Oil line filters - do YOU clean/ change them?

[Bunker]

So many of my new customers are amazed when I attend the in-line filters or strainers. "Last bloke never did that" they cry. Most of the time you end up pulling out a black soggy lump of paper then peel the tin lids from the filter bowl.
WHY do so many engineers not bother with this? Even the Craptkinson valves are just plastic and require a swill out - its EASY (except when the clown installer has failed to give any room under neath it).

I love changing the elements, the Crossland ones cost a couple of Bob, I make a profit and a proper job.

 

[SimonG]

Always change/clean em, not a long job (normally).

Open forum as well bunker.

 

[Bunker]

Thanks Simon - post edited

 

[SimonG]

Thanks Simon - post edited

Get yourself into the plumbers arms.

http://www.ukplumbersforums.co.uk/plumbing-forum/3770-plumbers-arms-now-open.html

 

[Roger Welton]

Always inspect, clean or replace as required. Exception being if there is a aga/rayburn lit off the tank, although I will snatch it if i think there is a problem.

Also worth carrying a couple of the handles for the Atkinson valves, and some sight tube.

 

[heliotrope]

So many of my new customers are amazed when I attend the in-line filters or strainers. "Last bloke never did that" they cry. Most of the time you end up pulling out a black soggy lump of paper then peel the tin lids from the filter bowl.
WHY do so many engineers not bother with this? Even the Craptkinson valves are just plastic and require a swill out - its EASY (except when the clown installer has failed to give any room under neath it).

I love changing the elements, the Crossland ones cost a couple of Bob, I make a profit and a proper job.

You seem to be a bit of a rip off merchant!!

 

[kimbo]

I hate doing the atkinson wheelhead ones that havent been touched for years, when you turn them on again(asuming you were able to turn them off) they leak.

 

[Bunker]

You seem to be a bit of a rip off merchant!!

What a rediculous and rude thing to say but thanks for your constructive and intelligent input.

 

[heliotrope]

Think you are the ridiculous one! You come on an open forum boasting how you
can buy parts for pennies then sell them on to your customers for 100s per cent
mark up. No wonder there are so many posts on these type of sites......... I am
just checking if I am being ripped off by my plumber......................

 

[lame plumber]

Think you are the ridiculous one! You come on an open forum boasting how you
can buy parts for pennies then sell them on to your customers for 100s per cent
mark up. No wonder there are so many posts on these type of sites......... I am
just checking if I am being ripped off by my plumber......................

prehaps this is better suited to a private forum for a chat between 2 fellow techies?

 

[WHPES]

Where I come across those stupid Atkinson fittings with the strainers at an angle underneath which you can't get a spanner on properly, I remove the strainer element and fit a Crossland filter on the line.

 

[Bunker]

Having thought about it, you're right. It was daft to make such posts and I apologise. I wasn't boasting but can see how it came across. I get annoyed in this area that the old boys who are now retiring, in many ways, did very poor services (many never even took the baffles out) few even checked the filters and none carried spares like the o rings.
I carry a massive array if spares from the cheap to the expensive with intent to sort 99% of breakdowns etc on the first visit. I often charge bigger items at cost if the job is getting pricey. I charge average for a service but do a more through job than most. I don't charge much for a nozzle where some guys do.
Anyhow, apologies again, I can read how it all came across and the impression it'd give.
Bunker.

 

[lame plumber]

I carry a load of spares and always seem to have the bit I want missing as I have not reordered to replace when i last used it.

 

[SimonG]

I have a pad in the van and as I use stuff I write it on the pad (if I remember) for the next time I'm at HWOS

 

[lame plumber]

i used to be organised, then life got to difficult and I hate lists:willy_nilly:

 

[SimonG]

I still get caught out with the odd nozzle.

 

[Best]

If you are going to properly check/service everything to do with an oil boiler system, then good luck with your speed & what the customer thinks of you!
Hopefully they will be thanking you for a professional thorough, nothing missed job, but I bet quite a lot of people will think you are too slow & therefore charging up too much time.

 

[Bunker]

but I bet quite a lot of people will think you are too slow & therefore charging up too much time.

Dont know about most but a service is a fixed cost so the longer it takes and more thorough it is, the happier the customer is.
On a breakdown, I'd only check the whole system where necessary, ie filters if there is a supply issue

 

[Balmoral]

roughly what is the price down south for an oil boiler service and do u think ur installing as many boilers now or are renewables starting to take a slice off the work renewables seam to b starting to take a hold up in scotland bummer

 

[WHPES]

Around here, £60 is pretty much the going rate for an oil service. The major oil suppliers charge this and the rest of us have to keep the same in order to be able to retain our customers and compete.

 

[Best]

Around here, £60 is pretty much the going rate for an oil service. The major oil suppliers charge this and the rest of us have to keep the same in order to be able to retain our customers and compete.

Some are advertising oil service for £40 or even less here & often including nozzle. I heard some of the big companies are now charging over £80.

 

[Balmoral]

the rate up here is between 70 and 80 been that for the last couple of years but noticed the amount of new builds in he sticks taking up oil has been dropping year on year they seem to be giving more thought to renewables especialy wood pellet burners thinking might be time to look into this anyone else moving into this in your area looked at a new install 2 days ago made my eyes bleed looked a bit complicated or maybe am getting thicker lol

 

[lame plumber]

Around here, £60 is pretty much the going rate for an oil service. The major oil suppliers charge this and the rest of us have to keep the same in order to be able to retain our customers and compete.

oil suppliers charge upto £140 plus vat and parts down here for oil service, more for twin burners, I cant imagine charging £40 for oil service!! normally £85 plus parts for me, more for twin burner or if particularly bad!

 

[Bunker]

Round here its around £90 inc vat plus parts.

 

[WHPES]

There are a couple of people charging £40 for a service but they have massive mark ups on parts - one of my new customers showed me an old invoice and they charged £18 for a nozzle and £15 for a braided flexi, so at the end of it all, you end up paying the same.

The 3 main oil companies charge £50, but it's plus VAT so of course it's £60, hence we have to stick to £60.

 

[peteheat]

£40 > £60 ?????????????????????

Gents it's time to find yourselves a real job or go work for the oil companies the worst they can pay you is minimum wage.

Thankfully my customers would be very suspicious of such low prices, how about setting the standard forget what others charge?

I know from reading the posts here that most of you know your oil boilers and burners that doesn't mean you have to give away your skills.

The oil companies are selling the service as an add on to their oil sales so they are adding the true cost to each fill of oil.

Maybe I'm the one who has it wrong honestly can't see how or where as I give good value and have to turn away work, something very wrong
when tradesmen are getting involved with below cost selling.

 

[Best]

But how long would you take to do a standard yearly service on a boiler that has no major problems (sooted etc)?
Assuming it is not too far to travel also.

 

[peteheat]

Boilers / heating systems I have installed average one hour, traveling time allowed 30 minutes each way.

Today I left base just after 8am and back around 12.

2 Vortex boilers serviced Euros in my pocket (not profit it's turnover) €300.00

I was in N.I. yesterday on business spoke with a buddy we pass work between each other his call out is £50.00 and 50 pence per mile.

If either of the boilers I worked on this morning (both reasonably new) break down due to normal usage within 6 months the repair is free,
last week had one burner a little noisy the customer was advised it may not last the year but 50/50 (should be OK).

If that one fails I will charge as the customer has been advised of a fault that could lead to a breakdown and to be prepared for a bigger
expense next year.

Heading out to pellet boiler in a few minutes.

 

[lame plumber]

If either of the boilers I worked on this morning (both reasonably new) break down due to normal usage within 6 months the repair is free,

I wish my garage did that with my vehicles! I cann't believe anyone would envisage working for free just because you serviced a boiler a few months before. Please dont come down our way, we will all be out of work!

 

[peteheat]

If either of the boilers I worked on this morning (both reasonably new) break down due to normal usage within 6 months the repair is free,

I wish my garage did that with my vehicles! I cann't believe anyone would envisage working for free just because you serviced a boiler a few months before. Please dont come down our way, we will all be out of work!

Experience tells me the burner will survive at least another year, when in any doubt I inform the customer so if that burner breaks down they pay.

With the oil burner I have a major advantage over your garage, I have a good idea how much work they have to do, I also know there is no reason under normal use that the burner should break down and as I installed them from new I know their full history.

Some would look on my warranty as a potential cost I see it as the cheapest marketing tool I have, if the boiler stays working the customer has peace of mind, if it breaks down they only make one call, a little inconvenient but the can tell their friends and family the warranty is good complete with a proper back up service = more business.

Even if I have to go back I'm still way ahead of the £40 > £60 quoted in this thread, worst that can happen is I learn something I didn't already know.

 

[Best]

I would think £60 is a lot of money to ask a customer to pay for a one hour standard service of an oil boiler if it's within a few miles. Plenty of engineers would be happy to get that amount, 4 times a day in an 8 hour day, even allowing for expenses!
If that £60 was entire "profit" above cost of a faulty part in a breakdown, then perhaps ot won't cover you if you had a new part breaking down inside it's warranty & you had to fit it free.

 

[peteheat]

Maybe your business model is different to mine and most that I know in my area, today I have more work than I can handle.

Come April / May the boiler servicing will die as fast a death as the it takes the temperatures to rise in summer, then I will be lucky to see two oil services in a week.

If I depended on the service end and got six good months based on those figures I would gross around 25,000 in a full year.

I don't know the actual numbers but a married couple in the south of Ireland will get in excess of 20,000 a year from social welfare,
no need for vans, liability cover, health cover etc etc

Yes my warranty is good but the customer deserves to feel they have achieved both efficiency and value for the full heating season,
if the burner / boiler is old obviously they don't get what would be a fools warranty, they often get a free service to take them through
to April when I will install a new boiler.

The worst thing that can happen any customer is to try making a phone call and discover the person who knows their heating system
has gone out of business, therefore I believe it is our duty to charge realistic figures for the services we provide.

Nobody will ever thank you for losing money in business.

 

[Dannypipe]

Got to say, I think Pete is talking a lot of sense. Quite like the warranty idea. Might pinch that one!

 

[Bunker]

Rates round here seem quite alot higher than most places but so are houses. For the money I charge my customers they get to call me anytime and Ill attend. Im out at least one night every week and often its not the boiler - 830pm last night I was out a week after the service, problem turned out to be batteries in the Drayton SCR. I didnt charge them.

 

[Bunker]

Im reviving this thread as I had a classic today. Went to a wall hung Grandee (eeeughh). This is single pipe config with a clear hose. There was a nicely plumbed in isolator and a check valve under the boiler but I still couldnt draw the oil in. I tried for ages before I realised I should have checked the tank filter earlier (lesson 1 of this afternoon: do oil line filters FIRST). SO yes, tank filter absolutely BLACK and sludged up - deeesgustin. Despite annual services by Mc**** - filter never checked. So, hoorah problem found......not. Still same problem so I went looking at the oil line route for more problems - Huzzah!! Another filter, hidden under a box in the mud! (Lesson 2 of this afternoon - always check the entire visible route FIRST).. Dug the Crossland out and hey presto, another cylinder of total slurry. Quick 11mm spanner job and a new element in place.
Back inside, gave the manual oil pump another push and Wooooosh - loads of dark brown oil gushing freely up the clear tubes, eventually becoming normal colour - a beautiful sight.
All back together and jobs a guddun.

Only hangover is the only clear hose in my wagon had 1/4 ends and fitting adapters stopped the case fitting on properly so gotta go back (HWOS dont sell 3/8 clear male to cranked).

Anyway - PLEASE FOR GODS SAKE-----CHECK THE FIILTERS!!!!!