Cut and connect

clammy

i personally don't use this method but at one time i worked for a company that did and they always got them latter down the road and made even more money and the service techs would always get the short end of the stick and pissed HO espically when they got the bill .i always thought of it as half a new boiler and usually any promblems that existed before the new boiler are still there and will never be corrected ( air related promblems ,gravity circulation ,to much heat to not enough)the list goes on and on .It seems as though your saving some money up front but in some cases you save nothing and gain some greif peace and good luck clammy

jeanRR

Cut and connect method of installation ever viable?

Hi,

Some contractors warn against what they call the "cut and connect" method of installing a replacement oil boiler, meaning disconnecting the old boiler and dropping a new one into its place using the original pipes, wires, circulators, etc., to the degree possible. The estimated cost for this type of installation can be thousands less than for an installation using all new materials. Are both methods commonly used? Or is the cheaper method ever used successfully? Thanks for any advice you may have to give.

Jeanne

[Deleted User]

we take the middle road

we offer partial or full replacement and price it accordingly. but it's in writing that the customer has been made aware of the potential problems. then if/when they happen, the customer can choose to do 'repairs' by piece if possible. and without saying so up-front, we also do the repairs at a lower rate. good pr in the long run

billtwocase_6

start from scratch

Jean, they should start from the ceiling down if it is to be done right. The cut and connect isn't always done to save the customer money, usually just puts more in the installers pocket. I have done the "cost" jobs, and it's not worth it. Usually a month down the road, the old extrol, circ, or any old part that wasn't replaced at time of new install, can and probably will fail. If you are planning a replacement, go over all with the installer, and require all old stuff be upgraded at the same time. It will be to your benefit in the long run. peace

Bob Bona_4

times change

and methods change.

I have yet to walk into a boiler room and see a chop and swap situation that would meet standards-I'm waiting for that day..

20-25 years ago +, when that boiler was put in, it was plumbed with the best intentions. Thanks to our host here, in the early 1990's, the word started to get around about a better way to pipe up a boiler for the best performance and serviceability. Dan even wrote a book about it- "Pumping Away". The physics behind "pumping away" has been known since the '50's, but it was Dan who brought it mainstream. I have been using this method since around 1992.

Gradually, more and more installers have adopted what has become the "standard" for boiler piping. I know this because I see it more and more out in the field.

Picture a boiler swap in the future (assuming oil boilers are staying largely the same as they are in 2009). All the piping is done in "pumping away" fashion, piping is all up to snuff.. Conceivably, the supply and return can be cut and re-connected. Tired components like circs, expansion tanks, feeders, and any other wear items can be changed, but the piping can stay intact. Utopia?

Once one knows how near boiler piping is supposed to be, and why it's supposed to be that way, it's hard to justify any other configuration. Are there in-and-out installs being done anyway? Sure. Budget, installer knowledge or ambition has to be factored in.

Think about it. A boiler changeout is the chance to make things right for the next two, three decades or more. For the relatively small extra cost, why not create something that will be a pleasure to have and service, rather than a curse?

Personally, any boiler I quote gets a repipe to current standards. If I lose the job to a hit and run, so be it. I won't be getting the calls for noisy systems, premature part failures, etc., they will.

Bob Bona_4

absolutely Bill

I'll never forget running into this sub that did boilers for a local oil co. He was bragging how fast he "ripped" (Oh, how I hate that term)out the ladies boiler, and "slammed" in the new one and he was at the bar by 3.

You can guess what got done, and what was left.

billtwocase_6

thanks Bob

Reading your posts on here, I've realized that yourself and others here do things the right way. Our workmanship has to represent our integrity. Too often you run into the "slammed" in replacements, and it is disgusting to see that someone can be bordering dishonest to do that kind or work, and hand the customer a hefty bill. Each install I do becomes a work of art so to speak. Everything should be neat, clean, level, new, and permitted. peace

JK_3

sometimes

I find that sometimes so that my customers can compare apples to apples it is best to explain all of those things that we include in our boiler replacement and the reasons that we do so. With some customers especially with the economy being what it is we have to slam them in, but we do get the customer to sign a waiver which includes that if the boiler should be damaged by not replacing one or more of the recommended items that the boiler manufacturer will not honor their warranty.






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Mark Eatherton

How many terms can you find...

Rip and Run.

Blow and go.

Cut and connect.

Chop and swap.

Do any of these terms sound like they have value, or does it sound like some one trying to deliver cheap HEAT?

HEAT is but one component of comfort and efficiency.

Remember Heat Boys lament. "It's not so much a matter of 'You got what you paid for', as it is a matter of 'You didn't get what you DIDN'T pay for, and you're probably not going to get what you thought you were going to get in the way of comfort and efficiency"

Now, if all you're looking for is cheap heat, then go for it. But if you are looking to get something in the way of reliable comfort and efficiency, be prepared to spend more money, and be done with it. Doing it cheap will come back to haunt you and your money many times over.

ME