Baxi Combi Boiler Converter Valves

[kiesersolsay]

Hi all,
I have had a problem with my boiler. You could not get hot water out of the taps unless the central heating was on. Also the thermostate that covers the central heating now controls the hot tap even though the hot tap has its own thermostate.
I had an engineer round and he said the the CONVERTER VALVES need changing. However he would not do it because if you open my bathroom cupboard, stand in the bath on tip toes and reach up into the cupboard there is a hole in the ceiling where a pipe comes down and if you struggle enough you can touch the bottom of the boiler through this hole.
He said to me he would have to resite the boiler higher so you could not reach it as this was illegal.
I let him go through the trouble of working me out a quote then after he gave me the quote, (£1,870) i said, "Or i could spend £15 on a piece of plaster board and when i fit it make sure that i cut it tight around that pipe. If you were me what would you do ?"
He said nothing and quickly left without trying to get out of me his £90 call out charge.
I shall not be using him to fix my boiler.
This got me thinking of how many people are out there waiting to rip you off, so my question is this.

Is a new converter hard to fit ? and what could i typically expect to pay a registered fitter for this ? .
Or if the price varies considerable between different models could anyone give me an idear how long roughly the job would take.

The engineer i had round floated a price of £350 cash at me as long as i have the job done right now or he will charge me another £90 call out charge,(Which dumbfounded me as i called him to arrange for a quote not as an emergency plumber) when i said to him that could he give me a breakdown of the price and would he guarantee the work, it was only then he said that he could not do the job because of the hole in the ceiling .
Thanks for your help.

OOOOOPPPPSSSSS.......sorry for the repost............was not done on purpose...........

 

[mickyg]

Well firstly a converter valve does not exist, so either you misheard or he is making things up. Secondly your problem sounds like the hw diaphragm is faulty, which is a 10minute job and I often have one on the van, and if not I would make sure I came prepared with one on board. Very common fault, especially in parts of essex where the water tends to be very hard. I would expect the cost to total less than £100 with parts and labour(assuming my diagnosis is correct).
btw I didn't see that you had posted your boiler model, so I've made the assumption its a 80e, 105e or similar.

 

[kevplumb]

mickey see this

double post

thought i was losing it for a mo

 

[mickyg]

this could be fun then
I should be writing quotes. bad boy not doing his homework

 

[kiesersolsay]

Well firstly a converter valve does not exist, so either you misheard or he is making things up. Secondly your problem sounds like the hw diaphragm is faulty, which is a 10minute job and I often have one on the van, and if not I would make sure I came prepared with one on board. Very common fault, especially in parts of essex where the water tends to be very hard. I would expect the cost to total less than £100 with parts and labour(assuming my diagnosis is correct).
btw I didn't see that you had posted your boiler model, so I've made the assumption its a 80e, 105e or similar.

Thanks Mickyg, just to let you know you were spot on. Just so happens that my brother inlaw popped round my place (he's a plummer), haven't seen him in months, anyhow he checked it out and agreed with your diagnosis. Done the job for me there and then, cost me a six pack of beer ! ! ! .
Also he told me that the bloke i had round originally is a well known scammer. Laters.............

 

[bengasman]

Bit of an unlikely story.