# Boiler repair - new fan and 3/4 inch lever



## Dinging (2 Dec 2008)

Hi All,

My Ideal classic bolier broke down last week.  Had it servced in April of 2008 and all was working fine and the boiler was working well with no issiues according to the service report.  Anyway my query is how much should I be charged to repalce the boiler fan and a 3/4 inch lever.  According to the bill I have received this job took 7 hours in total which in labour only is almost €500.  The engineer charges over €70 per hour and is Bord Gas approved. Am I being ripped off here?


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## DavyJones (2 Dec 2008)

€70 an hour is very high. Fan is probably around €100-€150 and lever valve, maybe €5. 

7 hours is a very long time to change fan and replace lever valve even if it means draining down heating and refilling.


Some boiler fans are prone to sticking and with a little encouragement they can be freed up.

I would not be happy with a bill like that.


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## DGOBS (3 Dec 2008)

depending on the boiler fan prices do vary. Some are even €300 or more. But most are around the €150-€200 range. Fitting would be about 30mins or less. Assuming lever valve is under boiler allow maybe 30mins to freeze pipe (while changing fan!) can't seehow this lot could be over 2hrs at most (€120-140 callout plus parts I'd say)


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## Rigoletto (3 Dec 2008)

Dinging said:


> Hi All,
> 
> My Ideal classic bolier broke down last week. Had it servced in April of 2008 and all was working fine and the boiler was working well with no issiues according to the service report. Anyway my query is how much should I be charged to repalce the boiler fan and a 3/4 inch lever. According to the bill I have received this job took 7 hours in total which in labour only is almost €500. The engineer charges over €70 per hour and is Bord Gas approved. Am I being ripped off here?


 

sorry to be pedantic but firstly hes not an engineer. he has no degree. He is plumber and hopefully a served time one. the labour seems a little high normally a company would charge between €40 and €55 per hour excluding vat. 
did you get a quote before hand? if the job is completed then you dont have a leg to stand on.


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## Dinging (3 Dec 2008)

Breakdown of the bill I received is as follows: labour €500, parts €250.   I have registered a complaint to Bord Gais who have also instructed me to call around other approved Bord Gais plumbers so far the quotes I got vary from €420 to €450.  So it looks like this is an attempt to rip me off. The bill wont be paid unless it is reduced to within the range I have been quoted above.  I called the plumber in question 2 days ago and said the quote was a rip off and he needed to sort this out, he said he would get back to me but nothing since.


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## cibby (3 Dec 2008)

Maybe you ARE being ripped off!
I was told a year ago by the Gas Man that they _*repaired*_ the valve, as heating went on a go slow-rads only heating to 30% of normal, boiler apparently not firing up properly. And, Gas Man said, if it goes again i'd need a new one- 
Got boiler serviced in May (cost e80 took about 25 mins by Gas Co approved person). 
Then it went on a 'go slow' on sat last -soooooo cold, for past 3 days, had to go buy an electric heater- Rads were luke warm. When rang Gas Man, he told me judging by las tyear- it now need that new valve- have E250 ready. Came this am - said it only needed readjustment of thermostat- took 5 mins cost E70....?????? Am I an eejit or what??
Last time Gas Man!


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## Dinging (3 Dec 2008)

Update on this.  Bord Gais have no responsibility over the costs a plumber charges and if a plumber wants to charge €70 per hour they say is up to the individual plumber. They also have no input or guidelines as to how many hours a job should take.  It looks like I have to resolve this with the company in question and hopefully we can come to an agreement on the bill.


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## DavyJones (3 Dec 2008)

Rigoletto said:


> sorry to be pedantic but firstly hes not an engineer. he has no degree. He is plumber and hopefully a served time one.



I too am sorry for being pedantic but you do not need a degree to be classed an engineer.

engineer _Noun_
*1*. a person trained in any branch of engineering 
*2*. a person who repairs and maintains mechanical or electrical devices 
*3*. a soldier trained in engineering and construction work 
*4*. an officer responsible for a ship's engine.

Many Gas/heating engineers are not qualified plumbers. They are two different disciplines with different training and qualifications. 

 However I do agree that the name is over used. When I worked in the UK heating/gas engineers would look down their nose's at mere plumbers. Something that bugged me. I am both but always say I am a plumber when asked my occupation.



To the OP, Bord Gais will not get involved unless there is a safety issue with the service persons work. Have you paid?


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## Rigoletto (4 Dec 2008)

to qualify as a member of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland one must have an honours level degree. 
there are associate levels and indeed technician levels for the less qualified.


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## DGOBS (6 Dec 2008)

Rigoletto,

Just have to take issue with your point of 'the less qualified'

I do NOT hold a degree!

I have 10+ years in boiler design and manufacture (where i served my time)
I have a further 10+ years in pnumatic, hydraulic, electronic system repair, installation and production engineering
I have 5+ years in training and assessing for engineering
sorry, I'm begining to rant.....and will leave the rest of my CV to one side
(ie the 14 years of night collage and numerous other engineering aand gas/oil product and training courses 'all distinctions' I have completed)

I do believe I have the right to consider myself an engineer, and have spent many a wasted day wiping the noise of snotty kids who after 4 years asnd more of collage coming into industry with the sure fire belief that a few miserly letters after their names 'qualifies' them as engineers
when in reality there 'training' is only beginning, so I beg to differ with your 'assumtion' that only degree holders are engineers


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