- Apr 12, 2010
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Best Gas System Boiler (UK) Central heating ?
- Thread starter EuroTrotters
- Start date
- Jun 29, 2015
- 4,445
- 71,589
- Funster No
- 36,999
- MH
- caravan (for now)
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- on and off since 1984
Softened water itself is not the problem, but as softeners age, they can leak salt into the water, it's the salt that does the damageThat’s why our last boiler only lasted 20 years then.
See you at a rally soon
It depends on what construction, and type of boiler you have.
Aluminium heat exchangers can become porous with softened water, but a boiler with a stainless steel heat exchanger will be ok with softened water. It is not really a problem if it is a heat only boiler as it is the same water that gets circulated, but is much more of an issue with combi boiler.
I would not have a combi boiler as I live in a hard water area, and combi boilers don’t last long here. I would have a heat only boiler with pressurised cylinder. I would currently fit Ideal Standard Vouge boiler
12 year warranty, stainless steel heat exchanger, very nice integrated wireless controls, and made in the UK
MichaelT
LIFE MEMBER
But how do you shower with softened water if you don't heat it in the boiler?
Possibly by it being a heat only boiler.
The heating circuit will be filled with hard water, this is then heated by boiler, and supplies the heating coil inside the hot water cylinder, which indirectly heats the used hot water
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- Jun 29, 2015
- 4,445
- 71,589
- Funster No
- 36,999
- MH
- caravan (for now)
- Exp
- on and off since 1984
The hot water is separate from the water in the boiler. It is heated though a heat exchanger
If the rest of the system is the same age,I would also be thinking about that..even copper cylinders don't last for ever and the heat exchanger coils scale up,zone valve die fairly regularly radiators corrode Depending on your expected time In the property and personal belief of what the future holds in the way of gas taxation ,regulation etc,it may or may not be worth considering either a partial or complete electric system (£7500 grants at the moment),gas heating is about to be banned in new builds,(it didn't persuade me to go electric...had I been 10yrs or so younger I probably would have
We're still on immersion element for hot water, it's been in the tank for 40 years, but I'm not looking forward to the cost of replacing that. 
.
Top of the range one, hard and soft water.
Mike.
.Top of the range one, hard and soft water.
Mike.
The price of the immersion is not the problem.We're still on immersion element for hot water, it's been in the tank for 40 years, but I'm not looking forward to the cost of replacing that.
Top of the range one, hard and soft water.
Mike.
It’s getting the old one out that can be the costly bit after 40 years. You won’t find they last more than a few years where I live. Then it’s a new immersion and descale of the cylinder.
Our house had a budget boiler in when we bought it in 2001 - it was a SIME Friendly E fitted in 1998- the gas service technician slagged it off every year- it lasted till 2019 when the hot water heat exchanger went and the mumpty sent out by the insurance cut all the pipes and couldn't fit the new heat exchanger then condemned it.
Looked on Which and the best buy was a Viessman - with a 10 year warranty - used Heatable online as we were desperate and it was the week before xmas. Got it fitted 2 days later. Couldn't get a local guy for 3 weeks.
They not best buy now as they say lead time on parts are long, but cant complain and would buy another when this one needs replacing if allowed by the government
Looked on Which and the best buy was a Viessman - with a 10 year warranty - used Heatable online as we were desperate and it was the week before xmas. Got it fitted 2 days later. Couldn't get a local guy for 3 weeks.
They not best buy now as they say lead time on parts are long, but cant complain and would buy another when this one needs replacing if allowed by the government
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I had a Potterton boiler for 30 years which had required minuscule repairs over the years but changed it last year because of the efficiency gains the newer ones were promising. I bought a Worcester Bosch 8000 30kwh. Delighted with it
That may be true, but we have a Worcester Bosch Heatslave oil boiler that is now over 21 years old. WB have maintained since new and the engineer who does the annual service says to not replace it until there really is no option. Yes efficiency has improved, but reliability, especially in hard water areas such as here, but the build quality and reliability are nowhere near as good.
Agree. They quote these figures but when you work on boilers things haven’t changed that much inside them for about 20 years, when condensing boilers came in. I’ve worked installing boilers and heating systems and some of the boiler names above still make me shiver now, having fitted them and knowing every single one of them failed. Some in warranty some not.
Remember the new ones will always be better than the old ones
If you are the person/company selling them.
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