Heating Recommendations

[floydraser]

Sounds like a lack of gas due to a faulty flame failure device or thermocouple. The thermocouple is a diy job for a bloke like you as you don't have to tamper with the gas. I would be looking on the internet for the price of a new one and see if it's worth a try. You tube would be a good start to see how it's done.

I have a similar set up but my boiler is probaly older as it has a pilot light. The guy who did my insulation told me that replacing my boiler like for like would save me gas with a spark ignition. But the cost of that would be about the same as ripping the whole lot out and fitting a combi, about two to three grand. Then more if you want the luxury shower. 

I looked into it recently when I had a problem with a lack of hot water, it turned out to be me forgetting to switch it back on after a weekend away!  My understanding is that just like the electric shower needs an uprated supply, a combi does a similar thing with the hot water and therefore needs a good gas supply. I take that to mean a bigger boiler could need a 22mm gas supply. The installer should do a decent survey beforehand.

Our view is that we wouldn't probably live long enough to see any saving so we're waiting until we have to change it, so we'll end up with one for the "future". Currently hydrogen but really? Electric only in 2025, really? Electric cars???

At the moment I would choose gas combi and with any luck there could be subsidies for us poor pensioners, I'm guessing just before election time.

[CambridgeCabby]

We had to replace our boiler three months ago , the old Valient had lasted for 30years so can’t complain , we went for a newer version of the same as opposed to a combi boiler but did opt for the addition of Hive which allows us to control it remotely through our smart phones , to add the hive option was an additional £250 but was most certainly money well spent .

Also my British Gas care insurance went from £24 to £3.23 a month so saving me just over £20 a month 

[Regulo]

Let's have a "Who's got the oldest boiler" competition. Mine is an Ideal Standard fitted in 1981, still bumbling away happily. No fancy circuit boards, just a transformer, gas control valve, and thermocouple. A 10 year old could fix it. I've had to change the mains transformer twice in 42 years - total cost about £25. Course now it's bound to pack up! 

[floydraser]

58 minutes ago, Regulo said:

Let's have a "Who's got the oldest boiler" competition. Mine is an Ideal Standard fitted in 1981, still bumbling away happily. No fancy circuit boards, just a transformer, gas control valve, and thermocouple. A 10 year old could fix it. I've had to change the mains transformer twice in 42 years - total cost about £25. Course now it's bound to pack up! 

You're winning so far, mine's an Ideal Standard but later than that. I had to replace the thermostat and the thermocouple to stop it interfering with the digital TV signal.

[MargeandParge]

Hi

Only what I have been told by a plumber, if you live in a hard water area you should have a water softener to run a combi as the tubes are small and they fur up. It was some time ago and maybe the technology has moved on. Worth investigating before you commit 

Regards Marge and Parge 

 

[OldBerkshireBoy]

3 hours ago, MargeandParge said:

Hi

Only what I have been told by a plumber, if you live in a hard water area you should have a water softener to run a combi as the tubes are small and they fur up. It was some time ago and maybe the technology has moved on. Worth investigating before you commit 

Regards Marge and Parge 

 

Worth checking as you say, some manufactures say no to using softeners.

[oldgregg]

16 hours ago, Regulo said:

Let's have a "Who's got the oldest boiler" competition. Mine is an Ideal Standard fitted in 1981, still bumbling away happily. No fancy circuit boards, just a transformer, gas control valve, and thermocouple. A 10 year old could fix it. I've had to change the mains transformer twice in 42 years - total cost about £25. Course now it's bound to pack up! 

I'm guessing that's a floor-standing model? Those things last forever and as you say there's so little to go wrong.

[grendel]

well took another look at the boiler, the spark igniter definitely needs replacing as I found 1/4 " length of it sitting on the top of the burner, its still producing lovely fat sparks though. I did find an online manual, and tracing through that it looks as though the main culprit will be the injector, a gas part so no touching that.

I did find that the spark igniters are available but the injectors are only available for the very last of the model (I have a glowworm energysaver 40a parts are still available for the 40f, but not all are compatible.

[Regulo]

4 hours ago, oldgregg said:

I'm guessing that's a floor-standing model? Those things last forever and as you say there's so little to go wrong.

Nope, a wall mounted. I installed it myself, back in the long ago when you could do that sort of thing - probably illegally, but I haven't been a)gassed or b)blown up, so I must have done it right! It actually came as a full kit from a company that provided a nylon microbore system, with a 25 year guarantee. Which was great for 10 years, then the pipes turned to dust!! Of course the company was long defunct by then. Had to re-pipe the lot in copper, which royally p***ed me off.

[BroadAmbition]

We bought our present hovel in 86 and are still here (Apart from three years in Norway and another three in Gibraltar).  We inherited a wall mounted gas boiler in t kitchen that had a constant pilot light burning.  It was uneconomical and slow but did the job.  Servicing was becoming an issue with warnings from the engineer that sooner or later sommat would give up without spares being available.  I can't remember the make of it but it was installed when the house was first built in the late seventies.

Not wanting to wait till it gave up - Which was bound to be during a winter we went for a Baxi - Far bigger capacity than the minimum needed as I knew we would be adding a large conservatory (We did) and I wanted a power shower thermostatic.  I also wanted to move the boiler off the kitchen walls up into the loft - We did.  It enabled us to get rid of the huge copper tank with immersion heater to give us more storage space in the 'Airing Cupboard' and the two header tanks in the loft.  The original boiler was thirty years old

This ere Baxi is now fifteen years old and parts are readily available.  One of the best investments we ever did.  It took a few years but the new boiler being more efficient and economical eventually paid for itsen plus the benefits of a really good shower and a more comfortable and faster heating home - Can't put a price on those

It's developed small issues over the years but with the help of youtube I have managed to effect any repairs at a fraction of the cost of calling my plumber mate out.  He still does the servicing once a year and any gas parts that need attention.

Top Tip - FIT a magnetic type filter in the central heating system / loop.  A breeze to fit and easy to check / clean out.  These save a fortune in breakdowns and keep the system clean and efficient imho they should really be mandatory

Griff

[OldBerkshireBoy]

10 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

 

Top Tip - FIT a magnetic type filter in the central heating system / loop.  A breeze to fit and easy to check / clean out.  These save a fortune in breakdowns and keep the system clean and efficient imho they should really be mandatory

 

For anyone thinking of retro fitting a filter, it is best fitted on the return leg close to the boiler and for those having a new boiler fitted it is often a requirement of the manufacture for the warranty along with a powerflush of the system before the new boiler is installed.

When selecting an installer some are able to give you an extended warranty ie 10yrs instead of the normal 7yrs if accredited to the manufacture.

[Bikertov]

1 hour ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

For anyone thinking of retro fitting a filter, it is best fitted on the return leg close to the boiler and for those having a new boiler fitted it is often a requirement of the manufacture for the warranty along with a powerflush of the system before the new boiler is installed.

When selecting an installer some are able to give you an extended warranty ie 10yrs instead of the normal 7yrs if accredited to the manufacture.

This is what I found with the new Vaillant boiler I recently installed - mag filter fitted and 10 year warranty then given.

It sort of discounted the cost of the new boiler, as I had been considering fitting a filter a few months back, before it packed up. So by delaying I saved the £200 cost I was quoted at the time ! Softened the blow of the new boiler cost a bit.

[oldgregg]

And they're usually cheaper in the summer when fewer people want boilers.....

[SteveO]

We replaced our very old Ideal Standard with a Worcester Bosch condensing boiler 3 years ago. The old one never gave us any trouble but the casing was falling apart and I couldn't get parts for it. The new one has already broken down once, albeit under warranty, which doesn't bode well for the future.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Not want you want to hear Steve but WB relies heavily on the power of advertising.