any plumbers here???

[Robsyuk]

Thank you all for your replies. I did consider tackling it myself but like mentioned above and reading last night - If theres a blockage or if the new pump doesnt line up then its more work then I first set out to do. I will defo get a pro in to do it. I called two today and left messages- extreamly busy at work today. Im in my iglue allday tomorrow so I will be ringing more.

[8valve-craig]

of course it is, I would never for as long as I live call any experts to fix my problems, don't need to get ripped by the professionals who are in most probability a little less competent, and bodgers, carry inappropriate tools!

Sorry MSG for the low blow but...... wasnt it a "proffesional" that made a mess of your manta's floorpan? Again sorry for being a bitch.

[anniman1]

. Im in my iglue .

igloo

[MSG]

Sorry MSG for the low blow but...... wasnt it a "proffesional" that made a mess of your manta's floorpan? Again sorry for being a bitch.

TBH, he wasn't and he did not claim to be a top welder, but he would do something to enable me to get an MOT. but I had no choice other than to take it to anyone who would weld the bloody thing to get it through its MOT at a reasonable charge, so that my car doesn't get towed away and crushed! I had just a few days left to get it taxed and leave it on the road.

I even went as far as making endless enquiries for hiring a garage locally, and quite a few were available but all came with a condition that no works could be carried out on cars and nore there was any electricity.

I almost bought outright one garage for 6 grand as a free hold interest, but you could barely back the car in and open the door to get out! was just 7 foot wide! and no electricity!

I have never done welding but I am sure after a short practice I could have done a better job.

if i had a garage, or some off street parking spot, I would have restored that car to its pristine condition.

[Robsyuk]

thank you all for your tips but I got a pro in and am glad I did.

He quoted £120 to replace the pump and within 1/2hr it was all swapped over. bad news - blocked pipe 6hrs later the total bill was £180. Complete system drained, new piping filled and bled and all seems good.

[Dom]

thank you all for your tips but I got a pro in and am glad I did.

He quoted £120 to replace the pump and within 1/2hr it was all swapped over. bad news - blocked pipe 6hrs later the total bill was £180. Complete system drained, new piping filled and bled and all seems good.

Not a bad price to be honest with you for a plumber + parts for 6 hours.

Did you go for Steve in the end (SJJ) or did you find someone else ?

[anniman1]

I was right. i would have only charged £100 for changing a pump

[MSG]

Praise be to the Lord! there are still some good old honest plumbers about, most are found in Scotland!

[Robsyuk]

I opened the local paper and hate fancy adverts. I opened myhammer and no one came up. Went on yell.com called the nearest number first and he came round within 20mins.
I've kept his card as if we want to go to a combi in the future he can do the lot for about £2400. One thing I liked about him was that when I asked questions about my system he seemed willing to answer them. Nice guy alround.

[MSG]

Good job, you had the yellow pages. i am considering replacing a warm air unit with wet radiatoirs and a combi boilers. My estimate is it should cost no more than about £2000 to 2500

[anniman1]

well MsG i'm sure you can disconnect and rip out that warm air unit yourself. i dare say you could fit all of it and just pay someone to connect and test the gas at the boiler saving megabucks. you can get a decent condensing boiler now for £750 but still stick to well known brands

[MSG]

Thanks mate, The biggest obsticle is the use of asbestoss in that installation, the warm air unit cupboard is lined up with sheets of asbestoss, and I will have to down a mask, get rid of every bit of asbestoss, throughly vaccum clean any debri, place it in thick plastic bags and sheets and wrap it up properly for disposal at my local hazard waste material section after I recently consulted with my local council, they said as long as it is sealed properly in bags using thick plastic bags and completly sealed, I can bring it over at the waste treatment facilities. That would be the most hazardous part of the removal of the old unit rather than the new installation, I can get a new combi boiler for just under £500 made by Ideal and it is the latest condensing boiler. TBH i prefer Valliant which are more pricey, but Biasi are in my opinion good reliable and very easy to service boilers, parts are coupled together using "o" rings and retaining pins, you can't get any easier than that.

[jamied]

i just fitted a new combi boiler, 9 radiators and thermostat valves for just under £1900. Past week i have fitted two of these for a couple of friends...

Heatrae Sadia Amptec Electric Heating Boiler 95022003 on eBay (end time 09-Feb-11 12:56:27 GMT)

very easy to fit and only need a small space

[MSG]

well done and pleased for you mate. Contrary to many people saying that on a new installation the system should be re-filled and bled and any adding any suitable inhibitors after initial flushing off residues from solder and flux and other debri that may get in during laying pipes. But a book I have on valliant says Do Not Add any Inhibitors to the C.H. System whilst Biasi reccomends doing so or the warranty won't cover any malfunction!

[anniman1]

yea this is down to the alloy used by different manufacturers for heat exchangers, some use fernox and some use sentinal. MSG is it ideal isars under £500. if so dont buy any as a square combustion box tends to rot through at the bottom corners and also the earth pins tend to burn right out and the combustion panels fall in. its a well lnown fact with installers so they cant even give them away. Biasi are actually made by ideal also.

[MSG]

thanks mate for the information. May I ask you a question, see what do you think.

A boiler (Vaillant VCW221) quite an old boiler really now, its been in sevice and is still working OK. But has developed a few problems and so needs to be either replaced with one of the new condensing boilers or just spend about £120 to £150 inc. labour and get a new lease of life and may be it could serve another 3 to 5 years and perhaphs even longer depending on parts availability and regular servicing.

So the question is it is loosing pressure, and needs frequent water filling, there are no leaks on the syetm, except the expansion vessle is no longer working properly as the internal diaphram has developed a leak, so the air chamber is now filled with water! (if you press the little pin inside the nipple, water squirts out instead of air, so that is a sign of internal leak.

A new vessle will cost £81.00 trade discounted price from vaillant . However, there is also an option to fit an external exapnsion vessle nearby on the return feed and this can be any vessle meeting the neceessary expansion capacity and does not have to be from vaillant and therefore a cheaper one can be got for about £30.00, besides it will be lot easier to fit this than to have the whole boiler removed from the wall and its flue to allow to replace the faulty vessle as these are on excessed from the rear frame of this boiler.

So what is your opinion on this? Have you added expansion vessles to systems where the built in one is of either lower capacity for the system or where it has failed internally.