Recommend me a combi boiler please for my 2 bedroom house

[Cis4cookie]

Well I have have been refurbishing my first home with my girlfriend , it has been going on for around 9 months now and has been hard to do stuff what with work as well.

when we originally moved in the place had a old back boiler which we were just going to keep, however as we are now coming to the end of the refurb and looking at floors and bathrooms we are now thinking that a combi would be a better up to date option, we will lose the tanks in the loft which we plan to build into at some point and we would make our bathroom bigger which is where the cylinder is currently.

Been told that the back boiler would be reliable and I know they are as my sister still has hers, however I think there would be money needing to be spent updating the current system so thinking now would b the time to get the system done if we wanted to.

The place is a 2 bedroom semi detached house, I would say it is medium size as the its a 2 up 2 down but fairly large rooms, 6 rads in total, downstairs toilet, upstairs bathroom running one bar mixer shower that we have bought.

ive been told to buy the combi myself online as it will work out cheaper, im involved in various trades myself and know a fair few people so hopefully I can find some on to fit it for a good price.

can you recommend me a good boiler please, would like to get one for under £1k and hopefully be looking to pay no more then £400 for all the fitting

been told elsewhere to look at valiant, glow worm, Worcester, potterton

thanks

 

[Mike Jackson]

A back boiler to combi conversion is not a straightforward job and you'll be looking at a lot more than £400 labour if you want a decent job done. Depending on things like gas run etc. budget on £2,500 plus for the whole job and you're somewhere in the ballpark.

I'll offer no guarantee on a boiler that someone has sourced for themselves. Most manufacturers want the installer to visit before they'll come out and if I've supplied the boiler this is free of charge. If the customer has supplied the boiler it's chargeable. This is why most of us charge a mark up on materials, it's not to sneak a bit of extra profit it's to cover labour costs should we get called back to faulty materials. The manufacturers will replace them free of charge but don't cover the labour.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

We supply and Install Worcester Bosch boilers with 7 or 8 years guarantee .We cover London and anywhere from J1 on M1 to J16 .
As MJ said already conversion from back boiler to a combi boiler can not cost £400.00 .
If you would like job done 100% pm me your location and I will survey you home and give you a free of charge quote .
You can visit www.safegasinstall.co.uk and see for your self some of the work we have done

 

[Howsie]

Get one of your fair few friend who will fit it to recommend one.

 

[Killy Bing]

Get your installer to recommend and supply, will work out cheaper in the long run.

If they are a decent heating engineer even if they put mark up on the boiler it will be cheaper than you buying online.

as mike said, £2500 is more towards the lower end of what it will cost in my view.
totally depends where you have the boiler too.

if you have it installed above the meter chances are you will have to have flow, return hot and cold run to it.
in the kitchin then you will have hot and cold but need gas, flow and return run to it.
in the current cylinder location you will have flow, return, hot and cold but need gas run to it and a vertical flue.

none of those are a £400 option

 

[Cis4cookie]

I cant see why the conversion would not be straight forward tbh as the layout of everything is in my favour.

the gas pipe is situated about 2 metres from where the combi will be, there is a rad pip also situated within 2 metres and luckily the bathroom is right above the larder cupboard where the boiler will be housed.

I have already pulled out the back boiler and fire front and all the pipework associated with it, well the pipe which runs from the boiler to the cylinder to heat the water.

so hopefully it shouldn't be too costly, I will seek further advice on which boiler to go for was just seeking some more advice in advance , gonna get quite a few quotes, had one saying £450 for their time plus parts costs

like you have said though ill only be getting warranty I assume if the fitter is registered fitter of that company

 

[Cis4cookie]

should of also said I have all the new rads and thermostatic valves as well

washing machine and sink in kitchen are within 2 meters as well, mains supply water within 2 meters

the bathroom above means that the bath, sink and toilet will all be within say 4-5 meter rang from combi

 

[Ray Stafford]

so thinking now would b the time to get the system done if we wanted to.

This is good thinking if you can afford to do it. Depending on the building, conversion from back boiler to combi can be disruptive, and its much better to do it when there is other work going on, and before decorations, flooring etc are finalised.

ive been told to buy the combi myself online as it will work out cheaper,

Stop listening to the person who is telling you this. Read Mike Jacksons answer for why - it is a false economy, and divides responsibility for your new system between manufacturer and installer. It may save you a few quid in the short term, but it is roughly the equivalent of going to a garage with a spare you have sourced on ebay and asking them to fit it.

im involved in various trades myself and know a fair few people so hopefully I can find some on to fit it for a good price.

If you are involved in various trades yourself, you will have plenty of experience of how corners can be cut to keep a price down. Ask yourself whether you want those corners cut in the property that you and your girlfriend are pouring so much effort into?

can you recommend me a good boiler please, would like to get one for under £1k and hopefully be looking to pay no more then £400 for all the fitting

been told elsewhere to look at valiant, glow worm, Worcester, potterton

Ask 10 heating engineers, get 11 answers. Search this forum, and you will find every possible opinion about which is the best boiler.

PROPERLY INSTALLED all of the brands you mention are fine. Vaillant and Worcester are likely to be dearer than Potterton and Glowworm.

But put your time and effort into finding enough money to get a proper job done.

 

[Kyle87]

You can put the most expensive fantastic boiler in but if you don't pay a good engineer your boiler will not last.

You currently have a back boiler. Which makes your current system old.

Old more than likely means dirty!!

Dirty system = dead combi.

Make sure you get it done right!!

 

[Reltub]

£400.00 hahaha

 

[Centralheatking]

For this size home and the info given - it is combi all the way - forget and scrap ALL of the
existing system - all pipes rads cylinder etc. make it ground zero centralheating wise.

get 2/3 quotes to do the lot from local gs reg fitters and call their customers if they are ok
with it. It should take 3-days for 2 fellas.

Which c/h unit to choose ??????? whatever your fitters happy with but the fellas on here
will list the carp ones - so I dont fit Worcester but love Vaillant - few comebacks

Mind you we have fitted 19 intas over the summer - no calls yet !!! Centralheatking

 

[Meady]

I think your best bet is to put up your location and get someone off of here.

 

[Cis4cookie]

old one works but needs updating, new cylinder, timed system etc.,

I can remove old boiler no problem and old tanks and cylinder and any relevant pipework

already have new rads and valves

larder cupboard where boiler is to be fitted is directly under bathroom so is in 4-5 metre range of bath, sink and toilet

kitchen sink and washing machine and water mains all within a 2 metre rang, gas supply is about 3 metre from new boiler location as well.

been quoted £450 for someone's time plus whatever materials cost so far but gonna get a lot of quotes done

 

[Cis4cookie]

im in Clacton on sea essex

 

[Meady]

I'm guessing your not getting a powerflush in that price??? Or a magna cleanse / fernox tf1.

 

[erpkid]

Go with the £450.00 option but please let us know how you get on.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

I can see why you have been quoted a 1 day labour now as you have empty house and kitchen will be empty and you will have half the job done !

 

[village idiot]

Go with the £450.00 option but please let us know how you get on.

There will be tears!!!!

 

[Cis4cookie]

tbh guys I never said I was going with that option, that's why im on here to get opinions and advice, on a budget so rally looking to get it done as cheap as possible but still have a quality system

 

[howbeef]

Get someone properly qualified in to do the whole lot. Fitting a new boiler to an old system is not a quick and easy job. If I was doing it I would be looking at fitting Vaillant, either an 831 or a 28 depending how much flow rate for hot water you want. you will also need trv's, a filter and controls fitting by someone who understands how they work and is able to set it up properly for you.
You pays your money and takes your choice but I know that any boiler guarantee won't be worth the paper it's written on if the boiler is not correctly installed.

 

[Howsie]

Bite there hand off for that money but dont pay until its all working.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

I will fit the boiler for you on the 06/01/2014 ! But I will be removing all the old pipe work and cylinder ! I can supply and install a Worcester Bosch boiler with 7 years guarantee ! Just pm me your address ! Or call me on 07900830869 ! Or visit my web site www.safegasinstall.co.uk and go to contact page and I will be in touch !

stan

 

[LPC]

Bite there hand off for that money but dont pay until its all working.

It'll probably work. For a year or so.

 

[stevetheplumber]

£450 is for the powerflush i assume if your getting a back boiler to combi done for 450 id go for a ravenheat no point wasting money on anything decent

 

[Jimbob]

That's a very generous offer from whoever quoted. Would be difficult for a qualified engineer to provide labour for such a job for that price. They're either cutting corners and it'l be a rough bum job or they are selling themselves short which means they won't be around for long. You do pay for what you get, make sure you trust who you choose as it's something you will have to live with.