New Oil Boiler Cost - was this too much?

chops018

Hi all,

My mother's house boiler went.

It has been there around 16 years so not too bad.

There's a plumber in our estate which she (and my dad when he was alive) has always used for small jobs. We know him years.

She got him to install the new boiler. It's done now, so we can't really do anything, but I am just wondering was this too much price wise.

The total cost was €3,000.

The boiler he fitted was this one:

https://www.warmflow.co.uk/agentis-boilerhouse-oil-boilers

Are they even any good? Presume it will be more efficient in all aspects than the old one?

When I check online they seem to be selling for around £1,400 in England so I presume they are around €1,500 here. So say €1,500 for the job. He was here from around 09:30 am to 08:00 pm.

Before my mother went with him for the job we kept telling her to make sure he was giving receipts for work etc. as it is an expensive job. She asked him and he said he would give a receipt in a few days.

We also told her to get a quote from a bigger plumbing company in the town who had an office, receptionist etc. etc. Which she did and they quoted €3,000-3,200. We pleaded with her to use them but she said no that she wants this person who she has always used.

What do you think of his price? Was it on the high side?

Also, he said he will have to come back and do another job. He has to get a pipe and run it from the boiler around the oil tank so the steam is not hitting the oil tank. The boiler is in a small stone shed, then the oil tank is at the back of the shed and whatever comes from the boiler to release steam at the hole in the back of the shed is very close to the oil tank in fairness. He said with new health and safety regulations with the newer boiler it is either do this or move the oil tank and he couldn't stand over his work unless he does this. So that's another €400. Is this essential. Can we say no to this? I know we technically can say no, but I mean should we, if it is a health and safety issue I'd be inclined to get it done, but it was always that close with the old boiler years and no issue.

Thanks in advance.

begbysback

Got a gas boiler replacement recently and markup seems about 1k, just a mornings work, would guess that a boiler for 1.4 Sterling in uk is a bit more that 1.5k eur too, plus it’s an oil boiler, so doesn’t seem to me that he gave you guys mates rates, but doesn’t see too unreasonable either if there’s more to an oil boiler than a gas one.

Wearb

It depends on what he did. New circulation pump? Flushed out the system? New remote fire valve? New wiring with permanent live? Proper routing of the condensate? Proper commissioning with a printout and passport filled in and sent to Warmflow.
If he did all of the above, then price was about right right.

chops018

begbysback wrote: »

Got a gas boiler replacement recently and markup seems about 1k, just a mornings work, would guess that a boiler for 1.4 Sterling in uk is a bit more that 1.5k eur too, plus it’s an oil boiler, so doesn’t seem to me that he gave you guys mates rates, but doesn’t see too unreasonable either if there’s more to an oil boiler than a gas one.

Yeah, from chatting around (I know it's too late now) he definitively didn't give us cheap rates, but he didn't seem to "ride" us on price either, just it's more so at the higher end.

Have a friend who is a plumber but he works in-house now so he doesn't do jobs like this. Called him and asked him and he said the total price is at the higher end but it's not an unusual price either.

Funnily enough, my partner's parents had to get their gas boiler replaced recently and so did their neighbor. Cost them around €2,500 in total. Then our own neighbor had to get a new fuel pump on their boiler and they were told they will need a new boiler soon. Then the neighbor on the other side of us said her boiler is gone too but she can't afford to get a replacement yet.

Wearb wrote: »

It depends on what he did. New circulation pump? Flushed out the system? New remote fire valve? New wiring with permanent live? Proper routing of the condensate? Proper commissioning with a printout and passport filled in and sent to Warmflow.
If he did all of the above, then price was about right right.

Yeah, he ordered the new boiler for us. It was delivered yesterday around 11:30 while they were draining the water and flushing the radiators etc. I'm nearly sure he put in a new circulation/fuel pump. Not sure about the new wiring tbh or the routing. I went out to turn up the thermostat on the boiler this morning and I see the passport is still on the inside door of the boiler. He is to come back in a few days to put in the new pipe so the flue won't be near the oil tank, should we mention to him then to fill in the passport and send it to Warmflow? Can we fill it in ourselves? (sorry if any of these questions are stupid!)

So yeah, at least the price wasn't over the normal price for this work, happy enough once that's the case.

Wearb

chops018 wrote: »

Yeah, from chatting around (I know it's too late now) he definitively didn't give us cheap rates, but he didn't seem to "ride" us on price either, just it's more so at the higher end.

Have a friend who is a plumber but he works in-house now so he doesn't do jobs like this. Called him and asked him and he said the total price is at the higher end but it's not an unusual price either.

Funnily enough, my partner's parents had to get their gas boiler replaced recently and so did their neighbor. Cost them around €2,500 in total. Then our own neighbor had to get a new fuel pump on their boiler and they were told they will need a new boiler soon. Then the neighbor on the other side of us said her boiler is gone too but she can't afford to get a replacement yet.



Yeah, he ordered the new boiler for us. It was delivered yesterday around 11:30 while they were draining the water and flushing the radiators etc. I'm nearly sure he put in a new circulation/fuel pump. Not sure about the new wiring tbh or the routing. I went out to turn up the thermostat on the boiler this morning and I see the passport is still on the inside door of the boiler. He is to come back in a few days to put in the new pipe so the flue won't be near the oil tank, should we mention to him then to fill in the passport and send it to Warmflow? Can we fill it in ourselves? (sorry if any of these questions are stupid!)

So yeah, at least the price wasn't over the normal price for this work, happy enough once that's the case.

No, he needs to fill it in. It needs commissioning with a flue gas analyser and these readings need to be filled in on the passport, or attached to it. Probably also needs the type of flushing used and the inhibiter amount and type. You could fill in the name and address etc and have that much done for him.



Those high efficiency boilers need servicing every year if they are to last. make sure the service person has a flue gas analyser and printer, to give you a printout after servicing.

chops018

Wearb wrote: »

No, he needs to fill it in. It needs commissioning with a flue gas analyser and these readings need to be filled in on the passport, or attached to it. Probably also needs the type of flushing used and the inhibiter amount and type. You could fill in the name and address etc and have that much done for him.



Those high efficiency boilers need servicing every year if they are to last. make sure the service person has a flue gas analyser and printer, to give you a printout after servicing.

Ok thanks. It is an oil boiler. Does that mean the flue is still gas coming from it?

Wearb

Yes. Gas being the name for a state of matter that is neither liquid or solid etc. What you breathe in is a gas, also what you breath out, though what you breath out has less oxygen than what you took in.

The gas from the flue that will be measured is oxygen and carbon monoxide. From those percentages, the efficiency of combustion can be calculated.

chops018

Ok, thanks for that and all the helpful replies!