Andy Hobson

My boiler needs replacing and checking out some websites I can get a good deal (40% off rrp) on a Potterton Suprima gas boiler if I order it myself. The issue is that I've tried a few local Corgi fitters and they're not so keen to quote to install a boiler they haven't supplied. But of course they're happy to supply it at full rrp ! The best they'll do is install it and if there's any problems I'd have to call out Potterton direct using their 1 year warranty.

Has anyone else gone this route ? I want to save the cash but not if it's gonna be a whole heap of hassle if there's a problem...

Thanks, Andy.

Buckrogers

Interested in doing the same thing myself, after I fell over looking at a few quotes. Like you say, these guys are already making very good money on the labour, then want to bend you over and take a whopping £400 profit on the price of a boiler!

I think i will buy the boiler myself after I get someone (friend of a friend, corgi reg.) to give it the once over before ordering.

mart360

Just go to your local plumber heating supplies place..

the one near us is, i believe a nationwide chain they do heating and bathrooms.

they supplied our boiler, we told them what we had and what we wanted..


I had the same troubl when i approached most Corgi registered fitters

we gout ours done by a local corgi fitter.

mind you the wifes brother in law is the manager of the shop, so finding a

fitter was quite easy, and we gotr a good discount to

most are frightened you will sue them if the boiler breaks down

mart

Corgi

Just done this, bought mine from www.mrcentralheating.com

fitted all the rads and did all the plumbing then got my corgi reg. mate to sort the gas out, cost about £800 all in

RR

Your all having a laugh, you wanna buy the parts yourself and pay someone to fit them, and then if the parts go wrong call them out to repair free of charge. The reason there's a 1 yr warranty is obviosius. So a guy fits your boiler u bought cheap, the boiler fails due to no installation fault by the installer and u then want to call him back out to repair a manufactures fault free of charge for the first year. Think new wrx sti uk version and prodrive, and then the warranty and a non approved subaru performance pack. GET REAL

Buckrogers

No not really. If a valve or pump goes in the boiler it has a warranty. If something fails because of the installation it is the fitter thats at fault.

gsm1

The fitter will call out the manufacturer's engineer anyway to replace the parts if there is a fault. Problem is supply and demand. Corgi installers have it sewn up (in London anyway), they can pass up on work as they are already making enough.

jjones

fit it yourself.

Gordo

Beware the 'Corgi' registered plumber. A couple of years ago I was looking for someone to come and repair/service a combi boiler in our house.

I rang a chap in the yellow pages who told me that yes, he was Corgi registered, but that he only did commercial work. He then went on to tell me to beware trusting the Corgi registration as all you have to do to get it is to fill out a form, including claiming you have the qualifications (a tick box process apparently), which Corgi never check. i.e. you or I could do it.

Sure enough, the three 'Corgi registered' plumbers I've had round since were all charlatans and bull****ters. One in Manchester told me that our boiler was knackered and needed replacing - £2000, sir. I rang the manufacturer to check how long it should last - they said another 5 years easy and charged me £70 for a service. Sorted.

Two I had round in Glasgow (friends of friends) to solve a problem with our heating both quoted £500 for completely useless solutions - luckily I didn't trust them (the bull**** was flowing all over the floor!) and solved it with a spanner - 'twas merely a sticking electric flow valve. Sorted for free.

Don't the manufacturers install as well?

Gordo

RR

The manufacturer will want the Installer to go and view the problem. If he goes and its a manufacturing fault, who pays him. The house owner or the manufacturers. The answer is neither will pay, and the installer has wasted his time free of charge. Now if the installer supplied the boiler then he should feel a little more inclined to come and help the person out.

MTR

I had a new Potterton Profile boiler fitted about 12 months ago.
At the time I did a search on the Potterton range, and found some plumbing bulletin boards via Google, and the Suprima got a LOT of negative comments about circuit board failures circa £250 each time to fix.
In the first year its guaranteed, but then you would be paying.
It was so bad one of the plumbers would not recommend it at all, even though it was supposedly updated MANY times by Potterton to rectify the known weakness.
My father is a retired plumber and my brother in law is a plumber.
My brother in law said he had heard of reports of failures on the Suprima also.
They may be poular to fit because they are lighter in weight than the 'Profile', by a lot, and are easier to handle.

Buyer Beware.
See here for the sort of comments you will find.
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Potterton_Suprima__73270/TabId/2

It scored 1.5 stars out of 5!!!

Cheers
MTR

MTR

http://www.diynot.com/forums/search.php?mode=results
Type suprima in the search box and press enter.
There are loads of Suprima problems to read. Pages of them.

http://www.plumbingpages.com/forums/...m=5&Topic=1814

these are pages from
http://www.diynot.com
http://www.plumbingpages.com

Enjoy

Cheers
MTR

Mog

"I rang the manufacturer to check how long it should last - they said another 5 years easy and charged me £70 for a service. Sorted."

How can a manufacturer state over the phone the projected lifespan of a particular boiler installed in a house which is subjected to installation conditions.

Mog

gsm1

Yeah, but the installers round here charge so much anyway. A friend recently got quotes from several companies to change a 28 kw combi boiler. Brit Gas came in at £2400. The lowest was over £1800. That's an installation that will take no more than 2 days. Take off £500 for the boiler and a few odds and sods and that's between £650 to £950 labour per day!

Oh..and I wouldn't recommend Potterton either.

imlach

I've got a Worcester Bosch combi, installed 2 years ago.
Seems fine. Fan started making funny noises on it after 18 months, and a plumber said it shouldn't fail that quickly, so even although it only had a 12 month warranty, phoned Worcester Bosch anyway.....at first they quoted £120+vat for someone to come and replace the fan including labour, or £60+vat for the fan on it's own.

In the end, my plumber said it was a 5 minute job, and Worcester Bosch agreed to sell the fan to us for £20 as a goodwill gesture as it was an premature failure. Plumber charged nowt as he was servicing the boiler anyway....

Result.

Bubba po

I had a Potterton boiler fitted a few years ago in my previous house and it was a chuffing nightmare. It let us down about ten times (under warranty). We moved and fitted a Vokera boiler instead, which has been brilliant.

yoza

I worked for Myson Combustion Products for 9 years (In Kirkby, Liverpool), building the Economist gas fired, PJ (Pressure Jet) oil fired and the Maxton electric boiler range.

The plant then moved to Padiham, Burnley under the name Potterton, I work there for 4 years, building the Suprima, and Profile range, then I think they were bought out by Baxi.

I believe they are built between two plants at Bamber Bridge and Padiham. Padiham being the assembly plant and Bamber Bridge being the design and manufacturer of parts plant.

I dont know much about trouble shooting on boilers as I worked in the press shop. Basically turning drawings into flat metal parts on a CNC punch press.

But I still have some good mates in the plants who can give me free up to date info, and get me massive discounts on boilers and parts.

Employees are allowed two boilers per year at reduced rates.

I didnt particularly enjoy my stay with these companies so it would be easy for me to slag them off. But I rate their products highly, they are leaders in the field when it comes to inovative design, and customer back up. They have recieved a bit of flack in this thread, maybe rightly, but if you put them up against all of the other top 10 leading brands I believe they would be up around the top 3.

Sorry to ramble on, but its this or Trisha.......

Andy Hobson

Wow, thanks for all the replies people. I must admit I chose Potterton more because I'd heard of it than anything. It looks like more detailed reseach is required !

I may just take the hit and line the b*ggers' pockets and ask them to recommend and supply a boiler. At least they'll have to come out and sort it whatever the problem.

Cheers,

Andy.