Oil boiler service

[Matt19rown]

Hi all,
Ive been looking over old posts on here and various leaflets that come through the door about the pricing for an Oil Boiler service, what i would like to know as im booked into do the Oftec course after easter what do you actually get as a customer having a boiler serviced when there paying £50-£60 a service?

Any help would be appreciated

 

[Bunker]

I know an engineer who only services the burner, never takes baffles out or checks the tank filter - to me thats like having your car serviced and them only checking the oil levels and tyres pressures.
When I service it consists of:

BOILER:
All baffles out and wire brushed to get most deposits off. Sometimes I have the get the angle grinder on them if they were tight to remove (Grants).
Wire brush the inside of the boiler.
If a condensing unit, pull out all the turbulates and 'rod brush' the tubes (process depends on manufacturer).
If condensing, clean trap and re-prime with water.
Note, advise, tackle any issues, leaks etc
Consider the condition of the insides, this can tell you alot about the combustion history.

BURNER:
Remove blast tube (wire brush inside and out)
Brush electrodes (before removing old nozzle) and check for damage if ceramic. Look for any signs of arcing from the electrodes onto the nozzle or the blast tube.
Replace nozzle (I do every year, some dont)
Check flexible oil line, replace if needed.
Check fan and airbox for debris/ fluff
Check/ clean photocell

OUTSIDE CASE:
Visually look over any visible oil lines, unions, valves etc.
Look for fire valve and if Teddington type, pull the switch to see if feels ok, if no valve, make a note on service sheet and maybe advise to fit one if appropriate.
Look for oil filters in line and by the tank. If present, clean strainer/ replace element or if absent, advise installation of one.
I always spray the tank valve assembly with WD40 too.
Look over the tank and report any concerns.

But I charge £90 for a condensing plus parts so sometimes the area dictates the price, sometimes its the quality of the service. I assume that I will look after the boiler for a long time so will always do a proper and thorough job.

Worth noting that alot of engineers in this area (not there are many) are not capable of simple fixes like AAVs, diverter valves, plate heat exchanger replacements. Its a good thing to find another engineer in your area who is capable of these things and when required, ask him to do the work but attend and learn.

 

[lame plumber]

oil companies charge anything fm £140 for a vapourising burner to sky is the limit for twin pressure jet appliance. I also check the programmers, motorised valves, stats etc are working ok.

 

[kimbo]

If you are only paying £50 or £60 for a service I would suggest it is not as thorough as Bunker does, the price does vary but an engineer should spend around about an hour and a half at least.

 

[WHPES]

I don't know where Lame Plumber is but our local oil companies charge £50 plus VAT for an oil boiler service (for existing oil purchasers) so there's no point in the rest of us charging more. However with them they make plenty on parts and I know of one company that charges £18 for a nozzle and the same for a flexi line (the cheapo ones not the long life ones and they change every time) so it's all swings and roundabouts really.

 

[kimbo]

I have some experience of the oil companies some make their engineers do 5 services and one breakdown a day including travelling so are they doing a proper job. If its like the worcester engineers(so a customer tells me) they wont touch anything outside the boiler.

 

[lame plumber]

I don't know where Lame Plumber is but our local oil companies charge £50 plus VAT for an oil boiler service (for existing oil purchasers) so there's no point in the rest of us charging more. However with them they make plenty on parts and I know of one company that charges £18 for a nozzle and the same for a flexi line (the cheapo ones not the long life ones and they change every time) so it's all swings and roundabouts really.

heres one off google look at non contract costs to make your eyes water http://www.watsonfuels.co.uk/media/2364/BS-pricelist-2013.pdf

 

[lame plumber]

I have some experience of the oil companies some make their engineers do 5 services and one breakdown a day including travelling so are they doing a proper job. If its like the worcester engineers(so a customer tells me) they wont touch anything outside the boiler.

IF THEY DONT LOOK OUTSIDE THE BOILER ITS NOT A SERVICE, oops hit caps lock,

5 aga/rayburn vapourising burners a day = 15 hours in my books plus travel, 5 pressure jets appliances = 10 hours min

dont know how they do it and have a life!

 

[lame plumber]

I don't know where Lame Plumber is but our local oil companies charge £50 plus VAT for an oil boiler service (for existing oil purchasers) so there's no point in the rest of us charging more. However with them they make plenty on parts and I know of one company that charges £18 for a nozzle and the same for a flexi line (the cheapo ones not the long life ones and they change every time) so it's all swings and roundabouts really.

difficult one here, but from experience charging less or the same doesnt get or keep customers all the time. I have found that I still get customer and charge £85 for a single pj appliance or single vapourising aga service. More bits more costs, and parts are extra and 20% extra on cost price. I have mostly repeat customer now and one on saturday noted I was cheaper than her last engineer, who hadnt fixed her faulty aga in 15 months of trying, it has taken me 3 visits though to suss out eventually. if you try and go cheap, you probably wont be plumbing in years to come, the guys charging to make a living will, as they have enough income to survive the bad times. this is only my opinion, but I wouldnt work on oil for anything less, after all the servicing kit and parts I carry have cost enough so I want to earn an income to justify my investment, it just basic monetary practice and economics. the reason big oil suppliers charge more is their bigger overheads.

 

[WHPES]

The oil companies round here seem to treat the boiler servicing almost as advertising for the oil (which is of course far more profitable) and sell the oil and the maintenance as if one package. They advertise it heavily and if I charged £85 (£25 more than they do) I wouldn't get many customers. Like I say they charge loads for parts and make plenty that way so the customer pays the same in the end.

 

[peteheat]

The oil companies round here seem to treat the boiler servicing almost as advertising for the oil (which is of course far more profitable) and sell the oil and the maintenance as if one package. They advertise it heavily and if I charged £85 (£25 more than they do) I wouldn't get many customers. Like I say they charge loads for parts and make plenty that way so the customer pays the same in the end.

I am not in your area not doubting you I'm sure you know your market.

Do you know if the the service they provide is as indepth as the service you offer?

Can they look after the heating system outside the the boiler house valves, pumps, system pressure, heating controls etc?

Do they check them to see they are working properly?

I know some oil suppliers in my area were offering services and tank replacements as part of their marketing to sell their oil.

They have stopped because the people they had doing the work were not servicing the boilers properly.

Another big problem they had was the good ones were not keeping appointments the reason was they could make more providing their plumbing services.

I think such marketing by the oil companies in your area is an abuse of their position and creating a monopoly which will come back to bite them, also OFTEC should be getting involved to protect all of their members interests, it is not good for the market / customers if you decide to stop providing your services because you could earn more flipping burgers with a lot less responsibility.

Maybe a web page with your boiler service menu could help the consumer identify the difference between cheap and quality?

 

[peteheat]

Hi all,
Ive been looking over old posts on here and various leaflets that come through the door about the pricing for an Oil Boiler service, what i would like to know as im booked into do the Oftec course after easter what do you actually get as a customer having a boiler serviced when there paying £50-£60 a service?

Any help would be appreciated

No dis-respect but the question is exactly why I think admission to the courses should be based on past experience, you learn very little on the course most are designed to give you just enough knowledge to pass.

I know a good few who passed and have now sold their equipment because the inconsiderate customers actually expected the boilers to work after paying for a service!

 

[Newpark7]

Very useful - thanks