hmv4u
Full Member
Posts: 142
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Post by hmv4u on Jul 30, 2022 17:58:12 GMT
Apologies if this has been raised before but cant find any current threads.
We have a 27 year old detached house and it has the original boiler heating a hot water tank and 13 radiators,it has given little trouble and we have it serviced every year,seeing all the advice to change to a more economical combi boiler which means having all the hot water/cold water ripped out,approx cost(guess) about £3000 ? i spoke to my boiler engineer last week and he said it takes about 5 years to save enough to pay off the cost and given a following wind the boiler could last for 10 years.So with the forth coming rises in fuel is it time to change ? if so what make of boiler is recommended.current dual fuel bills for the 2 of us are £186 a month
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Post by tomplum on Jul 30, 2022 21:03:48 GMT
My advice is, get a combi, the savings are enomass because, As you are now you are heating water twice a day, if you don't use it, its wasted, Its like boiling a kettle then throwing it out, The plus is,,your boiler in summer is idle, its sleeping using fuck all and, If you want hot water, its there already from a combi, Mate, you'll never look back, get a combi  |
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Post by crowsfoot on Jul 31, 2022 15:56:42 GMT
I must say that when I changed my 30 year old boiler for a combi I did expect to save a bit of of money, alas it made no noticeable difference to my gas bill at all!
The biggest problem with a combi boiler is the poor flow rate of domestic hot water.
Do you have a big demand peaks for hot water in your property?
If you do then a combi might not be the answer.
You can fit a new "system boiler" and connect it up to the old storage cylinder in doing so will give you the advantage of having a pressurised heating system and a
more supposedly economical boiler plus you keep your Immersion Heater back up.
A combi would free up space and seems to be a more modern way to go.
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Post by rocketmanbkk on Jul 31, 2022 18:03:08 GMT
I’ve gone unvented & heat only.
I had a combi at my old place
All ok until it breaks down then you’ve got nothing until it’s fixed.
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Post by tomplum on Jul 31, 2022 18:53:33 GMT
So there you are hmv4u, different points of view and it goes to show, Combi's are not for everyone, i stand by my opinion and in my case, It works for me and, I would not go back to tank n cylinder or unvented, To take tappy's point of , hot water use, If 2 taps are run at the same time, youwill get a drop in pressure at both taps, So that has to be managed, If you're taking a shower, let everyone know , and Rockys point about a boiler breakdown, todays boilers are ultra reliable and you are unlucky for a new one to break down in the first 7 years, most give a 5 year warrantee, So its good to get different opinions so you can go what you think will sit you best, keep them coming lads,  |
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Post by anthonym on Jul 31, 2022 19:26:56 GMT
I generally fit Baxi /main combis.
Depending on the model you can get anywhere between a 5 and 10yr warranty.
As long as there fitted right and serviced every yr Baxi will come and fix them if they go wrong.
But to be honest not had many go wrong.
As Tom said tell everyone if your having a shower.
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Post by tomplum on Jul 31, 2022 21:59:18 GMT
Baxi/main /potterton are all the same boiler and its what i fitted in my time doing upgrades, a budget boiler British made and I have the Main 25 HE in my house, It does what it says on the tin, 13 Ltrs per min hot water, The high end Worcester and Vaillant are more expensive and in my view are, quieter running but, not more efficient than a baxi/main ,
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Post by dickpuller on Aug 1, 2022 19:38:14 GMT
Several factors to consider;
Water flow rate at peak demand times(Dinner Time, Breakfast Time)
Its easy to check this at your Kitchen Sink cold tap with a measuring jug,
Time how long it takes to draw 1Ltr of cold water.
The Close proximity of your Gas Meter to your boiler.
Your Gas Pipe may need to be increased in size.
Any shower mixers in your home? They may need to be changed.
Do you have a high hot water demand? Toddlers & young kids use Baths, they’re expensive to keep clean!!
Most >35KW Combi boilers will easily match your existing HW flow rate. A Navien 42KW Combi will cope with two taps running simultaneously.
From an economic prospective, lots of good condensing combis are available & with modern Open Therm & Weather Compensation controls, set up properly, you’d save a lot of money.
Im currently working on New Build houses, the water flow rates are ridicules, with only 10Ltr/Min.
But you know what, nobody complains & they’re non the wiser, we really don’t use much hot water these days.
So, wth the right appliance, fitted by a good Plumber - who knows his onions! You can’t go far wrong with a Combi.
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hmv4u
Full Member
Posts: 142
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Post by hmv4u on Aug 2, 2022 1:01:28 GMT
thank you for the replies,we (2 adults) live in a 4 bedroom house with the intention of downsizing in the next few years so its a, do we do it now and have the cost but also have the bill savings or leave it and take the hit on the bills and house cost as someone else will surely want a newer system,I dont know anything about system boilers but now I see its what my sister had installed and Im not sure Id trust a 27 year old copper tank anyway,its not a decision I need to take straight away but I do want to have a chew over your suggestions and get some quotes once I've decided.
On a seperate but related topic due to illness when the war in Ukraine kicked off I bought a mobile gas heater as a back up incase it went pear shaped and not needed it but I mentioned this to the service guy,to say he wasn't a fan is an understatement,after listening to him Im genuinely surprised everyone using them isnt dead already,Id have thought with a carbon monoxide alarm they would have been ok but apparantly not,but with the cost of fuel rocketing I can see a lot of people getting them.
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Post by battle1066 on Aug 2, 2022 20:57:18 GMT
thank you for the replies,we (2 adults) live in a 4 bedroom house with the intention of downsizing in the next few years so its a, do we do it now and have the cost but also have the bill savings or leave it and take the hit on the bills and house cost as someone else will surely want a newer system,I dont know anything about system boilers but now I see its what my sister had installed and Im not sure Id trust a 27 year old copper tank anyway,its not a decision I need to take straight away but I do want to have a chew over your suggestions and get some quotes once I've decided. On a seperate but related topic due to illness when the war in Ukraine kicked off I bought a mobile gas heater as a back up incase it went pear shaped and not needed it but I mentioned this to the service guy,to say he wasn't a fan is an understatement,after listening to him Im genuinely surprised everyone using them isnt dead already,Id have thought with a carbon monoxide alarm they would have been ok but apparantly not,but with the cost of fuel rocketing I can see a lot of people getting them. Yes some interesting times ahead for how to keep warm and safe during winter. |
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Post by crowsfoot on Aug 2, 2022 21:24:58 GMT
When I was setting out my journey in plumbing carbon monoxide was little known in the media and gas fires where fitted everywhere.
We certainly were told about it and the dangers of it.
My tutor back then introduced it to us as a painless method of suicide!!
Youngsters are scared shit these days by their tutors about the regulations surrounding it so no wonder if they come across anything that's gas fire related they want to put a unsafe sticker on it.
If you must use one of these heaters always keep a window slightly open in the same room and a door.
A severe pressing headache over the eyes is one of the main symptoms along with being very lethargic.
NB I once drove an old works van for 3 months that was releasing carbon monoxide into the cabin.
Not being a plumber I probably would have never known that it was carbon monoxide that was making me feel ill.
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Post by joinerjohn on Aug 3, 2022 9:30:48 GMT
Strange that our government are banning the installation of gas heating in new build housing from 2025 and will force alternative sources of heating . 😉😉
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Post by dickpuller on Aug 3, 2022 12:18:56 GMT
Strange that our government are banning the installation of gas heating in new build housing from 2025 and will force alternative sources of heating . 😉😉 Throughout my lengthy career as a Plumber/Heating Engineer it’s always been apparent that there’s nothing but financial opportunities in this Trade!!……..Kerching,kerching!!!!!😎😎💷💷💷 |
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Post by cathoderay on Aug 3, 2022 14:05:25 GMT
Strange that our government are banning the installation of gas heating in new build housing from 2025 and will force alternative sources of heating . 😉😉 Can see that being u turned (again?) and soon. Been short if electric production for years, part of the reason energy prices are high now is lack of wind in the U.K. last year. Now we're going to have a gas and oil crisis as well. All co2 reduction bets are off. Germany is firing up their dormant lignite power stations. Lignite! FFS - Greta will shit a brick. |
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Post by battle1066 on Aug 3, 2022 16:28:27 GMT
Strange that our government are banning the installation of gas heating in new build housing from 2025 and will force alternative sources of heating . 😉😉 Can see that being u turned (again?) and soon. Been short if electric production for years, part of the reason energy prices are high now is lack of wind in the U.K. last year. Now we're going to have a gas and oil crisis as well. All co2 reduction bets are off. Germany is firing up their dormant lignite power stations. Lignite! FFS - Greta will shit a brick. UK is to bring dormant gas platforms back online as the prices are so good they’ve become viable after being mothballed for five years. |
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