Unvented cylinder service £?

[Scott_D]

How much do you charge for a service of an unvented cylinder?
Either ones you have fitted or new builds that need it for the NHBC warranty:hurray:

 

[Fallon1982]

Never serviced one personally. Fitted plenty and replaced combination and pressure relief valves. What does a service consist of?

 

[Rickster123]

Never serviced one personally. Fitted plenty and replaced combination and pressure relief valves. What does a service consist of?

Give it a wipe off with a j cloth.

 

[TFGplumbing]

I would

clean the line strainer
check expansion vessel charge
check D1 & 2 pipework is good
Give it a wipe off with a j cloth - this is key otherwise they think you have done f-all lol

 

[Fallon1982]

the j cloth bit it vital it seems lol

 

[cr0ft]

£60 plus VAT if in Lincoln or £30 plus VAT if done at the same time as their boiler service. Easy money really.

 

[Scott_D]

According to the bpec book (I am renewing my UVHWC card tomorrow)

check all components are approved and operational
check valves are operational and thermostats are operational
check for evidence of recent discharge
MANUALLY CHECK TEMP RELIEF VALVE OPENS AND RESEALS
MANUALLY CHECK EXPANSION VALVE OPENS AND RESEALS
check discharge pipes conform and are not obstructed
check cylinder stat is set to 60-65
clean line strainer
check expansion vessel charge / air bubble
check mains pressure and flow upstream of prv
complete paperwork
polish with mr sheen

 

[townfanjon]

If i dont have to drive for miles its generally about £45.00. But i dont use a j - cloth its just a mucky towel

 

[SimonG]

Aye if it's local it's £45.00. Nothing to it really. Check that it's installed to regs, D1, D2, D2 termination. Check safety devices, check filter. Look at the mi's for anything else recommended in the service. Fill in the paperwork, Invoice and RUFO.

 

[Rickster123]

Aye if it's local it's £45.00. Nothing to it really. Check that it's installed to regs, D1, D2, D2 termination. Check safety devices, check filter. Look at the mi's for anything else recommended in the service. Fill in the paperwork, Invoice and RUFO.

No wipey wipey?

 

[SimonG]

Only if I need a dump to fill in a bit more time.

 

[SimonG]

Mind you, the last one I did was nearer a £100. Turned off water and reached up to take the cap off the schraeder valve. The vessel came off the wall. Held on by 2 spring toggles and it was full of water. Original installer wanted shooting. On a nice bit of 18mm ply and hard piped now.

 

[Ray Stafford]

the j cloth bit it vital it seems lol

Other cloths associated with different alphabetic components are also available.

 

[Masood]

Other cloths associated with different alphabetic components are also available.

Available from all good merchants?

 

[LPC]

Testing PRVs seems a bit risky for the money. Bloody things start letting by and wish you hadn't gotten involved.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Available from all good merchants?

Obviously we have your basic J cloth.
And for a discerning gent like yourself Mas, we have the specially monogrammed "M" cloth.

 

[Rickster123]

Rays found a gap in the market, personalised j clothes. I can smell a freebie coming on....

 

[Dotty]

Rays found a gap in the market, personalised j clothes. I can smell a freebie coming on....

There's an A cloth. Especially for you....

 

[Rickster123]

There's an A cloth. Especially for you....

You always have to bring the smut don't you..

 

[Dotty]

Yep..

 

[kay-jay]

No one has mentioned sacrificial anodes.
When servicing a unvented I ask the customer at point of initial contact which cylinder they have?
If it has an anode I explain what it does and the repercussions of not checking it's integrity. I further explain that draining the cylinder to do this can be time consuming and bumps the price upto around 125.00.
I usually let slip what a new cylinder would cost if the old one rotted because the anode was neglected. They usually stump up the extra.....

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

I have one to do per year. i replaced a combi valve for a customer that my ex boss installed. I asked when it was last serviced. They didn't think it required it. It was 10 years old. I also charged up the expansion vessel as it never had any charge. That's a sweaty job with a hand pump

 

[newcastle phill]

I really dont come across many or get calls regarding them. Hence havent bothered to do g3

 

[Best]

Unvented seem to be getting more popular and for the small cost of doing the G3 qualification it lets you service or do any repairs to unvented units. Well worth the £200 and means you could add it to you adverts or van writing.
Another thing that the unvented units can require is the expansion vessel replaced periodically.
Telford recommend I think, every 5 years. As far as I know the potable vessels are just mild steel and can rot through if the balloon membrane perishes. Mains 3bar water leak will do serious damage.

 

[kay-jay]

I agree with you here. It's well worth the 200 quid. I've just renewed for another 5 years and it was 165.00.
I didn't get much unvented work then I got a call from a landlord with 24 of them. All get an annual service and I have replaced 3.
I would have been gutted when that particular call came in if I didn't have the quals. .......

 

[kay-jay]

The lettings agency we look after also have about 30 or so. But they don't get serviced although I do pick up work from these, vessels and immersion mainly.

 

[Best]

I agree with you here. It's well worth the 200 quid. I've just renewed for another 5 years and it was 165.00.
I didn't get much unvented work then I got a call from a landlord with 24 of them. All get an annual service and I have replaced 3.
I would have been gutted when that particular call came in if I didn't have the quals. .......

My renewal cost me almost £200. Not hard to get the £40 per year back again. The way I look at it, one install will pay that straight away, so worth it even for plumber who only does the odd unvented job. And servicing is usually not hard graft.

 

[chris watkins]

£89.00 a service in London (+ parking)

 

[Scott_D]

£120 inc vat at a Vaillant training centre if you sign up to Vaillant advance

 

[gassafe]

I have never been called to just service a cylinder... I will normally just isolate mains & recharge vessel if a custard has an unvented & add on a small amount to boiler service! I ain't lifting the prvs as they will drip & I will get a call back! I also ain't dismantling the prv to check the line strainer!!

 

[chris watkins]

I have never been called to just service a cylinder... I will normally just isolate mains & recharge vessel if a custard has an unvented & add on a small amount to boiler service! I ain't lifting the prvs as they will drip & I will get a call back! I also ain't dismantling the prv to check the line strainer!!

So that is why you are not doing unvented servicing, if you don't pull the T&P & the pressure relief valves it has not been serviced and no they are not like dirty heating systems with 3bar safeties fitted they don't drip.
Well at least only very very very occasionally and of course you have warned the customer any way.

 

[Best]

Never had unvented pressure relief keep dripping after I open them, - at least so far anyway!

 

[chris watkins]

Never had unvented pressure relief keep dripping after I open them, - at least so far anyway!

Thats it you know whats going to happen on the next you go out to Best !!!

 

[kay-jay]

Never had unvented pressure relief keep dripping after I open them, - at least so far anyway!

Me either. It's one of those apocryphal stories that everyone believes but have never seen happen.[emoji6]

How can you verify operation of the valve without testing it?
Which is why we do it eh best. Plus my servicing record asks if the valves operate.

 

[Best]

Thats it you know whats going to happen on the next you go out to Best !!!

Me either. It's one of those apocryphal stories that everyone believes but have never seen happen.[emoji6]


How can you verify operation of the valve without testing it?
Which is why we do it eh best. Plus my servicing record asks if the valves operate.

They are the most important safety parts on a unvented, particularly the p&t relief, is the way I look at it. I have a bad habit of playing with them valves knobs when I have a look in at the units. It's going to bite me someday! :grin:

 

[tomplumb83]

Went to change a vessel on Sunday night. Student flats, this company has roughly afew thousand cylinders throughout uk. They don't bother servicing them, repairs in the week get left to the maintenance man.
The vessel that had blown was a grey coloured heating type bought from screwfix.....
After changing it, I look down and see a lot of scale around a concealed type tundish. I then realise that the t&p is flowing like a tap. How's your hot water I ask? "Not very good, it runs out before the end of a shower"!
210litre cylinder.....
5/6 people rely on this for hot water but they aren't prepared to have the serviced. Or repaired by anybody certified

 

[Dotty]

Went to change a vessel on Sunday night. Student flats, this company has roughly afew thousand cylinders throughout uk. They don't bother servicing them, repairs in the week get left to the maintenance man.
The vessel that had blown was a grey coloured heating type bought from screwfix.....
After changing it, I look down and see a lot of scale around a concealed type tundish. I then realise that the t&p is flowing like a tap. How's your hot water I ask? "Not very good, it runs out before the end of a shower"!
210litre cylinder.....
5/6 people rely on this for hot water but they aren't prepared to have the serviced. Or repaired by anybody certified

"It's only water!"

 

[chris watkins]

After changing it, I look down and see a lot of scale around a concealed type tundish. I then realise that the t&p is flowing like a tap. How's your hot water I ask? "Not very good, it runs out before the end of a shower"!
210litre cylinder.....
5/6 people rely on this for hot water but they aren't prepared to have the serviced. Or repaired by anybody certified

No, they will just wait until it scale's up completely then it will be OK. :dupe:& I have seen that !!