New combi boiler - am I being bullied and ripped off?

[Gasguru]

Even if you read and gained access to all the literature/standards required and your work was competent, as a diyer installing a boiler you would have little chance of getting it commissioned and notified to building control.
A gas installer can't sign off your work and would therefore have to re-install it to check compliance and the standard of work...how would I know that you've screwed it onto the wall properly, how would I know the flue has been assembled properly etc.
As a diyer you don't have the tools (flue gas analyser etc) to do the job properly and comply with the legal requirements.
So although the law states only those of us earning a living need to be registered it's no longer viable for diyers to install.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Come, come Chris. I hold my hat to likes of you when it comes to boiler repairs.

Anymore videos coming out DP?

Andy

 

[boolie]

Even if you read and gained access to all the literature/standards required and your work was competent, as a diyer installing a boiler you would have little chance of getting it commissioned and notified to building control.
A gas installer can't sign off your work and would therefore have to re-install it to check compliance and the standard of work...how would I know that you've screwed it onto the wall properly, how would I know the flue has been assembled properly etc.
As a diyer you don't have the tools (flue gas analyser etc) to do the job properly and comply with the legal requirements.
So although the law states only those of us earning a living need to be registered it's no longer viable for diyers to install.

No DIYer has a flu gas analyser - although I wonder if they can be hired? I don't get it.. how can a DIYer satisfy that rule (accepting that warranty of boiler will be void) - are you considered competent if your have a FGA ? well no DIYer has a FGA - they cost an arm and a leg and need regular calibration

 

[Gasguru]

The days of diy gas & electrics are long gone...too much equipment and knowledge now required.
Sure you may be able to hire an FGA but again do you know how to use it...a few years ago it was a separate assessment (now rolled into core gas assessments).

 

[boolie]

The days of diy gas & electrics are long gone...too much equipment and knowledge now required.
Sure you may be able to hire an FGA but again do you know how to use it...a few years ago it was a separate assessment (now rolled into core gas assessments).

I've created a separate thread on this topic.. it's called DIY gas thread - I'm confused
https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/diy-gas-thread-im-confused.568191/

 

[Chivas69]

Yes I am really glad that I found this forum, so grateful for everyones replies and insight into my boiler repair problem - and the fact that it is helping me (and other customers reading this in future) to stop being ripped off



I was happy with my current WB boiler to be honest; generally it does not cause me any issues and seems to run well. I suppose as it's getting older (it's now 13 years old) I have been thinking "Is this going to pack-up on me soon?". When it developed this leak, I did fear the worst, but I did also hope that it could be repaired and that I might get another year or so out of it. It was only after this engineer gave me the "hard sell" about buying a brand new boiler, and telling me that my current one was basically "too difficult to repair" and "other things will more than likely start to go wrong with it" and that "there is evidence of other leaks" that I thought "damn - looks like I'll have to buy a brand new boiler now then, rather than waste almost £600 repairing this one, for it to go kaput shortly afterwards".

I've had a look at the WB fixed price repair service - £298 incl. VAT. I'd happily pay that if it fixed my boiler. I'd like to think I could trust them more, as they would send out a WB engineer who is actually employed by WB? But...are they also "sales people" as well as engineers, I wonder? - do they too try and push you into getting a brand new boiler, when perhaps you don't really need one yet? Gosh it's so hard to know who to trust. If the WB engineer comes out and says that the boiler is beyond economical repair, then that's another £298 down the drain. Or the quote to repair could exceed £298, and again, I could get it repaired and then another fault may develop a few months later... If only we all had crystal balls?!?!

It's really hard to know what to do for the best:

1/ Try and get it repaired (but done by WB themselves, as I don't know any local gas engineers I can trust to do the job properly and not rip me off).

OR

2/ Bite the bullet and get a brand new boiler.



Thank you for this. I did check out BOXT last night, as well as few other companies - they ALL come in lower than the £3k quoted to me from that dodgy engineer! There was one website though - I think it might have been WarmZilla? And it said after the quote that I "may be charged extra if scaffolding is required for the flue". Hmm - I wonder how likely that is, and what kind of cost that would be? My house is semi-detached, and the existing flue comes out of the pitched roof, I think about halfway up it by the looks of it.



No faulty parts were taken away - only the new parts were taken away with them.



^ This is so scary. Consumers must be constantly being ripped off!

Sorry, don't know how to just quote my reply from you but Boxt got me to send pics before the installer came. Mine also came out of my roof. It was the same price as quoted. They'll only charge you the quote. If any more theylltell you beforehand. Mine they coukd easily access from my garage though so maybe that helped

 

[Emit]

Fixed price repair from Worcester. Sounds like a common fault of the flow sensor adaptor. Cheap part. Right hand block if a problem about £130. Left hand about £15 and most common to go I keep as van stock. I’m sorry you have had to ordeal such shocking tactics. Worcester won’t walk away from this. Not a hard job and Worcester parts are cheap as chips good example is the pump block with pump!!. https://www.heatingandplumbingworld...gs4meJYt0JfBN-uNer3qFkcpNIqOMUNBoCnNYQAvD_BwE

 

[Deleted member 267285]

Worcester parts are cheap as chips good example is the pump block with pump!!

They do seem relatively cheap, and also you get the washers you need, as opposed to say Baxi where you often need the part plus washer.

 

[Emit]

They do seem relatively cheap, and also you get the washers you need, as opposed to say Baxi where you often need the part plus washer.

Fitting a lh hydroblock yesterday and they even give you extra, even the o ring for the thermistor, new clips etc. You can’t beat Worcester for spares

 

[dang32]

just get a fixed price repair from worcester. would have been a lot cheaper than his quoted repair of over £500. worcester spares are actually pretty cheap in comparison to other manufacturers