Triton Ivory 2 (7.8kw - 8.5 kw) swap for Triton Cara 8.5kw

[armyash]

Sorry for another shower thread guys.

Finally managed to get round to the customers shower and tap problem.

I had a look at this Triton Ivory 2 shower they have and it is 7.8kw - 8.5kw according to the data label.

Looks the same set up as the Triton Cara. So would I be right in assuming I could replace with the Cara 8.5KW?

Thanks

 

[armyash]

Triton Enrich Manual Electric Shower White 8.5kW | Electric Showers | NoLinkingToThis

Or replace with this?

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Second one should be fine mate 🙂, that shower must be pretty old?

 

[armyash]

I'm not sure how long they have had it but it's not made any more as far as I am aware!

Thanks, any reason why you would go with the second one over the Cara?

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Price?
Enrich is ok, i have the 10.5kw in my house, undersized cable and has run fine for 4 years so far 😀

 

[kay-jay]

Cara and entich are dame shower one from b and q and one from screw fix

Both udually fifty notes. But screwfix occaisionally put it up to seventy. So I get the cara from b and q instead.

Both same. Fitted loads on lettings work.

 

[kay-jay]

Both the same as the ivory as well.

 

[armyash]

Excellent will go for either of those as a straight swap. I think the Cara 8.5 comes out to £48 with Trade point.

Next question 🙂

I have done loads of straight swaps on the Caras during my mon - fri job and it's usually a 30 minute job, riser rail fittings sometimes need new holes drilled but that's about as hard as it gets.

Also got to fit a new basin waste.

What should I be charging/what would you guys charge?

I don't want to keep doing jobs too cheap as I wont always have my main job to fall back on.

 

[kay-jay]

Depends on your location ash. But I would be looking for 110 plus parts and expect to be there two hours or less.

P.s when looking at jobs like this I would have checked to see if the ped would pull out. If so chock it up with 2x1 or a spirit level while you swap waste. If it wont come out then obviously charge extra.

 

[cr0ft]

Based on the fact that to do this job properly you need to test the existing electrical circuit which obviously requires electrical experience as well as plumbing this job should be charged at a premium for a one hour job. That said, I don't heed my own advice here as we charge £60 plus VAT for a simple electric shower swap. If we have to upgrade the cable it's usually £250 plus VAT.

I think you may struggle to charge these prices though if people find out you are doing the work whilst working full time as you don't have the costs to justify charging it imo.

If I was doing the job for money in my back pocket so to speak I would probably do it for £40 if it was straightforward. That way everyone wins, except the local plumbing businesses of course but you will soon be one yourself!

Personally I don't like Triton showers. My experience where customers have told us they want a Triton is that they are flimsy and cheaply built compared to Mira showers. They don't seem to last as long either, I always ask electric shower swap customers how long they've had their shower for and it seems rare to get a Triton one lasting more than 3 years. If I get the choice it's a Mira every time.

Mira have made a good move into the retrofit market with the Mira Jump imo.

 

[armyash]

Based on the fact that to do this job properly you need to test the existing electrical circuit which obviously requires electrical experience as well as plumbing this job should be charged at a premium for a one hour job. That said, I don't heed my own advice here as we charge £60 plus VAT for a simple electric shower swap. If we have to upgrade the cable it's usually £250 plus VAT.

I think you may struggle to charge these prices though if people find out you are doing the work whilst working full time as you don't have the costs to justify charging it imo.

If I was doing the job for money in my back pocket so to speak I would probably do it for £40 if it was straightforward. That way everyone wins, except the local plumbing businesses of course but you will soon be one yourself!

Personally I don't like Triton showers. My experience where customers have told us they want a Triton is that they are flimsy and cheaply built compared to Mira showers. They don't seem to last as long either, I always ask electric shower swap customers how long they've had their shower for and it seems rare to get a Triton one lasting more than 3 years. If I get the choice it's a Mira every time.

Mira have made a good move into the retrofit market with the Mira Jump imo.

Lots of good points, thanks.

I don't mind doing the work a bit cheaper than a well established firm but the one thing i have to be careful of is if I always charge low rates for the reasons stated then I will find myself one day ready to go it alone with a customer base still expecting the same low rates. I will lose these customers once I start to charge the going rate.

The customer has specifically asked for the easiest, quickest job that will leave no marks on the wall, so I suggested the best thing would be to go for a like for like and they said what ever causes the least hassle.

 

[plumben]

I'd be charging my hourly rate+parts and allowing 2-3 hours depending on how difficult the waste is to get access to

 

[cr0ft]

Fair play. When I started up I was fortunate I could get experience where I was leaving the RN in Plymouth. I then moved back to Hampshire to start up which got rid of that problem.

As others have already said, if the pedestal can be removed without taking the basin off the wall it's probably a quick job, maybe an hour. If not it's a couple of hours work minimum for the basin.

 

[plumben]

Don't forget some silicone remover like multi solve if you've got to take the basin off the wall or if the waste is siliconed in

 

[mutley racers]

While we are on the subject of electric showers and someone stating triton are dung, what would people replace an aquatronic 4 with? Mira? As Ash has said, it needs to be done with as little making good as possible

 

[IDCHAPPY]

IMO Mira aren't the shower gods they once were. Pound for pound they may be better than Triton but usually they are double the cost.
If you get 5-10 years out of a shower you're doing OK.

 

[armyash]

On the subject of making good.

They did ask for a similar type of shower to what they have downstairs but soon changed their mind when I told them how much more expensive it would be as there would be more work and then looking at re-tiling etc.