British gas to quote me for a new boiler. Will I need to be seated?

BG wouldn’t carry on my 3 star service unless I had a Powerflush. Did a bit of googling, spoke to a reputable local firm, and told them to stick their service. They were pretty unpleasant on the phone when I told them, which makes it even less likely I’ll use them again.

Got boiler cover from a local firm for £120 for the year.

footflaps – Member

Hmm Powerflushing, sure to get those slightly damaged/old joins and valves leaking..

Does seem a recent fad, my system has never been flushed and works fine and I’d guess it’s 30+ years old (at least the boiler is).

yep new fad – If you have a combi and still have the “top up feed” connected, there is enough pressure from your house cold water feed to push through (gently) any crud that has built up over time. Though make sure you top the system back up with a good inhibitor.

Looked around for a local team to replace an inadequate old boiler after a renovation/extension.

Worked out the best deal all round was buy the stuff ourselves and then pay them to fit. They even helped with the spec we needed.

Worcester Bosch Combi. Bluetooth stat, all rads etc bought on line and delivered promptly. Local crew installed. Very happy.

Ours was 2,500 plus fitting
Bosch Combi thing
But it did need fitting there an then as my wife managed to get the old one condemmed.

900 quid for a powerflush – are you serious.

WOW

Out of interest how do you add a rust inhibitor to the central heating? Is there a handy place to pour it in or do you just open up the top of an upstairs radiator and do it?

towel rails are the easiest place to add ime .

i just shut all the TRVs except my towel rail – dropped some water till the level dropped in the towel rail and threw in my inhibitor.

on an all new system.

if your systems old then you get a cleaner to put in the system , run the heating for a fewhours/day and then drop the whole system and flush through with the fill tap till it all comes out clear . then refill + inhibitor.

note im not a plumber so stoner , bear or the other qualified peoples can come along with a better method most likely.

Thanks, that makes sense. The systems only three years old and it had inhibitor to start with. I’ve had to top it up with water from the boiler though so I reckon it could maybe do with more inhibitor.

what trail rat said – towel rail is easiest, though any rad where you can pour the stuff in. The circulation once it’s running will mix it all up thereafter. Also, i would drain system first before topping up with a cleaner, it will give it a fighting chance to decoke stuff and less chance of the heat exchanger getting too clogged once the cleaner has dislodged everything.

p.s. i’m also not a plumber, but did help put my system in.

fair call boys on the adding of chemicals.. towel rails yer best shot. let the cleaner/ sludge remover circulate for a couple of days drain whilst warm and flush with cold water refill with inhibitor.

flushing is ‘on trend’ as sludge is the mechanical enemy of new boilers. water is h2o most of your rads are steel so they rust rust/ debris circulates and is trapped in the pump ( leading to siezures/ fuse failures) or acculumlates in the heat exchanger, symptons might be hot water than runs ok then goes cold..

best long term cure and the one i use on every install now no matter the age of the system is chemical clean as above plus the addition of a magnetic/ debris filter just before the boiler.

i used to be persuaded that they were a right old con. ( BG charge 460 fitted, they cost 80 odd trade and take 30 mins to fit inc cup of tea..)

however they really do pull out an amazing amount of cack especially to start with and then a quick check every 3 -6 months keeps the whole thing sweet and as a bonus they are excellent for adding chemicals etc .. we always fit the Fernox FP1 loads more practical than the others,,

They are coming on 1 oct….time enough to find a comparison quote perhaps.

£3589.
After discounts/trade in.
Can’t get new parts for my old boiler.
£1000 for the boiler.
£2000 fitting inc materials.
Remainder for perks…smart meter etc.

Outrageous yet I am giving it serious consideration. Must be their sales ploy.

After British Gas tried to “repair” an intermittent hot water problem, we had no hot water, no heating and a gas leak. In January.

Would you want cowboys like that installing a new boiler?

Secifics please.. make and model of boiler and make model of controls.

£3.5k after discount/trade in.

bruneep – Member
it will be a comedy £4k ish

Get a local company in (recommended of course)

See my £4k was about right. Now go get a good local chap in to do it.

We have BG Homecare and they have been brilliant. Come out and service / fix any issues on our reasonably aging, cheapish boiler.

When I spoke to the guy on the phone he asked what make we had and had the old sucking off teeth etc but when he came round and saw it he very honestly stated that Ferranti boilers are generally not brilliant but this one was actually ok and should be perfectly servicable for the next few years.

Even did us a favour to pass the inspection when he could have condemned the system (technicality to do with the boiler pressure relief pipe thing).

That said I wouldn’t use them to replace the boiler – just too expensive but then we are lucky to know a plumber who has done work for Mrs Danny’s family for the last 30 years or so and would be our port of call for any major work.

I think as with so many things (think the national bike shop chains) so much of the customer experience is down to the individual(s) that actually do the work and that unfortunately can be hit and miss.

Cheers

Danny B

Damned duplicates…

Folks
Really interesting thread. Me and the missus got told by BG last year (at the time of our annual Homecare service) that the venting for our boiler wasn’t up to the most recent regs and that we’d need to move and replace the boiler. Cost? £4k!
Done nothing until now, but need to get an independant guy out to see if they are trying to pull the wool over our eyes. Anyway, even if it needs replacing this thread has probably saved me £2k. So thank you STW collective.
Fraser

We were happy with Homecare until recently…the boiler was condemned and disconnected at its annual service….excessive corrosion cited as reason(boiler about 14 years old)….we asked why this wasnt noted on its service last year..no answer…then told they had no record of this..quoted us £3800 to replace!!

Local man(ex BG,fed up with the way they operate) did it for £1650 all in,including magnetic filter and new pump…happy days.

Will be telling BG to stick their homecare….

that the venting for our boiler wasn’t up to the most recent regs

Sounds like the consumer unit scam some electricians pull. The regs are for new installations, not to justify constant upgrading of old ones. If it met regs at the time it was put in, then it is legal.

Can’t get new parts for my old boiler.

Are you sure? Had a look online?

My boiler is 30 years old and I can get parts for it….

When we moved into our current house 6 years ago, I called BG to take out a service plan as the previous owners had a BG one upto the point of sale. They quickly aranged a direct debit and started taking money, and arranged a system check for a couple of months time.

When the guy turned up, he told my wife that the boiler did not meet current regs as it was sited in the kitchen (!!!!!!1111) and had to be replaced immediately. He shut it off and shut off the gas supply too, and left, leaving her in a cold house with 2 young kids in early winter. This given they’d been servicing it until a couple of months before!

I would not touch BG with a barge pole for ANYTHING.

Just had the boiler replaced now (it was 20 years old and all original parts until the fan went last winter so due an upgrade at last) for £2k by a local firm, including flush, magnetic filter etc – installed in the same space in the kitchen. 7 yr warranty as they are an approved Worcester Bosch dealer too, and very good service, everything clearly explained etc.

OP – get some more quotes quick!

On the parts unavailability….that’s what the chap said..as predicted earlier in this thread.
I’m just wondering if inactivity on my part will prompt them to come back with a lower price as he did leave sharpish when he left me with the printed quote.
I wasn’t nasty or anything but I think my questions to try and have him justify some of the figures simply could not be answered.

More like he realised you didnt come up the clyde on a banana boat and cleared out before you started asking him even more aukward questions:)

When we put our oil boiler put and had it signed off my favorite was wheres your co2 alarm …..

My boilers an out door model that lives outside in the open air ….

Slightly OT but has anyone seen/had quoted one of the Baxi CHP/fuel cell systems? Generates your electricity as well as heat and sells excess back to the grid.
More expensive to start but local generation is on trend…

Just had a quote for £1200 to put in an Ideal Combi (apparently uses Worcester technology but it a fair bit cheaper). Have to nurse the current one through till next summer though when he’s quiet.

Boiler details….baxi neta tec 28 ga. Quoted price £999.
A quick search suggests I could buy that for £720 inc vat and I expect bg will get it for much less.
Also includes for a spirotrap mb3. Circa £90
Plus smart meter
Plus 5 years home care at £216/month.

All in all, with the fuel savings and trade in, salesman told me it would only cost me £500 over three years.

When the guy turned up, he told my wife that the boiler did not meet current regs as it was sited in the kitchen (!!!!!!1111) and had to be replaced immediately.

There is no reg, that I know of, against having a boiler in the kitchen. Most boilers are designed to fit in kitchen cupboards….

baxi boiler?

If I was paying 4k I’d want a Worcester/Bosch.

£216 per year.

3.5k quote here, had it done for 1.4K

Rockhopper,

I have just had a new boiler installed Worcester Bosch with a 7 year warranty, all the wet piping in the house re-worked to the radiators, including adding piping for 2 new rads and moving the position of 2 others entirely, the gas pipes moved and an additional feed put in for the gas hob and the hob installed for less than your quote from BG.

Shop around, that price is a joke.