BOXT Boiler Quotations vs Heating Engineer Quotations

Can the boiler you priced online be right?

Many believe everything can be bought, sold and delivered perfectly online.

But can a service or product that has so many technical variables? Let’s explore.

Before the internet, every time you wanted a price to change your boiler, you had to call around several heating engineers and then wait in for them to hopefully arrive on time to discuss your requirements and advise you on what they wanted to fit.

Painstaking perhaps, I hear you.

This unbiased article looks into the facts behind a homeowner pricing and ordering a boiler online compared to a heating engineer visiting your home to assess the system.

Most will believe that times have moved on, with the likes of Worcester Bosch backed BOXT and prior to that, the failed Help-Link (co-incidentally owned by the same people who started and still co-own BOXT) who offer massive savings due to the large volume of boilers they are buying and subsequently selling after you have completed your own survey.

So now, you are the heating engineer in charge of selecting your own boiler. Sound good?

What options do you have to choose from when you price a boiler on an online? Lets explore;

So we type in BOXT into Google (other companies are available)

Their sponsored google advert is the first listing funnily enough and some if the tag lines read

“Genuine Instant Fixed Price”

“No Salespeople”

“Next Day Installation”

“Become a BOXT Installer”

Lets look at these tag lines:

1. Genuine Instant Fixed Price – fair enough, you have selected what you want and that’s what their price is based on
2. No Salespeople – fair enough, but prior to this the majority where qualified heating engineers that arrived to your home, they are certainly not categorised as a salesman generally.
3. Next Day Installation – fantastic
4. Become a BOXT Installer – your first indication, if youre paying attention that they use all sub contracted labour.

Now skip to the boiler pricing pages,

Question 1: What kind of fuel does your boiler use? Hey, even I know this one – next!

Question 2: Currently, what type of boiler do you have? Now, it may be getting a little more testing for some, but hold on, there is a guide to help you find out! Great. I will select a Combi – next!

Question 3: Is your current boiler working? Easy, I can answer that – next!

Question 4: Do you want your new boiler in a different place? Hmm, no, let’s stick with the same location – next!

Question 5: Which of these best describes your home? I am presented with some images of different hosue types, this really is easy – next!

Question 6: How many bedrooms do you have? Cool, next!

Question 7: How many bathtubs do you have, or plan to have in future? Who knows, but lets stick what what we have – next!

Question 8: How many separate showers do you have, or plan to have in future? I’m on a roll – next!

Question 9: Do you have Thermostatic Radiator Valves on all your radiators? I have to answer no here, but their description states I have to have them on all my radiators. This is not correct, and I haven’t got them all my radiators so I say No – next!

Question 10: Where does your flue come out? Ok, so nothing more about Thermostatic Radiator Valves – My flue, I can answer that one – next!

Question 11: Is it square or round? I think they still mean the flue – next!

Question 12: How close to the ground is your flue? Easy to answer – next!

Question 13: How close to another property is your flue? Easy to answer again – next!

Question 14: Is the flue under a carport, balcony or other structure? – next!

Question 15: Is the flue 30cm or more from a door or window? – next!

Question 16: Finally, enter the first part of your post code – wow, that’s it, all in less than 5 minutes!

So I was then presented with my price and a recommended Worcester Boiler, and on that page was another eleven Worcester Bosch boilers with five other boilers mixed in with warranties between 3 and 5 years less than any Worcester?

I feel quite a lot of bias now. Looking elsewhere online the other boilers offered are available with longer warranties, so why am I being offered less, maybe it because its co-owned by Worcester Bosch – a lightbulb moment.

So, for examples sake I will opt for the Worcester Bosch 4000 30kw Combi, this delivers 12.3 litres of hot water per minute and powers up to 16 radiators. I click on the boiler link and am told it includes condensate pipework (if none already) and 22mm gas pipework (if required) it also includes a Magnacleanse system flush and Fernox chemicals. I am told that the F1 chemicals stop magnetite and deposits forming.

I click on the Pipework Installation dropdown and read that they allow for pipework alterations to accommodate the new boiler including upgrading the gas supply between your meter and boiler (up to 22mm diameter pipework).

I click on the horizontal flue dropdown and see that Boxt has allowed to install a new horizontal flue that exits your home through the wall. The fixed price includes all parts and labour for a horizontal flue up to 3 meters long!

I click on the Changing your existing combi (I don’t have an existing combi, but wanted one as my choice) they state: This price includes removal and recycling of your old combination boiler. If you have any water tanks or cylinders in your home it is likely you currently have a different boiler type than selected.

So that was it, I could have ordered for next day, but I wonder whether they would have turned up, its 8.30pm at the time of writing this article?

I was about to navigate off the page and a pop up appeared offering me another £50 off? I know they said no sales people but that sure felt like the old double glazing line, “if you buy now I can offer you a deal” as you haven’t immediately said yes, a proportion of people do I imagine. That’s an electronic sales robot, right?

Now, as an engineer, lets study some facts.

So, let’s use the most purchased type of boiler in the UK, the combination boiler (AKA a Combi Boiler) and have a quick look at what the boiler manufacturer’s and their associated warranties state;

Water

Manufacturers of combination boilers stipulate what the maximum static water pressure has to be otherwise it could damage the boiler. Where we asked this? Would you know how to check this and have the tools?

They also stipulate what the minimum dynamic water pressure has to be otherwise the figures BOXT state you will get with your hot water flow rates will most definitely not be achieved. Where we asked this? Would you know how to check this and have the tools?

I live in a hard water area and all manufacturers stipulate you must have a scale reducer fitted otherwise you will invalidate the warranty. Scale will quickly damage a new boiler. You should always install a scale reducer on a Combi boiler installation.

Do you have a water meter?  Do you have excessively high water pressure? If the answer to any of these is yes, you should install a shock arrestor. Was this a question?

Gas

Boxt cleverly word they allow for 22mm gas pipe. My gas meter is over 25m away from where I want my boiler, remember, I could have selected in wanted my boiler in a different location. I know that the new boiler will need a minimum of 28mm copper from the meter and most of my existing gas pipework is under the concrete floor.

Now, what do you think is going to happen when their sub contracted engineer arrives, who incidentally is paid a fixed price to install your boiler? If you haven’t worked this out, the answer is simple, you will be asked to pay more before they proceed with the job.

What happens if they cannot upgrade your gas pipework or it takes a route where they might need to work at height? If you don’t cough up, the job will be cancelled.

Condense

Do you have a drain or waste pipe near to where you want the new boiler?

The engineer may need to install a condense pump.

The engineer may need to cut a channel in your concrete path and dig in a soakaway.

Do you think this is included?

If your condense pipe runs externally, most boiler manufacturers state the pipe should be the same size as the pipe that comes of your kitchen sink waste trap and should be insulated with weather and water resistant pipe insulation.

The Flue

So, I want my boiler in a new location. I want it in the loft coming out of the gable wall.

You are required under gas safety regualtions to provide a walkway to the boiler location (so partly boarded out) and have a light so a service engineer can service the boiler safely. Was this asked, do you think they have included this? You’re right, no, you will have to pay extra on the day or the job will have to be cancelled as the boiler cannot be installed or left operational.

What about access to my flue. The gable end is down my side path between me and my neighbours house, he doesn’t talk to me and will not easily allow access if at all. Was this covered?

The Boiler

Was I asked how many people lived in the house?

Was I given the advantages and disadvantages so I could make an informed decision?

The Controls

What if I don’t want a Google Nest? What if I don’t want my thermostat having a cable hanging out of it plugged in wherever the closest socket is?

The Magnacleanse – the things installer don’t want you to know!

In our experience to do a Magnacleanse on a large heating system takes us a whole day. We use thermal imaging cameras to prove the radiators are clean and heating up efficiently.

How long do you think the sub contract installers get to install a BOXT system?

We found out and went undercover. We would have to do the entire job, in one day, that’s the boiler, the building works, wiring and doing the Magnacleanse

Hold On! What have we forgotten?

I had a boiler, cylinder and roof tanks. they have to remove them and convert the system too?

I remember reading on the first page or two the following:

This price includes removal and recycling of your old combination boiler. If you have any water tanks or cylinders in your home it is likely you currently have a different boiler type than selected.

Do you think they will remove this within the price?

Our Summary

It is impossible for the laymen to specify what is needed to upgrade your boiler, to know all the regulations and manufacturers guidelines.

An good engineer will cover all the points in this article, as they are in your house, they are not sales people, they are qualified and experienced in the main. Most employ there own engineers if they don’t install the system themselves. You know who you’re getting and you can research them and their company. The price is unlikely to change as they have seen and surveyed everything first hand

Online sales machines cannot possibly offer the same level of service and technical input. The engineers may travel from afar and almost always will be in a hurry to get the job done as quickly as possible, there on price work after all.

To be clear, most if not all of the big companies including British Gas and Homeserve work the same way.

We hope this article has been helpful and insightful.

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