british gas want 800 + vat powerflush

[jumbopants]

Hi, had British gas out today as a few rads upstairs were not getting hot, he got 2 going but said that the rad in the main bedroom would not work unless I paid them 800 plus vat for a power flush due to sludge in the system, some of the rads that were getting hot down stairs are now luke warm so he's fixed 2 said one is a no go unless 800+vat and 3 others are now not hot anymore but are luke warm. After doing some research does it just need to be balanced and he's pulling a fast one ? Is it right that I should shell out 800 notes with a new house that I've owned from new so the system is just 7 years old, my old man has a 20 year old system going strong never been serviced so can't see how a 7 yr old system would need a power flush OR are british gas right and I need to cough up to get all the rads working ? If I was to take each rad off the wall and hose pipe through would this help if it really is sludged up ? or is the only way a power flush ? It's a potterton boiler with 15 rads... Thanks in advance for any help/advice...

 

[Leo21]

Yes taking the rads off would help, and let you know the condition of the water in the system. £800 for a power flush is horrendous. Get other quotes, and go with who fills you with confidence.

 

[Meady]

You can flush it through that way which will help a lot but will only solve sludge in the rads and not the pipework (if there is any) where abouts are you located as someone on here may be able to help

 

[AWheating]

a powerflush wont remove a blockage. if your system is full of corrosion and sludge then a powerflush would be a good idea. the bolckage will probably have to be found and removed. Get a local engineer in to take a look or post your location on the fourm. I would think you would get a powerflush for between £250 and £400 for a average sized domestic property depending on the system.

 

[village idiot]

If you have the time, turn off all rads upstairs and see if the ones downstairs will ''work'' (heat up properly). Then turn all rads downstairs and open the ones upstairs to see if the heat will be transferred to the ones upstairs.

Assuming you can succeed in getting upstairs and downstairs working by doing the above, then you may do the manual flushing of the rads yourself. If you get no joy getting heat into the rads, then you may need powerflushing. BG charge over the top for that service.

 

[Leo21]

Only seven years old! Unlikely to be a blockage, more like pump. Is it a combi or con
ventional? As for your dad with twenty year old system that's never been serviced, that's plain stupid.

 

[village idiot]

Only seven years old! Unlikely to be a blockage, more like pump. Is it a combi or con
ventional? As for your dad with twenty year old system that's never been serviced, that's plain stupid.

C'mon Leo, no need calling his dad stupid. Just because most people do not bother servicing their boiler till something goes wrong is no need to call them names? In as much as I understand where you are coming from, for most people (not just the elderly), it is a question of: If it is not broken, why fix it?

 

[jumbopants]

Thanks for all your help and advice fellas, I live in rhoose point, vale of Glamorgan Wales... Gona do the turn off rads suggestion up n then down to see if that solves anything and then on the week end gona take a rad off, and as said check the water n see if there is any sludge that I can clean out, I really can't afford close to 1k for BG to clean out my system specially as so close to Xmas ... The kind of system I have is an airing cupboard on the landing and water has to be heated into that tank for the taps and shower to be hot, plus I know there is another tank in the attic so it's gravity fed.... Shower pressure is and always has been pants from day one as the water comes from the tank thats heated by the boiler .... Will report back when I've done the above with my findings... Cheers guys

 

[AWheating]

if its not broken, why fix it.................... how do you know its not broken?

 

[Leo21]

C'mon Leo, no need calling his dad stupid. Just because most people do not bother servicing their boiler till something goes wrong is no need to call them names? In as much as I understand where you are coming from, for most people (not just the elderly), it is a question of: If it is not broken, why fix it?

Honestly! Not having a gas appliance checked for safety for twenty years is dangerous. Therefore stupid.
Besides I didn't call his dad stupid. I said not having it serviced for twenty years was plain stupid.

 

[cava55]

British gas came out to the old woman next door 90 years of age told her that the system was blocked and no good, new boiler and rads needed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I went round and had a look system was full of sludge, but new boiler etc was on order so they would not take it back !. That was until I got involved I got onto BG and they took it all back and as she was on there service plan, I told them to power flush it which they did and they have now fitted a filter all is fine. That was 2 years ago shows what rip off merchants they are !.

 

[Ermintrude]

I can do a power rush for £799.50 ? Get an indi pendent in!!!!

 

[PowerFlusher2]

Thanks for all your help and advice fellas, I live in rhoose point, vale of Glamorgan Wales... Gona do the turn off rads suggestion up n then down to see if that solves anything and then on the week end gona take a rad off, and as said check the water n see if there is any sludge that I can clean out, I really can't afford close to 1k for BG to clean out my system specially as so close to Xmas ... The kind of system I have is an airing cupboard on the landing and water has to be heated into that tank for the taps and shower to be hot, plus I know there is another tank in the attic so it's gravity fed.... Shower pressure is and always has been pants from day one as the water comes from the tank thats heated by the boiler .... Will report back when I've done the above with my findings... Cheers guys

Such a pity. I moved up to the northeast earlier in the year and though I am 'retired' I was doing powerflushes in the Porthcawl/Bridgend area for BGP125.00p (including all chemicals) and after the first 9, which paid for the gear and a years supply of chemicals, it was 100 quid profit every time. Not flushing at all anymore but if you PM me your email address I will send you a link to a very good video which shows you how to do it yourself using mains tap water - which, on the many occasions I did it that way (before I upgraded to powerflushing), it worked very well.

 

[Ermintrude]

Share in public!!

 

[LPC]

A powerflush for £125??? Ridiculous.

1)Drain down.
2)Cut flow/return/cold supply to get machine in.
3)Set up machine.
4)Flush (min: half day), w/chemicals.
5)Drain down.
6)Remake pipework.
7)Refill w/inhibitor, bleed,
8)Re-balance system (because you of course opened all lockshields to flush properly).

You're either
1)Lying
2)Stupid
3)Not flushing properly.

 

[village idiot]

A powerflush for £125??? Ridiculous.

1)Drain down.
2)Cut flow/return/cold supply to get machine in.
3)Set up machine.
4)Flush (min: half day), w/chemicals.
5)Drain down.
6)Remake pipework.
7)Refill w/inhibitor, bleed,
8)Re-balance system (because you of course opened all lockshields to flush properly).

You're either
1)Lying
2)Stupid
3)Not flushing properly.

lying

 

[Masood]

2)Cut flow/return/cold supply to get machine in.

6)Remake pipework.

Really?

Remove pump head and use an adaptor from Kamco. Other might also make them. Alternatively, Kamco machines come with pump union adaptors. Remove the whole pump and connect onto pump iso's...

 

[Ermintrude]

I just link power flush pipes behind cylinder or under boiler , add some black paint and handful of sand and go to sleep in van for 3 hours!

 

[village idiot]

How can anyone honestly powerflush a system and charge what he claims to have charged?
you might as well do it for free.

 

[Dannypipe]

£125 is crazy cheap.

 

[Resolute]

£125 is crazy cheap.

Or not done properly!

 

[Leo21]

I'm just glad he's retired.

 

[PowerFlusher2]

How can anyone honestly powerflush a system and charge what he claims to have charged?
you might as well do it for free.

When I was doing it, allowed minimum 6 hours, max 8, and at that time GBP12.00p per hour was a good wage. There isn't a plumber on this planet worth GBP100.00p per hour, which is what BG are placing the rate at - assuming, of course, their agents get 8 hours to do a powerflush?

 

[PlumbBobBob]

you realise you will have to put when you were doing this?:smile:

 

[Ray Stafford]

There isn't a plumber on this planet worth GBP100.00p per hour,

Absolute copper bottomed rubbish.

I'm not saying that BG powerflushes are good value for money, but there have been many times in my life when I would happily have exchanged £100 for an hours time from a skilled plumber.

And that is the definition of what something is "worth". If both parties to the transaction are happy with what they get, who are you or anyone else to say they aren't worth it?

 

[Mrs Tara Plumbi]

When I was doing it, allowed minimum 6 hours, max 8, and at that time GBP12.00p per hour was a good wage. There isn't a plumber on this planet worth GBP100.00p per hour, which is what BG are placing the rate at - assuming, of course, their agents get 8 hours to do a powerflush?

£12 ph for self employed person with own tools, own van. Pub liability insurance. etc...
Ridiculous.
You would have been better off on the dole (do they still have that - being self employed myself i don't really know about benefits)
I do know that if you work for £12 ph you must be living in a car or be claiming benefits because you can't live off that.
Mean while other working people, like those on here. Are trying to make a real living charging a real living wage.
There are lots of other threads about how much we might need to charge. I can't say there is a one perfect answer but anywhere between £50-£100 ph seems reasonable to me - out side of london.

Any let me stress I am saying £12 ph too low for any self employed person - own van tools, insurance etc. Not just plumbers, even unskilled workers. We pay more than that for someone to come and clean our vehicles!
Or to the man who comes to clean carpets after we have accident in customers house!
Or to the lady who cleans the bathroom of some customers before Mr Tara Plumbing will work in it ( he just can't work in those conditions).

 

[Dannypipe]

I've a mate who is a gardener. His tatty van has an old lawnmower in it, and he has a few shovels, trowels, etc. He charges £30.00 per hour and is turning the work away.

 

[PowerFlusher2]

£12 ph for self employed person with own tools, own van. Pub liability insurance. etc...
Ridiculous.
You would have been better off on the dole (do they still have that - being self employed myself i don't really know about benefits)
I do know that if you work for £12 ph you must be living in a car or be claiming benefits because you can't live off that.
Mean while other working people, like those on here. Are trying to make a real living charging a real living wage.
There are lots of other threads about how much we might need to charge. I can't say there is a one perfect answer but anywhere between £50-£100 ph seems reasonable to me - out side of london.

Any let me stress I am saying £12 ph too low for any self employed person - own van tools, insurance etc. Not just plumbers, even unskilled workers. We pay more than that for someone to come and clean our vehicles!
Or to the man who comes to clean carpets after we have accident in customers house!
Or to the lady who cleans the bathroom of some customers before Mr Tara Plumbing will work in it ( he just can't work in those conditions).

Yer not reading my posts. My time in this game was the 1980s, not the 2013s and I did not say that 12 quid an hour was today's rate. 800 quid for ONE power flush, however, is completely unjustifiable. At that rate (and most of the time on the job is sitting and watching water rushing around!) the whole of the kit is paid for in one and a half jobs so after that every 800 quid is pure profit - on that aspect of your job. Why would anybody want to do anything else with their time if you can pick up that sort of money for watching water?

 

[helpsy]

A powerflush for £125??? Ridiculous.

1)Drain down.
2)Cut flow/return/cold supply to get machine in.
3)Set up machine.
4)Flush (min: half day), w/chemicals.
5)Drain down.
6)Remake pipework.
7)Refill w/inhibitor, bleed,
8)Re-balance system (because you of course opened all lockshields to flush properly).

You're either
1)Lying
2)Stupid
3)Not flushing properly.

I'd opt that he's 1,2 and 3 !

 

[PlumbBobBob]

I'd opt that he's 1,2 and 3 !

read post 28 he's talking about twenty five to thirty years ago