Hello, I wonder if anytime can offer some advice/reassurance please.
My daughter moved into a flat a year ago. The pressure in her boiler has dropped a few times and she has had to top it up. It is ~14 years old, a Ariston microgenus 28. Now it is leaking in a few places, a constant drip drip.
Someone recommended by a neighbour, who works for a local company has had a look.
He says it’s going to cost c. £500 to fix (she paid £65 for him to do whatever he did/look at it then) or £2.4k for a new boiler.
The boiler is an Ideal: £2.4k for an ideal logic plus, 10 year warranty – not sure what model. He says they can do it on Friday ( sounds like she’s being pressured, but maybe not??).
Any idea if £2.4k is a reasonable price?
Any idea if the logic plus is a decent boiler?
Should she get another quotation?
Any thoughts, very gratefully received.

IiRC we paid 1.7k for a 35kw logic 3 years ago, however that was done as part of a house extension so probably cheaper than normal, but 2.4 sounds pricey.

Its a good boiler, 3 years old and no problems so far

Google suggests boiler costs £1K

£1400 is a lot of labour, I would shop around.

Price isn’t horrific, but is on the more expensive side, if it is a straight swap.

Suspect there’s £400 of VAT in that price as well. But would be best to get another opinion.

What part of the country is she in as that affects price too.

And it is not 1400 of labour if vat registered, time you take out training costs, vehicles, insurance accountants and other business costs it will be a lot less than that.

Should she get another quotation?

Yes.

The rest of your post is irrelevant, if you’re being presented with a 4-figure bill why wouldn’t you get a second opinion?

That aside,

if it’s leaking, that’s probably why the pressure is dropping and it doesn’t cost £500 to nip up a pipe. At the very least I’d be looking for a bill of planned works a little more detailed than “it’ll be 500 sovs to fix, love.”

I enquired at a local place this week about getting mine serviced, was quoted £70 flat fee. That’s for an annual service, not for someone to suck their teeth and shake their head before writing their own cheque.

Are you actually employing the local company or just the bloke who works for them who’s doing a backhander? Cos if it’s the latter then that doesn’t sound like Dodge City at all and his employer might be very interested in that little arrangement.

What part of the country is she in as that affects price too.

Edinburgh

The rest of your post is irrelevant, if you’re being presented with a 4-figure bill why wouldn’t you get a second opinion?

I’m not sure I would, if someone quoted a price I thought was reasonable and I trusted them to do a good job, I’d probably just go ahead. But, this isn’t for me and I’m more concerned that she doesn’t make a wrong step than I might be for myself, hence asking for any and all advice. (I can see you’re right by the way.)
Ps thanks for the follow-up, food for thought.

Leak is not likely to be a pipe that needs nipping up. And good luck getting a spanner into most combis.

Most likely expansion vessel failed and with it the safety valve. A lot of expansion vessels were located at the back of the boiler and to change them involves removing the boiler and or flue kit. Not a simple job and a real pain, often can fit a separate easel somewhere else though for a simpler fix.

Yes the Ideal Logic isn’t their top of the range boiler, as said I’d expect under £1k for the boiler and under £2K installed. Also check the conditions of the guarantee and make sure the installer covers that (ie system filter included if that’s a requirement of the guarantee).

Edinburgh

well there will be “edinburgh tax” to pay on top – it does sound a little steep to me, but not crazy. on the other hand the £565 to diagnose and fix the 14 yr old boiler sounds expensive unless he’s identified something that’s definitely broken and is an expensive part – but then £500 is a mysteriously round number!

we have a roughly 6 year old Ideal. it does what its meant to. It cost about £2k to get installed by a reputable cyclist plumber in commuter lothian in a rush when the old one died – but that also included some extra work to install a drain for the condensate, a filter which the old boiler didn’t have (and IIRC that was £100!), and cleaning 23? years of sludge out the system and fitting me a hot tap outside for washing bikes! (And he didn’t charge me for several hours trying to fix the broken one). He comes by every year to service it for £80 and has a good old natter about bikes and stuff! I don’t think he travels into the city or i’d pass across his details.

I’m not sure I would, if someone quoted a price I thought was reasonable and I trusted them to do a good job, I’d probably just go ahead.

I’m with you there – not that I’m loaded, but I have better things to do than chase round after tradesmen to get quotes if the first number seems sensible, and is from someone reputable in the hope of saving £100 from someone I’ve never heard of. My guess is if she called British Gas or someone like that to come out she’d be quite a bit more than £2.4k.

Actually I’ve just checked – my boiler was fitted Jan 2013, and the total was £2100. Certainly if £2400 includes VAT I don’t think it is a crazy price 8 yrs later.

She doesn’t have home emergency cover on her home insurance by any chance?

We had about £500 worth of parts & Labour thrown at our boiler a couple of years ago, cost me nothing. (Apart from the approx. £30 I pay for insurance).

We bought a boiler off the internet £900 then a local fitter charged up £500 to fit it 3 years ago.

If it is the expansion vessel, that will be bit of a PITA as it possibly requires removing the flue, but it’s a simple swap out after that, unless the boiler has been placed in a totally daft position.

Not sure it’s 400 quid labour on a 70 quid part, 100 if you’re replacing pressure relief valve as well.

https://library.plumbase.co.uk/flipbooks/RE/arbmghe28mffi_24487_t/mobile/index.html#p=56

What exactly did the money she’s already paid go towards? Has the problem actually been diagnosed?

Ideal here too, Vogue IIRC, was £2200 5 years ago, that included two new rads too. 10 year P&L warranty, I only have to pay £50 a year to get it serviced by the guys that installed it.

Yes, the tightwad spreadsheet massive on here will be having kittens at that, but I’m happy to pay it, He’s like to utilities version of roadside assistance, phoned him when boiler was losing pressure and he came out straight away and found old leaking pipe under the floor.

For a quid a week, I’m very happy with that.

Most likely expansion vessel failed and with it the safety valve. A lot of expansion vessels were located at the back of the boiler and to change them involves removing the boiler and or flue kit. Not a simple job and a real pain, often can fit a separate easel somewhere else though for a simpler fix.

Pretty much what I was going to say. I had my gas man do this a year ago for me. I suggested an external expansion vessel but went with his suggestion to keep it internal. Cost about £350 inc gas cirt(Hampshire) but I said from the start take the boiler right off to fit as he said he could try doing it in place (sounded like a ball ache and prone to issues from working awkwardly).

Plenty of online outfits where you can put in your details and get a quote fro replacement.

I’ll use Boxt as a example(as thats who we got to replace ours) put all your details of property, number of people using the house etc and it will spit out a selection of boilers suitable and a price for installation, including system flush and fitment of Magnetic filter.

That should give you a idea if the boiler your daughter has been recommended is suitable boiler and installation cost.

Think Boxt is roughly 50% owned by Worcester Bosch so should be reputable and Installs come with a 10yr Guarantee.
Had a local Worcester Bosch agent quote for the same boiler/work and they were more expensive than the above.