Central Heating Boiler

[Pedro]

Our boiler is about 16 years old and when we had it serviced by British Gas they said we need it replacing as it is obsolete and parts are getting difficult to obtain, also, a new one would be more efficient.

 

Any advice of who or where to go to get and honest quote for a new one.

 

Thanks

[Unbelievable Jeff]

I would recommend Worcestor Bosch as a boiler. Do you need a new cylinder as well?

[buctootim]

Vaillant are the only boilers worth considering according to the plumber who fitted mine - although I had suggested Worcester. The boiler itself isn't actually massively expensive but you often have to get a lot of new ancilliaries if you are replacing an old boiler so the fitting can easily ending up costing more than the boiler - particularly if you move its location. Don't go to British Gas who are hideously expensive. I used this place to buy the boiler http://www.plumbnation.co.uk/site/boilers/ and this place http://www.checkatrade.com/ to find a recommended gas fitter.

Edited 5 November, 2013 by buctootim

[Pedro]

I would recommend Worcestor Bosch as a boiler. Do you need a new cylinder as well?

All I know is that I have a Potterton at the moment and a copper tank in the airing cupboard, I don't know anything about central heating.

[egg]

The best boiler on the market is probably a vaillant ecotec, but read on.

 

The second best is not a Worcester Bosch. The heat exchangers are not what they were. I've fitted them in developments and won't bother again.

 

Buy a Heatline capriz plus. Heatline were sh!t until Vaillant bought them. Some of their range are still run offs from the old era but the capriz plus is an ecotec in a different box but at half the price. The prices will go up as developers are fitting them in most new builds and refurbs so get in quick. The 28 is fine in a 3 bed, 2 bathroom house and can be found for £500 inc flue. Its ecotec cousin costs more than a grand.

[Jonnyboy]

They were a doing boiler scrapple scheme so you might be able to get some cashback somewhere.

[Jonnyboy]

Scrapple? What the hell is that? *scrappage.

[View From The Top]

I had mine replaced 3 years ago. A company called Northern Gas did ours, cost around £1300 all in.

 

It's paid for itself already.

[egg]

I had mine replaced 3 years ago. A company called Northern Gas did ours, cost around £1300 all in.

 

It's paid for itself already.

But what did they fit? Most cheap deals use ferroli or similar and fail after a few years. Often it's a case of

Buy cheap and pay twice.

[John Boy Saint]

We had the same issue a few years back in our old house we had the British Gas service cover (which was very good especially in the middle of winter and a chap had it running again the next day) and every year we had the same warnings we must have had our boiler still running for 7 years at least from their first warning what actually failed in the end was the fan.

We had it replaced by the same local chap who had given the system a flush 2 years previously. He replaced it with a Worcester Bosch which also came with 5 years of labour and parts service cover as standard. That came to just short of £1000.

 

When we bought the Wife's Fathers house off the estate, it had storage heaters and electric immersion, the whole place needed major surgery and we went with the same local bloke who again stuck in an even more efficient Worcester Bosch. And if you have the readies to go that little bit further and intend to stay in your house for a while this guy stuck in a Megaflow mains fed hot water system, this saw the header tank in the roof disappear but best of all the shower is immense and the bath fills in a fraction of the time.

 

Importantly if the system you have is running happily with no strange noises, and you can live with your bills to run it, then don't be in a massive hurry to change it just because they are giving you the frighteners about spares. Do it in your own time with your own research, as has been said above don't jump into the hands of British Gas there are cheaper better options out there.

[Fowllyd]

The best boiler on the market is probably a vaillant ecotec, but read on.

 

The second best is not a Worcester Bosch. The heat exchangers are not what they were. I've fitted them in developments and won't bother again.

 

Buy a Heatline capriz plus. Heatline were sh!t until Vaillant bought them. Some of their range are still run offs from the old era but the capriz plus is an ecotec in a different box but at half the price. The prices will go up as developers are fitting them in most new builds and refurbs so get in quick. The 28 is fine in a 3 bed, 2 bathroom house and can be found for £500 inc flue. Its ecotec cousin costs more than a grand.

 

Very useful advice - I'd heard that Bosch/Worcester aren't what they once were. Looking at Heatline's web site, they only seem to do a combi boiler, and I'll need a regular on eas the house has a cylinder and cold water tank. Any recommendations other than Vaillant, or am I best off just going with one of those?

[Special K]

Very useful advice - I'd heard that Bosch/Worcester aren't what they once were. Looking at Heatline's web site, they only seem to do a combi boiler, and I'll need a regular on eas the house has a cylinder and cold water tank. Any recommendations other than Vaillant, or am I best off just going with one of those?

 

They appear to be focusing on solar thermal as their main business now, so may be giving plain domestic boilers the old look away. Vailliant are ok and the ecotec is a decent boiler, but i had one fitted and it was temperemental (fans kept sticking) but generally good. Just a pointer though, get the fitting cock on as mine was in a kitchen cupboard that didn't have enough space around it for servicing and the Vailiant engineer refused to service it as there wasn't enough room around it (only by about 20mm on both sides!)

 

Back to the OP, what make of boiler have you got? Personally i'd get a second opinion as BG will say anything to get some business. They quoted me 4k for a boiler replacement! Got it done for £800 in the end (about 3 years ago) including the boiler.

[100%Red&White]

You probably get what you pay for, most plumbers would say they'd "recommend so-and-so" if they've been trained up to fit and make good money on that particular make. I had a Worcester-Bosch Combi in my old house, they were "very good" at the time, then when I had to replace the boiler in the house we moved into they weren't "as good as they were" but I've heard they're OK again now! We replaced the knackered one with a Veissmann, it was that or a Vaillant.

[bridge too far]

BG always say this - they said it to us when our last house was less than 10 years old! My daughter has just had her (very old) boiler replaced by a plumber they know and respect. I don't remember the cost, although it was a lot cheaper than BG, but he said that spares are nearly always available way beyond 10-15 years and that, as has been said, BG are just touting for new business.

[SOTONS EAST SIDE]

Vaillent are good, I have an ecotec 830 with a Magnaclean installed. Works great nice wireless control as well. Plus 9 radiators for£4000 but didnt pay a penny. Govt payed for it .All part of the energy efficent home scheme. Wasn't on the gas main either(in the sticks) SGN then fitted main and supply pipe and SSE the meter. All in a happy bunny..

[View From The Top]

But what did they fit? Most cheap deals use ferroli or similar and fail after a few years. Often it's a case of

Buy cheap and pay twice.

 

Worcester.

 

I knew what I was buying.

[egg]

Worcester.

 

I knew what I was buying.

 

Blimey, you got a cracking deal there.

[View From The Top]

Blimey, you got a cracking deal there.

 

Businesses were desperate for trade so I played hardball with a number of them until I got the deal I wanted. They did a cracking job as well and it's saved me a fortune.

[iansums]

Just changed ours a couple of months ago. the old boiler was nearly 13 years old and had been giving us lots of problems over the past couple of years.

 

We used a local (Christchurch) company recommended to me by my brother. They are approved installers for both Worcester Bosch and Vaillant, they recommended a Worcester Bosch. They did a very neat job, cost me £1800 but includes a 7 year warranty which gives some peace of mind. Will be interesting to see in a year what the savings are going to a new efficient boiler.

[Grim Reaper]

Worcester Bosch by far the best boiler on the market followed by either vaillant or Remeha Avanta.

We install service and repair a huge amount of boilers per year and without question Worcester is the most reliable.

More importantly any boiler installed is only as good as the way it has been fitted. Condensing boilers have very small water ways inside and won't tolerate long service without the installer carrying out a chemical clean/power flush and also a debris filter.

Some guys are throwing boilers on the wall only for it to bite you in the arse a few years later. The cheapest price is not always the best price so shop around and ask lots of questions

[Pedro]

Thanks for all your replies, I really am a dummy regarding this. My current boiler is a Potterton serving 14 radiators and the main ongoing fault appears to be a thermal switch as it fails to ignite intermittently. I thought it may be worth replacing for a more efficient one before we downsize in the near future. I've noted the comments and should also add that we are in a very hard water area.

[buctootim]

It sounds like you have a large house, so a new boiler might pay for itself very quickly - 20% savings on gas usage should be easily achievable if you are replacing a 16 year old boiler. Equally if you are selling up soon it may not make sense - BG are just looking for business.

Edited 6 November, 2013 by buctootim

[BadgerBadger]

We had the same issue a few years back in our old house we had the British Gas service cover (which was very good especially in the middle of winter and a chap had it running again the next day) and every year we had the same warnings we must have had our boiler still running for 7 years at least from their first warning what actually failed in the end was the fan.

We had it replaced by the same local chap who had given the system a flush 2 years previously. He replaced it with a Worcester Bosch which also came with 5 years of labour and parts service cover as standard. That came to just short of £1000.

 

When we bought the Wife's Fathers house off the estate, it had storage heaters and electric immersion, the whole place needed major surgery and we went with the same local bloke who again stuck in an even more efficient Worcester Bosch. And if you have the readies to go that little bit further and intend to stay in your house for a while this guy stuck in a Megaflow mains fed hot water system, this saw the header tank in the roof disappear but best of all the shower is immense and the bath fills in a fraction of the time.

 

Importantly if the system you have is running happily with no strange noises, and you can live with your bills to run it, then don't be in a massive hurry to change it just because they are giving you the frighteners about spares. Do it in your own time with your own research, as has been said above don't jump into the hands of British Gas there are cheaper better options out there.

 

Too true

[bridge too far]

We live in a hard water area too. Six months after we moved into our (brand new) house, we were having problems with our hot water flow. It turned out that an inhibitor had been fitted to the pipework to filter out all the cack and this inhibitor was completely gummed up with said cack. This meant the cold supply couldn't get through to the boiler.

 

The inhibitor was replaced and it's all fine now. But obviously it's going to be a recurring problem but cheaper to replace that than to have the boiler fur up I suppose.

[Colinjb]

Had to change from an old Fire/Back boiler arrangement and separate hot water boiler to a combi after the back boiler failed in a severe winter three years ago.

 

All installation done by a local fitter in one day, Worcester boiler fitted, £2k all in. Did a wonderful job. The boiler has been superb.

[Torres]

Look at you lot, boasting about being on gas