Cost to fit Thermostatic Valeve

DanWall

I have just been given a price to fit 6 thermostatic valves to my radiators, I am supplying the vales, the plumber say it is a days work to drain down the system and fit. €300 Is this about right?

Wearb

If that is all that has to be done then it is too much (one days work), but if you are going to call him back because they are not performing as you expected then it is a reasonable or even cheap price.
Really what I am trying to say is it depends on the setup and on the face of it it doesn't seem too bad.

tinofapples

DanWall wrote: »

I have just been given a price to fit 6 thermostatic valves to my radiators, I am supplying the vales, the plumber say it is a days work to drain down the system and fit. €300 Is this about right?

Don't mean to rub salt in the wounds but I had 5 fitted only 2 weeks ago after buying them last December. The guy that fitted them was part of the crew that plumbed my house originally 6 years ago but he was an apprentice then. He charged me €50, I gave him €60

whupdedo

Depends on where you live, if your in and around the Dublin area and it's surroundings you can expect to pay that, if your not then it's too dear

scudo2

Do you want somebody who is fully insured for public liability, has to pay for his van,diesel,accountancy fees,overheads,experienced, gaurenteed, cover himself for slack times, gives a receipt which = over 35% goes to the government in tax and Vat and can't get the dole if he knocks out his back doing your job ! and doesn't get holiday pay ?

Or a cheap uninsured job.

What you pay is totaly different to what a professional tradesman gets to put into his pocket when everything is deducted.

Taking everything into account €300 is a very reasonable honest price.

whupdedo

Depends too, on whether it's cash or cheque, if it's cash, its a good days pay down the back pocket, if it's cheque then it's just a normal day wage, he might be able to do you a deal if you give him cash

DanWall

I cancelled him.
I thought 1/2hr drain the system 1/2hr per valve and 1hr to fill and bleed. = 4 1/2hrs. he says a day.
If I am going to call him back, he never fitted them correct the first time.
I got thinking also about the excess pressure if all of the valves close off together, this could cause water to flow over the header tank. The valve instructions say to fit a bypass around the pump.

Dtp1979

DanWall wrote: »

I cancelled him.
I thought 1/2hr drain the system 1/2hr per valve and 1hr to fill and bleed. = 4 1/2hrs. he says a day.
If I am going to call him back, he never fitted them correct the first time.
I got thinking also about the excess pressure if all of the valves close off together, this could cause water to flow over the header tank. The valve instructions say to fit a bypass around the pump.

If it's copper or plastic going to the rads then half a days work max. 300 for the day is about right but it's not a days work. Fitting a bypass in the hot press would be a simple enough job.

shane0007

DanWall wrote: »

I cancelled him.
I thought 1/2hr drain the system 1/2hr per valve and 1hr to fill and bleed. = 4 1/2hrs. he says a day.

Ah jaysus, what about tea breaks? There should be at least 5 of those & then there's lunch to consider....
Not forgetting the afternoon snack. I do like my tea & scones with cream & jam about 3.30pm.

DanWall

Union rules tea break every 4 hrs

Dtp1979; Should the bypass not be around the pump which is at the boiler?

Dtp1979

DanWall wrote: »

Union rules tea break every 4 hrs

Dtp1979; Should the bypass not be around the pump which is at the boiler?

There's no wrong place for it but it's better to put it further from the boiler

whupdedo

Dtp1979 wrote: »

If it's copper or plastic going to the rads then half a days work max. 300 for the day is about right but it's not a days work. Fitting a bypass in the hot press would be a simple enough job.

Let's say he starts at 8.30 and finishes at 1.30 we in the trade call dat a full day, unless theirs another job 2 minutes down the road you can do for another half day to make up for the half day he has missed, your day is taken up doing that 1 job even though you only have a half days work to do

Dtp1979

whupdedo wrote: »

Let's say he starts at 8.30 and finishes at 1.30 we in the trade call dat a full day, unless theirs another job 2 minutes down the road you can do for another half day to make up for the half day he has missed, your day is taken up doing that 1 job even though you only have a half days work to do

I don't know what trade your in but " we " in the trade don't call it a days work

whupdedo

Are you serious ? if you work till 2 you charge a full day, simple as, if you don't well, bigger fool you

Dtp1979

whupdedo wrote: »

Are you serious ? if you work till 2 you charge a full day, simple as, if you don't well, bigger fool you

Why the fcuk would you charge a person for a full days work when you only work a half day. I'm not a cowboy that screws my customers. If I finished at 2 I'd probably go service 2 boilers after that or something else to make up a days pay

whupdedo

If you read 1 of my previous posts I did say if you can do that we'll then you only charge for a half day, but if not and you have to travel or it takes up more time than you think, then you're better off to price for a full day, go take a chill pill and cool down in the corner

DanWall

That's better hours than a school teacher

Sparkpea

if u finish a job earlier than expected yet quoted full day, drop price a little of keep customer happy and off u go to ur next job... most reptuible people will have a list of wee jobs to go through. some people do quote things in days because if it doesn't fill and reheat in the 2hrs say that you've quoted for, then what do you do? do you ask the customer for more money? do you tell the customer you allowed 2hrs for this and you've spent that time trying to get it to work but its not and ur out of time so onto the next paying job? no.. you've to stay and leave it right, my quotes are often that, quotes that can go up and down (not dramatically) but both customer and plumber needs some sort of flexibility, you wouldn't work extra hours for nothing so don't expect the plumber too either...

shane0007

For private works, I would rarely quote on an hourly rate unless it was complete foreseeable works. I would always quote on the job in hand. That way, the customer knows what they have to pay upon completion.
Schools, etc., I have prices for servicing, on call fees, out of hours call out fees & hourly rates. But that is way they want it in their tender specs. Over & above works are quotations for Board approval.

K.Flyer

For me I find it can be a bit of swings and roundabouts.
Some jobs you might finish an hour earlier than expected other jobs you might run over a bit, thats life and most of the time it balances itself out.
But if I start a job and after a short while realise its a lot more involved than anticipated, I stop immediately and discuss it with the customer and if needs be, leave and allow them time to think of their options.