Advice + experience of boiler-servicing/heating engineers, anyone please?

Discussion in 'Bulletin Board' started by orsenkaht, Sep 18, 2018.

  1. orsenkaht

    orsenkaht Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2009
    Messages:
    11,240
    Likes Received:
    10,618
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    This is a follow-up to a thread I posted a few months ago. There were some great pieces of advice, including that I shouldn't chuck out my trusty old Gloworm Spacesaver boiler while it was still working (it is). But who can I trust to get it serviced? Will it's age (36 years) be a problem in getting someone to service it? I'm also interested in maybe upgrading the CH system with some new radiators (if necessary) and certainly some new thermostatic valves (if that's the right terminology, or even century).

    I can see about three local companies: DS Steele, Barnsley Gas Services, 'Gas Boilers and Fires' and BH Plumbing and Heating. Does anyone have any positive/negative knowledge or experience of these firms? Or would I be better going to one of the big six? Last time I used British Gas they kept banging on about non-availability of parts (which I maybe will never need) and continually attempted to sell me a new boiler.

    Any advice or pointers would be much appreciated, thanks.
     
  2. nezbfc

    nezbfc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2005
    Messages:
    10,414
    Likes Received:
    5,755
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Bh plumbing and heating....

    Know him if it's "bam". Can recommend. He will be honest with anything he finds.

    If you mention Nez recommended him from an internet site you will be looked after


    Ps.

    Installed our new boiler and a few others I know. And does all our services etc
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2018
  3. Jul

    Julian Broddle's Perm Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2016
    Messages:
    2,354
    Likes Received:
    4,226
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    I think I may have bored you before, but I am pretty switched on in this field.

    Firstly, if you do change your boiler, you almost certainly will need new radiators, and possibly a full re-pipe as you will be replacing a gravity (low pressure) system with a pressurised system. So your age old radiators, which will have been eroding from the inside over the years, will likely 'pinhole' when pressurised water is pumped through them.

    So you have cost and disruption to consider here.

    Secondly, consider your hot water requirement. If you have just one bathroom, a combi boiler will be fine for you. Plus will free up space as your header tank(s) and cylinder will be removed. If you have quite a demand for hot water, then you need a system boiler and unvented cylinder.

    Thirdly, I'm even boring myself now, so ring Bill Rose from Wombwell, 07738 636750. Smashing bloke, good plumber and not a rip off. And whatever Bill quotes you, treble it and that'll be around what British Gas would quote you.
     
  4. JamDrop

    JamDrop Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2013
    Messages:
    17,679
    Likes Received:
    17,692
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Leeds
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Do not under any circumstance go with SSE repair/cover service. We spent 13 weeks with no boiler after being fobbed off with them blatantly lieing about turning up, turning up on the wrong day and another time going to the wrong house. Our landlord had paid a year’s subscription with them and it took months for him to get a refund. Never known any company as bad. We ended up getting a British Gas local hero in the end who came out on the same day on Good Friday and fixed it when the shops opened for the part on the Tuesday. No idea how much he cost as landlord paid out but we just go directly to him now for gas safety checks and plumbing.
     
  5. Ref

    Reform Disco Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Messages:
    168
    Likes Received:
    35
    Trophy Points:
    28
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    We look after the boilers at Oakwell Boiler-Servicing.net
     
  6. sadbrewer

    sadbrewer Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2006
    Messages:
    9,045
    Likes Received:
    4,159
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Stay with the glow worm as long as possible in my opinion.
    My in laws had the same boiler fitted in their house in 1990, they passed away in 2015 and the boiler was working perfectly...and economically... when we managed to sell the house last year.
    We had it serviced annually by British Gas and it passed with flying colours every time.
    The only snag with BG is that their fitters are under pressure to get sales referrals...our own boiler was a 20 years old Worcester, the service guy passed it as fit, and then as an afterthought asked if I had any ladders ( I hadn't ) innocently I asked my neighbour and the BG fitter went up borrowed ladders with me holding them to check the flue performance.
    On coming down he told us it was dangerous and we could be overcome in the night...when I asked for a copy of the figures his machine produced he back-tracked and it went from almost certainly fatal to possibly borderline....then he changed tack to say it was so old spares would be unavailable anyway, (I had confirmation online that every bit was still current)
    I asked him to check the spares situation, he told me the spares Dept was closed today (friday) and he would try on Monday....not surprisingly he could, and did get a salesman out the following morning.
    My mate is a Transco fitter, and ex British Gas, he told me not to fall for it ,as he himself left BG because of the pressure to scrap good boilers.
    We didn't buy the new boiler and on Monday they confirmed the spares were available...Having condemned the flue they dare not backtrack on the diagnosis so ended up fitting £700's worth of flue we didn't really need.
     
  7. orsenkaht

    orsenkaht Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2009
    Messages:
    11,240
    Likes Received:
    10,618
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Many thanks for all the feedback folks - most helpful. I'll take all this into account before proceeding.
     

Share This Page