Heating engineer costs
@mike-patrick, glycol is a but pricey from what my installers told me, but it comes down to how much they poured in too, which I'm guessing they can't tell you in litre/gallon terms.
Tradesmen fees in the UK have never been "cheap", but I'm beginning to see a worrying trend emerge. Just last week, I spoke to an electrician about the prospect of him fitting our new Immersun power diverter. After a lot of deliberation on his part on the phone he "settled" on a fee of £450 + VAT to fit the unit. Madness.
It took me three hours yesterday to install myself (and yes, it's working).
Buy Bodge Buster – Homeowner Air Source Heat Pump Installation Guide: https://amzn.to/3NVndlU
From Zero to Heat Pump Hero: https://amzn.to/4bWkPFb
Subscribe and follow our Homeowners’ Q&A heat pump podcast
There's a guide to rates of pay for the various categories of tradesmen published here just last month.
https://householdquotes.co.uk/tradesmen-labourer-costs/
It's not as comprehensive as I'd like because the rates should also differ according to the geographical region of the country.
But it's a offers a starting point if you want to challenge a high bill.
Posted by: @mike-patrickThere's £70 for glycol. This was to top up the system, not completely fill it. That seems expensive too. Any thoughts?
I checked at Stoves and Solar, who supply solar-thermal systems. Their glycol is £45 for 5-litres.
Choosing to buy from a different market outlet can be cheaper still.
Eg Tractorparts sell 5-litre Glycol for just under £31. Perhaps the agricultural sector uses more of the stuff.
I would expect an external system to use between 10-40% glycol in water.
Too much isn't a good idea because it has a lower thermal-capacity than the water.
In Devon I've dosed to 20%, which is satisfactory down to -8°C
Save energy... recycle electrons!
Another site which provides Tradesmen's rates is the Building Sheriff.
He keeps the town free of cowboys, you see!
You'll need to go down through the categories to find a typical price for each job.
And there's lots of jobs which aren't listed at all.
But Building Sheriff is compiled by tradesmen who actually understand the tasks which they're providing the costs for.
Save energy... recycle electrons!
Thank you to all for your responses on this topic.
I've now had that further conversation with the firm, the outcome of which is £50 off the bill and a need to find a different firm for any future work!
The guy sounded genuinely upset that I should consider the invoice amount excessive, although he did lose his rag rather quickly which precluded a longer discussion. He said there was a lot of time put in trying to source the replacement tank (time which wasn't charged for in the invoice). But in response to my question about the 9 hours labour for fitting he sort of admitted that the engineer on his own would have done it in 6 hours (rather than the 4 and a half each for him and the mate). We clearly were not going to agree that the correct labour charge would be for those 6 hours.
It will be a nuisance to find another heating engineer but it's not that I've lost the one local firm that really understands ASHP installations. I'm still looking for them. I can deal direct with Grant for the annual checkup of the pump and the pressure cylinder.
Lesson for me: Always get a written quote up-front.
Keeping fingers crossed that there are no more leaks in the system (all of which I put down to poor original installation work). For now it is working as well as it has ever done in the last 6 years.
Mike
Grant Aerona HPID10 10kWh ASHP
- 22 Forums
- 2,078 Topics
- 45.5 K Posts
- 77 Online
- 3,355 Members
Join Us!
Trusted Installers
Struggling to find a reliable heat pump installer? A poor installation can lead to inefficiencies and high running costs. We now connect homeowners with top-rated installers who deliver quality work and excellent service.
✅ Verified, trusted & experienced installers
✅ Nationwide coverage expanding
✅ Special offers available
Latest Posts
-
RE: Renewable Heating Hub Homeowners' Q&A Podcast
In our latest episode, we hand the mic to four homeowne...
By Mars , 3 hours ago
-
RE: Forum updates, announcements & issues
@andrewj I’m currently away and only back this weekend....
By Mars , 4 hours ago
-
This is very interesting - I have just had my ASHP spli...
By heat-pump-newbie , 6 hours ago
-
RE: Help Stop the MCS Heat Pump Monopoly
Response sent. Thank you for highlighting the document...
By Sheriff Fatman , 11 hours ago
-
RE: I worry I've messed my Samsung settings up somehow
Yes , this time of year . Unfortuneately I dont have ...
By Alfapat , 12 hours ago
-
RE: Feasible solutions to expand existing Sunsynk battery capacity
Ours is a loft installation, which is where both invert...
By Sheriff Fatman , 14 hours ago
-
All your heat pump problems solved by -- a plate heat exchanger in a plinth!
The cut away appears to shows that its a plate heat exc...
By JamesPa , 15 hours ago
-
RE: 5 Star Service from Havenwise
@sheriff-fatman Exactly this is why a lot of our users ...
By HCas , 1 day ago
-
RE: Solar Thermal DHW and ASHP
I'm beginning to think solar thermal is something that ...
By Alex_N , 2 days ago
-
RE: Commencing on an ASHP Installation Process
I received the BUS Grant permission email yesterday eve...
By Sheriff Fatman , 2 days ago
-
RE: Solar Power Output – Let’s Compare Generation Figures
510kWh of solar PV from my 4kW Hyundai panels and SMA S...
By JulianC , 3 days ago
-
RE: Is my Samsung heat pump working too well?
Thats in itself is interesting. I have a Vaillant heat...
By JamesPa , 3 days ago
-
RE: Jokes and fun posts about heat pumps and renewables
@transparent Not a swell season then ☹️
By Toodles , 4 days ago
-
RE: Air Changes per Hour - ACH and the MCS requirement
update - my old installer insisted on a heat loss of 11...
By MatWin , 4 days ago
-
I agree it's not very helpful. Generally, the max heat ...
By Old_Scientist , 5 days ago
-
RE: Why Your MCS-Certified Installer Might Not Be As Competent As You Think
Hive and most other smart thermostats don't play well w...
By JamesPa , 5 days ago
-
RE: Enabling WiFi: Samsung ASHP on Smart Things App
Thanks for the input. I've been running various experim...
By Grahamh-uk , 5 days ago
-
RE: Radiators downstairs are cooler at the bottom after ASHP install
@melonbuffet Hi, this sounds great is you are getting 5...
By ASHP-BOBBA , 6 days ago
-
RE: Ripped Off: How UK Homeowners Are Paying Gas Prices for Wind Energy
I believe there's another reason that network upgrades ...
By Transparent , 6 days ago