Case Study: New Boiler installation London N1
The Job
Serviceteam attended a boiler breakdown in N1 (London), referred to us by an insurance company and attended on the same day. However, after the initial diagnosis the extent of the problems became clear i.e., a defective ulerter valve, water leak, main heat exchanger corroded, PCB (Printed Circuit Board) faulty, plus other parts. We estimated that the repair cost was near to exceeding the cost of a replacement boiler. The term used to describe this situation is BER (Beyond Economical Repair).
Serviceteam diagnosed the situation and within a couple of hours of the visit provided a quote recommending an A+rated replacement boiler.
Once serviceteam received authorization a boiler engineer was dispatched (over the festive season and during a cold spell), to complete the installation with minimum of customer inconvenience.
The customer is now enjoying the benefits of an A+ Rated Worcester Bosch Greenstar 25i Combination Boiler. Optional extras included a Magnetic System Filter, a Smart Thermostat and a powerflush. Peace of mind was assured with the 10-year boiler warranty, one more happy customer, who hopefully, will return and recommend our services to friends and family.
How to decide if an appliance is BER?
Our customer’s needs are of paramount importance and will always be a priority with serviceteam. Therefore, if a cost-effective fix is possible, we will proceed with the repair. If on the initial visit a repair is not possible because a replacement part is needed, we will provide a fixed price quotation before proceeding, leaving you in complete control.
When a boiler is deemed BER a fixed price quotation will be provided. However, before a boiler/appliance is deemed BER strict criterion must be adhered to by our engineers (as standard) and is as follows: –
Criterion:
- The age of your Boiler against its average life span (which will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer) i.e., the boiler’s is 9 years with an average lifespan of 10 years.
- The general condition of your boiler i.e., has it been serviced annually and well maintained over the years?
- The cost of the repair, parts plus labour over replacement costs is considered.
- Then accounting for the possibility of older/weaker parts failing soon after, which serviceteam cannot predict. Also, as these parts were not installed by serviceteam they are not covered under serviceteam’s guarantee. The numerous ‘aged’ components within your boiler could potentially fail at any time adding to the repair costs. Therefore, it makes economic sense to consider replacing the boiler with a reliable, energy efficient A+ rated boiler with up to 10-12 years manufactures warranty.
- Diagnosing a boiler to be BER is not an exact science as many variables need to be considered. Our engineer’s will always use their years of training, experience, boiler knowledge and apply rational logic.
- We always advise our customers to ask the engineer to justify the logic and reasoning behind any BER decision to prove it is not guesswork or an upselling tactic.
For example:
Serviceteam is called out to repair a ten-year-old GloWorm boiler with an average lifespan of 12–15 years. It appears to have been well maintained over the years but requires a new PCB (Printed Circuit Board) costing £359 + VAT. As the boiler cannot be powered up (without a functioning PCB) it is not possible to determine if any other boiler parts are also faulty. It is a misnomer to believe that once the PCB has been replaced the boiler will be fixed 100% of the time. The PCB communicates with other parts within the boiler i.e., Air Pressure Switch, fan etc. all of which can only be tested with a functioning PCB. Once the PCB has been installed there might be other parts that have failed, which creates additional costs (unfortunately). In this instance an engineer could deem the boiler BERon a simple calculation: –
Cost of a new Worcester Bosch boiler (or similar) £2,000.00. with a minimum 10-year guarantee over the boiler’s lifespan.
£2,000 over 10 Years = £200 a year (it may last longer) Therefore, a £200 per annum fixed cost. Against: – £359 + VAT and the uncertainty of any additional faulty parts (unknown), which will increase costs.
There is a possibility that the boiler, on average, may only last another 2 – 5 years which cannot be predicted?
- Over the medium/long term a new boiler will prove to be more economical as opposed to a costly repair.
- We appreciate that other external factors will impact your decision i.e., not being able to finance a new boiler. However, it is important you understand the long-term risks of repair V’s replacement (that comes with an attractive manufacture guarantee). These risks ultimately rest with the customer when the boiler is out of warranty.
- Serviceteam offer interest-free finance for up to two years on new boiler installations – please enquire for a ‘free, no obligation’ boiler replacement quotation. Alternatively, obtain a second opinion and proposal for the repair.
