new nightmare

[Chris Marsh]

hi everyone, new member here.

to my nightmare our combi boiler broke down. joy.

our landlord came round with a plumber who disconnected the boiler, installed 3 electric radiators after removing the 3 water rads, re-did some under the sink plumbing to install an electric water heater to feed kitchen and bathroom.

electrics not cutting the cheese, its to expensive.

so i've signed up to ask for some help.

i've found replacement radiators, thats no problem.

the hard part is finding a suitable CHEAP boiler.

it needs to power the 2 hot water taps in the flat and be able to handle the following sized radiators

600x600 single universal radiator
1400x500 single universal radiator
1300x500 single universal radiator (btw if you know where i can buy one this size that delivers please link me to it, only one i cant find)

as far as i know i can hang and plumb these radiators into the pipes (which have been left sticking outta the floor with the valves on still) without contravening any laws as long as a plumber signs off on them.

but i DO know that boilers must be fitted by a qualified plumber and must be condensing?

anyway i need a combi boiler that can handle the hot water taps and those 3 rads.

please help me lol

(p.s i know i also need the landlords permission to have this sort of work done. at the moment im just researching the costs and sourcing parts)

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

what make is existing boiler and how did it die? ie symptoms

 

[Chris Marsh]

it just wouldnt fire up, well it was trying but kept making a lovely clicking sound.

landlords gas guy has check it, i've looked at it. and we both say same thing (although im not qualified or by any means in the know)

but the pressure cap is effed and almost all the components are suffering sevear rust degradation. the entire boiler does need to be scrapped. i had my own plumber/gas engineer take a look and he said its effed too.

also this was a good 3/4 months ago.

thats how i know electric rads are a rather weak option lol

 

[Blackcatgas]

Any cheap combi will do, how about a baxi duotech or Main combi, dont forget to include flue, time clock, room stat and rad trvs. Btw I wouldnt want be paying to put a new boiler in sombody elses house.

 

[Chris Marsh]

eh my landlord let us off £2400 in rent arrears last year so im happy to pay for it.

problem is im unemployed and cant find a boiler sub £500, nor do i really know what im looking for.

also whats a room stat? i know what a thermostat is, but is a single thermostat different from a room stat and whats a rad TRVS?

sorry i dont know enough about central heating to be familiar with short hand abreviations.

most i know about it is what size radiators i need and how to hand them and screw the pipe connectors on

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

sub 500 you get a heap, look at potterton performa (a good boiler) or as said duotec but that one will cost a lot more

 

[Chris Marsh]

um can anyone advice on a thermostat for the potterton performa along with a flue?

will anything else need to be brought for it to comply with uk regulations?

i read something about the bedroom needing its own thermostat?

thermostat suggestions also welcome, im preferably after a programmable digital one but happy with a twist dial type thingy lol

 

[SafeGasInstall]

combi and rads you are looking around £700-800 for boiler ,flue,timer,and roomstat ! then your looking of around £200-300 for the rad and valves ! and then getting the right person doing it !

 

[Chris Marsh]

i found the potterton performa for £600

the 3 radiators i need come to a little under £150 for all 3. the original valves, pipe work are still in place. so with any luck i can install the new rads directly into the old rads place.

whats this roomstat about?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

um can anyone advice on a thermostat for the potterton performa along with a flue?

will anything else need to be brought for it to comply with uk regulations?

i read something about the bedroom needing its own thermostat?

thermostat suggestions also welcome, im preferably after a programmable digital one but happy with a twist dial type thingy lol

if bought as a boiler pack comes with a flue,clock separate at £35-£45,regarding a room stat, Honeywell every time if you want it 6to be reliable

 

[Blackcatgas]

£500 will get you an appaling boiler lol!, if you want to go cheaper I think that b and q do one called a vizio or somthing like that at about £478 or somthing like that.Fair play to your landlord for helping you out like that.
A room stat is a temp gauge that goes on the wall and controls the overall heat of the house, a trv is one of those dial controls that goes on the radiator to control the temp of the individual room, a time clock goes on the boiler to conytrol what tim e the boiler goes on and off, all theses controls (or similiar) are needed to comply with part l of the building regs.

 

[Chris Marsh]

so [DLMURL="http://www.discountedheating.co.uk/shop/acatalog/Honeywell_Wired_Digital_Room_Thermostat_DT90E.html"]THIS[/DLMURL] thermostat will do the job with a potterton performa?

thanks for all the help so far guys. knew it was a wise decision to ask for help in sourcing parts and getting advice. im just VERY glad i have no intention of installing a boiler myself (and kind of glad its illegal for me (unqualified) to do it. cant be hacking a 5k fine for it lol

i guess installing it is going to cost alot because of that electric water heating shoved in for hot water taps. something tells me thats completely messed up the flow pattern for the central heating as well.

but then as my understanding goes, the central heating and hot water taps are on seperate loops from the boiler...is that right?

if it is, would it be possible for the installer to isolate the hot water taps from the boiler and just have it running the central heating? or would the under sink heater need to be removed and the plumbing mods there reversed?

 

[Chris Marsh]

£500 will get you an appaling boiler lol!, if you want to go cheaper I think that b and q do one called a vizio or somthing like that at about £478 or somthing like that.Fair play to your landlord for helping you out like that.
A room stat is a temp gauge that goes on the wall and controls the overall heat of the house, a trv is one of those dial controls that goes on the radiator to control the temp of the individual room, a time clock goes on the boiler to conytrol what tim e the boiler goes on and off, all theses controls (or similiar) are needed to comply with part l of the building regs.

stunning thanks for that! its my understanding that the TRV only needs to be on the bedroom radiator right?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

ah yes BCG,reminded me about the mare heatline vizo what a pile of poo in the same league as ferroli or ideal

 

[Chris Marsh]

lol okay, well as suggested i will go with the potterton performa. the description of it says choice of 2 built in timers. would either of these be the time clock thats required?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

electronic clock a mare simple 24 hour a good un

 

[Chris Marsh]

can you link to one please, silly google shopping doesnt return any search results. well turns up some harness looking thing. looks like a parachute harnes actually lol

 

[Blackcatgas]

stunning thanks for that! its my understanding that the TRV only needs to be on the bedroom radiator right?

All rads aprt from the one thats in the same room as the room stat.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

can you link to one please, silly google shopping doesnt return any search results. well turns up some harness looking thing. looks like a parachute harnes actually lol

boiler,clock, or stat what are you looking for a link to?

 

[Chris Marsh]

turd thats gunna push up the price a bit more....guess purchase order will be the TRV's then rads, then room stat, then boiler then the guy to come and do the work. thats going to cost so much....

does anyone have any oppinions of british gas's service where they come in install the new boiler then you pay monthly?

 

[Chris Marsh]

the time clock please gas man

 

[Chrisgy]

Yeah the heating and hot water are separate, he will just have to disconnect the electric heater, won't be a big job doing that.
As someone said the cheapest boiler you can probably get is in B&Q, the boiler is a heatline vizo and I'm sure I see them for around £350 in there

 

[Blackcatgas]

turd thats gunna push up the price a bit more....guess purchase order will be the TRV's then rads, then room stat, then boiler then the guy to come and do the work. thats going to cost so much....

does anyone have any oppinions of british gas's service where they come in install the new boiler then you pay monthly?

BG will charge you 200% more than a independant to fit you a new boiler etc, you wil then be paying them back for the rest of your life.

 

[hihowudoin]

link for boiler + flue + 24hr mechanical clock
Potterton Performa 24HE Eco Combi Boiler Pack (Inc Boiler, Flue & Clock) £609.74 inc VAT

 

[Chris Marsh]

thanks for info on british gas and thanks for that link!

i think the potterton will be better than B&Q's vizo.

its a brave new world is this.

about the electric heater. the plumber re did a load of the plumbing under the sink, the heater takes its feed from the cold water supply i think.

 

[Blackcatgas]

thanks for info on british gas and thanks for that link!

i think the potterton will be better than B&Q's vizo.

its a brave new world is this.

about the electric heater. the plumber re did a load of the plumbing under the sink, the heater takes its feed from the cold water supply i think.

The plumber will easily overcome this.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

cheers for the link hihowudoin my eye balls are about to go a full 360 see you all tomorrow fellas

 

[Chris Marsh]

thank you gas man, highly appreciate the help, and same to everyone else. its all appreciated.

whats the installation likely to cost? the old boiler is still in place, just shut off from everything but not disconnected.

(good night gas man)

 

[Chris Marsh]

oh boiler is in the loft as well. the flue i think exits the building out of the side wall (which is not accessible lol)

 

[Chris Marsh]

hi guys thanks for all the help the other day.

just wanted to say happy new year to you all and thanks again.

one last question. what should i be expecting to pay for the boiler installation and the electric water heater for hot water to be dealt with?

 

[doitmyself]

our landlord came round with a plumber who disconnected the boiler, installed 3 electric radiators after removing the 3 water rads, re-did some under the sink plumbing to install an electric water heater to feed kitchen and bathroom.

I suggest you get down to the Citizens Advice Bureau ans tell them the whole story 0 including the fact that you are unemployed. I have a feeling that what the landlord has done may be OK as a temporary measure, but not as a permanent solution. It is his responsibility to put you back into the same position as you were before the boiler broke down - that includes the cost of heating the house.

You mentioned rent arrears. Were you unable to claim housing benefit?

Did you think about getting a Warmfront Grant for a new boiler?

 

[metaldust9]

could go for a vokera pro combi there cheap and seam ok for cheapness if ye get a decent plumber whos gsr you could get it done for around a grand with the boiler

ps do you not qualify for one of the boiler free schemes

 

[Chris Marsh]

it might be his responcibility but the arrears where accumilated via my own fault really.

looking at the warmfront grants you need to be over 60 years of age and/or have kids. not really qualifiying for that.

and the arrears were greater than having a new boiler installed