfortunately.

Someone mentioned to me that they have a home care plan with british gas and that it saved her a fortune for about £20 a month. I'm a bit sceptical but anyone with better knowledge than me know if they are good value?

Re: Any Boiler/heating experts on here? : Tue Mar 12, 2013 12:47 pm  

Robbo wrote:

Someone mentioned to me that they have a home care plan with british gas and that it saved her a fortune for about £20 a month. I'm a bit sceptical but anyone with better knowledge than me know if they are good value?

You need to be sceptical, some of those contracts will repair while it suits them but do not include complete replacement, so they'll stand in front of your ten year old boiler and one day tell you its obsolete and they'll get their sales people to ring you - BG are very good at writing contracts, so much so that when I had my own company I based my maintenance agreements on their contract terms

Re: Any Boiler/heating experts on here? : Tue Mar 12, 2013 12:58 pm  

Robbo wrote:

The warranty on this is 2 years whereas the Worcester one they offered had a 7 year warranty but that would have come to £1900 anyway by the time we paid for a new floo and stuff, she's having to get a loan out so needed to be the cheapest option unfortunately.

Someone mentioned to me that they have a home care plan with british gas and that it saved her a fortune for about £20 a month. I'm a bit sceptical but anyone with better knowledge than me know if they are good value?

You'd be better off going with the Ideal Logic+ combi which has a 5 year guarantee for a couple of hundred quid extra.

Re: Any Boiler/heating experts on here? : Fri Mar 15, 2013 10:26 pm  

Boiler was installed yesterday , Turned out to be a pro combi exclusive 30 by ideal. Lot better than our last boiler by the looks of it, and certainly has a much more powerful flow from the taps. Unfortunately cash was very tight so couldn't be stretched to accommodate a pricier boiler but she paid £1190 for the boiler with a vertical floo and a thermostat and 2 year warranty.

Thanks for all the advice! glad to finally have some hot water and heating!