B & Q radiators.

Addle · 30-01-2015 12:38am #1

How do you rate their radiators/plumbing supplies?

lgk · 30-01-2015 7:16pm

Nothing wrong with the quality, you just likely get what you're after cheaper from a general plumbing suppliers.

Sleeper12 · 30-01-2015 7:20pm

rubbish. you'll never see a plumber buying this carp to fit in a house. to a propper trade counter.you'll get better quality at a lower price

cerastes · 30-01-2015 7:25pm

Sleeper12 wrote: »

rubbish. you'll never see a plumber buying this carp to fit in a house. to a propper trade counter.you'll get better quality at a lower price

Most things you can get cheaper at a plumbers providers, some more helpful than others, or online.
But B&Q stock a lot of stuff, what exactly is crap? lot of items seem standard stuff available wherever you go, do you mean specifically fittings and rads?
How is any customer to determine if what they are getting anywhere is of a better quality or not?

Dtp1979 · 30-01-2015 7:40pm

cerastes wrote: »

Most things you can get cheaper at a plumbers providers, some more helpful than others, or online.
But B&Q stock a lot of stuff, what exactly is crap? lot of items seem standard stuff available wherever you go, do you mean specifically fittings and rads?
How is any customer to determine if what they are getting anywhere is of a better quality or not?

B and q stock crap is right. For DIYers who don't know what decent stuff is. Plumbing merchants supply good materials for professionals therefore it's generally better quality.

lgk · 30-01-2015 8:26pm

Again, no one's really saying what's crap. Most of the stuff they stock is the same brands (and a lot of it Irish manufactured) that the merchants stock. The likes of JFC, Drayton, Fernox, Wavin etc. aren't going to like their products being labelled crap.

Addle · 30-01-2015 8:37pm

It's actually a favourable price that has brought b&q to my attention.

wilser · 30-01-2015 8:46pm

Addle wrote: »

It's actually a favourable price that has brought b&q to my attention.

Yeah some of the stuff is cheaper alright, they used to sell Mira showers cheaper than any plumbing suppliers could buy them.

corkgsxr · 30-01-2015 8:51pm

Any of the b&q sanitary ware Iv fitted have been very awkward to fit. I'd nearly refuse the job of I knew it was there gear

Dtp1979 · 30-01-2015 8:55pm

Plus there compression fittings compress when you put a spanner on it. Some kinda watered down brass alloy

delthedriver · 30-01-2015 9:01pm

corkgsxr wrote: »

Any of the b&q sanitary ware Iv fitted have been very awkward to fit. I'd nearly refuse the job of I knew it was there gear

How would one know the difference ?

Are we talking own brand products here ?

I guess the usual brands are also stocked by trade plunbing suppliers?

Dtp1979 · 30-01-2015 9:16pm

delthedriver wrote: »

How would one know the difference ?

Are we talking own brand products here ?

I guess the usual brands are also stocked by trade plunbing suppliers?

If your pricing like for like (eg. Fernox ) then go with the cheapest. If unsure, then go with the plumbing merchants product

delthedriver · 30-01-2015 9:21pm

Dtp1979 wrote: »

If your pricing like for like (eg. Fernox ) then go with the cheapest. If unsure, then go with the plumbing merchants product

Thank you.

Any minor savings day 1 , will be wiped out with leaks, quality issues?

A flooded living room is no fun.

Dtp1979 · 30-01-2015 9:32pm

delthedriver wrote: »

Thank you.

Any minor savings day 1 , will be wiped out with leaks, quality issues?

A flooded living room is no fun.

The fittings are terrible. Yes it's a quality issue

Addle · 30-01-2015 9:56pm

Radiators come with a 5 year guarantee.
Fittings sold separately.
I could buy the fittings at a merchants?

delthedriver · 30-01-2015 11:37pm

Addle wrote: »

Radiators come with a 5 year guarantee.
Fittings sold separately.
I could buy the fittings at a merchants?

Why not indeed !:)

Have you priced the rads in Heat Merchants. Perhaps you may get a discount to match B&Q. ,or free delivery??? Always more than one way to skin a cat !:)

Addle · 30-01-2015 11:52pm

What I'm after doesn't seem to be widely available unfortunately.

Sleeper12 · 31-01-2015 10:24am

Addle wrote: »

Radiators come with a 5 year guarantee.
Fittings sold separately.
I could buy the fittings at a merchants?

The B&Q rads are cheap. Cheaply made. They do not put out as much heat as good quality rads so they'll cost more to run.

I have a 10% trade card for B&Q & still I get my ( Better quality) rads at a good trade counter for a lot cheaper. When was the last time you saw a Plumbing & Heating Van loading up with rads & plumbing stuff outside B&Q?

B&Q is a DIY store & nothing more than that. Tradesmen don't shop there because of major quality & price issues.

Also if you are getting them fitted by a plumber it'll be cheaper for him to supply & fit rather than you buying & paying him to fit.

Addle · 31-01-2015 10:41am

We can't get a plumber locally to supply the radiators.
My alternative is http://www.theradiatorshop.ie/

Dtp1979 · 31-01-2015 10:46am

Addle wrote: »

We can't get a plumber locally to supply the radiators.
My alternative is http://www.theradiatorshop.ie/

Really? Did you ask why they couldn't?

Addle · 31-01-2015 10:49am

Yes, they don't do anything 'different'.

jeepers101 · 31-01-2015 11:11am

Addle wrote: »

Yes, they don't do anything 'different'.

Why don't you post a link to the b&q rad you have your eye on and see if anyone has seen similar in a plumbing suppliers?

Addle · 31-01-2015 11:21am

We want the 'traditional' look.
http://www.diy.com/departments/heating-insulation/radiators-towel-radiators/column-radiators/DIY580865.cat/Rating-50006=5.00___5.10?pageSize=38&sort=price-descending-numprop&categoryToFilter=DIY580865

http://www.theradiatorshop.ie/category.php?id_category=175

cerastes · 31-01-2015 8:52pm

Sleeper12 wrote: »

The B&Q rads are cheap. Cheaply made. They do not put out as much heat as good quality rads so they'll cost more to run.

I have a 10% trade card for B&Q & still I get my ( Better quality) rads at a good trade counter for a lot cheaper. When was the last time you saw a Plumbing & Heating Van loading up with rads & plumbing stuff outside B&Q?

B&Q is a DIY store & nothing more than that. Tradesmen don't shop there because of major quality & price issues.

Also if you are getting them fitted by a plumber it'll be cheaper for him to supply & fit rather than you buying & paying him to fit.

Will a plumber be able to supply and fit them cheaper? Is this from getting a discount themselves at a trade counter, or being able to offset some of the vat refund to make it a better offer for the customer?
I want to have a small rad in the ensuite, but because its a small space it has to be a tiny rad,probably a low level one but of the standard looking convection types,is such a rad available?

Like the look of those rads myself OP, l wont be replcing mine, but are they available in b&q here, says sterling?

lgk · 31-01-2015 9:07pm

cerastes wrote: »

I want to have a small rad in the ensuite, but because its a small space it has to be a tiny rad,probably a low level one but of the standard looking convection types,is such a rad available?

What size is tiny? A lot of the regular Barlo / Quinn rads start at 400mil wide.

seamusk84 · 31-01-2015 9:11pm

Like a few of the posters said: you get what you pay for. I used a lot of their gear when re-plumbing my house.

However when it comes to actual rads I'd go to the likes of chadwicks. You don't want to mess about with the heavy duty stuff.

gctest50 · 31-01-2015 9:17pm

cerastes wrote: »

I want to have a small rad in the ensuite, but because its a small space it has to be a tiny rad,probably a low level one but of the standard looking convection types,is such a rad available?
?

would you be able to squeeze in a tall vertical sorta rad ?

this kinda thing :

cerastes · 01-02-2015 2:51am

lgk wrote: »

What size is tiny? A lot of the regular Barlo / Quinn rads start at 400mil wide.

gctest50 wrote: »

would you be able to squeeze in a tall vertical sorta rad ?

this kinda thing :

It was not the width i was concerned about as much, a very low rad is what i was thinking of so it fits under the sink and beside the toilet. The lowest i can see is 300mm, I was considering lower, maybe 100mm if possible. A tall vertical rad might fit in right beside the toilet,but I'd prefer if it had horizontal heated sections, or maybe even a small narrow width rad with an integral towel rail, that or just hang a rail to my old towels.
I considered just a towel rail, but I need a bit of heat and despite the space being small I don't know if a towel rail will give off enough heat on its own.

Addle · 01-02-2015 9:30am

cerastes wrote: »

are they available in b&q here, says sterling?

The big b+q stores will order them.

There's also this
http://www.taps4less.ie/Heating-Sale.html

cerastes · 01-02-2015 7:32pm

Addle wrote: »

We can't get a plumber locally to supply the radiators.
My alternative is http://www.theradiatorshop.ie/

I found some lower profile (height) rads on this site above, runthall make about 141mm high, was in b&q today too and saw some of the column acova column rads there, look OK and didn't see them stocked before. I've seen a small bath room rad in the style with a towel rail attached and thought it looked like a nice style.also they had some 300mm high rads which might fit the space, they were double panel so if theyre available in single panel of that height in around 600 or 800long might do,
Quick measurement 2.5x.8 LxW,plus 300 high rad could fit but only if I get a different trap for the whb.
Looking at the heat output of the towel rails , wondering if that might be sufficient enough at 296watts as the space is tiny.

Addle wrote: »

The big b+q stores will order them.

There's also this
http://www.taps4less.ie/Heating-Sale.html

Addle · 01-02-2015 7:36pm

Which site are you referring to?

cerastes · 01-02-2015 9:02pm

Addle wrote: »

Which site are you referring to?

The site above my reply, radiatorshop.ie

B & Q radiators.

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