Should I replace my house gas boiler…… (1 Viewer)

[AndyPK]

…..with a more efficient model? At present we have a Vaillant ecoTEC plus 831 combi boiler that was installed in July 2011, and seems to be working ok (kiss of death!! ), but, with the proposed phasing-out of new gas boilers from 2025, is it worth replacing ours now before:-
1. we can only replace it with an electric boiler or heat-pump
2. the price of gas boilers starts to increase as they become more scarce
3. parts for our current boiler are no longer available
4. another reason I haven’t thought of yet!

I know there are several knowledgeable boiler engineers on Fun, so I would be grateful for any comments/advice!
Thanks in advance,
Andy.

 

[Chris]

Our Potterton is circa 2003 and still seems to be going strong and when the gas fitters come to service it they always tell me not to change because modern ones aren’t as good.

You have got me thinking now though given that they will be phased out in a few years.

I will watch this thread with interest.

 

[Richard n Ann]

I consider ours to be new still, but thinking back it was fitted in 2009. It has an easy life though because the AC heats the living room up.

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[Kannon Fodda]

You should still be able to replace a gas boiler after 2025, Replacement gas boilers will be available until around 2035.

The 2025 date is when you won't be able to do gas in new build homes. By then the energy requirements are such that you won't achieve the expected standards using gas, even if insulation and other stuff is at the highest level. But it is far easier and simpler to get heating by other technologies in new build designed with such stuff in mind.

 

[Odd job]

Vaillant ecoTEC plus 831 combi boiler

That is a condensing boiler, so any increase in efficiency will be negligible, if it's working well keep it, the important thing is not to spend too much on it if it does go wrong. Most boilers I replaced were repairable but the cost of a repair may well be over £600 and a replacement with a long guarantee is about £2,000. As others have said gas boilers will be with us for a long time yet, so don't worry about that. I expect they will persuade us to move away from gas in the future by increasing the cost of gas until we give in and get something else.

 

[tonka]

Had a conversation about this only a few hours ago with a mate of mine who rents out 20 houses.
As mentioned it's only new builds that are going to be a problem, AFAIK replacing existing will be ok for a while.
Any improvement in efficiency won't recoup its cost for a very long time.. "if it ain't broke don't fix it"

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[barsteward]

It's a bit of a long video but if you have the time this is well worth a watch.[

 

[gus-lopez]

Buy a spare one now & store it ready for when needed.

 

[Janine]

I have a back boiler which was in the house when I moved in in 1989. Not a lot to go wrong with it although the pump which is under the floor in the living room is getting a bit noisy, so will stick with it until something happens.

No idea if it's energy efficient but it does the job

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[Ivory55]

That is a condensing boiler, so any increase in efficiency will be negligible, if it's working well keep it, the important thing is not to spend too much on it if it does go wrong. Most boilers I replaced were repairable but the cost of a repair may well be over £600 and a replacement with a long guarantee is about £2,000. As others have said gas boilers will be with us for a long time yet, so don't worry about that. I expect they will persuade us to move away from gas in the future by increasing the cost of gas until we give in and get something else.

If you have not got a couple of grand £600 is a lot better, also if you’re a lot nearer the end then the beginning you’ll not be too worried how long it is going to last

 

[denisejoe]

We had our boiler serviced yesterday and the guy said it was in very good nick! It was fitted in 2000 and still going strong. Never needed anything doing to it other then regular servicing.

 

[robnchris]

…..with a more efficient model? At present we have a Vaillant ecoTEC plus 831 combi boiler that was installed in July 2011, and seems to be working ok (kiss of death!! ), but, with the proposed phasing-out of new gas boilers from 2025, is it worth replacing ours now before:-
1. we can only replace it with an electric boiler or heat-pump
2. the price of gas boilers starts to increase as they become more scarce
3. parts for our current boiler are no longer available
4. another reason I haven’t thought of yet!

I know there are several knowledgeable boiler engineers on Fun, so I would be grateful for any comments/advice!
Thanks in advance,
Andy.

Why would you want to that model is considered to be one of the best boilers on the market, set the heating, open a bottle of vino, sit back and enjoy.

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[AndyPK]

Why would you want to that model is considered to be one of the best boilers on the market, set the heating, open a bottle of vino, sit back and enjoy.

Really…? I was not aware of that, robnchris .

 

[chrisgreen]

I have a back boiler which was in the house when I moved in in 1989. Not a lot to go wrong with it although the pump which is under the floor in the living room is getting a bit noisy, so will stick with it until something happens.

No idea if it's energy efficient but it does the job

is it a Baxi Bermuda

 

[matt34]

I wouldn't yet and they wont stpo selling till 2035 if that happen's at all, back boiler probally worth doing as 65`% efficent i would imagine.Most boiler new boilers are said to be looking to being hydrogen adaptable for the future,see me out as a engineer.

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[Odd job]

If you have not got a couple of grand £600 is a lot better, also if you’re a lot nearer the end then the beginning you’ll not be too worried how long it is going to last

The problem is, when a boiler is old it's easy to do a £250 repair then 2 months later another £250 etc. Soon you have spent hundreds of pounds on a boiler that is near the end of it's life

 

[Janine]

is it a Baxi Bermuda

No idea! It's behind the gas fire. When I have it serviced, it is usually just a quick vacuum and new thermocouple.

 

[Odd job]

I have a back boiler which was in the house when I moved in in 1989. Not a lot to go wrong with it although the pump which is under the floor in the living room is getting a bit noisy, so will stick with it until something happens.

No idea if it's energy efficient but it does the job

It's about 50% efficiency of a new one especially with gravity hot water, but then the cost of replacing a boiler like you have is likely to be 3 to 4 thousand and the old back boilers have less to go wrong so it's not an easy decision.

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[chrisgreen]

I have a Baxi its is about 30 years old runs on LPG so not the cheapest to run but I ain't looking to change it anytime soon but if it needs changing I will change it like for like with the spare one I got in the workshop.

 

[Ivory55]

The problem is, when a boiler is old it's easy to do a £250 repair then 2 months later another £250 etc. Soon you have spent hundreds of pounds on a boiler that is near the end of it's life

But if you have not got 2 grand something is better than nothing. Everyone would like the best, just not everyone has all the money. Spending other people’s money is easy.

 

[Ivory55]

Our boiler is over 20 years old and I cannot remember spending more than £250 on it let alone 2 x £250 .

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[Hirsch]

That is a condensing boiler, so any increase in efficiency will be negligible, if it's working well keep it, the important thing is not to spend too much on it if it does go wrong. Most boilers I replaced were repairable but the cost of a repair may well be over £600 and a replacement with a long guarantee is about £2,000. As others have said gas boilers will be with us for a long time yet, so don't worry about that. I expect they will persuade us to move away from gas in the future by increasing the cost of gas until we give in and get something else.

£2000 seemed to be a standard quote from gas fitters I worked with. Tinkers!

 

[Sandancers]

Last week a guy knocks on our front door. When I answered it I found a chap in the overalls of a local gas service / repair Company.

"Hello" he said, "how many bedrooms do you have?"

"Four" said I.

"Excellent! In that case we can replace your boiler for free, take out your old cavity wall insulation and renew it free of charge, top up your loft insulation and add underfloor insulation if you don't have any."

"Really? What's the catch?" I asked.

"No catch it's a Gov. backed scheme administered by the local Council." said the chap. And he hands over the document shown below.

Turns out, that in some crazy way, if you have 4 bedrooms you get it all for free, 3 bedrooms you have to contribute some dosh and 2 bedrooms you have to contribute more dosh. They will replace any boiler over 5 years old for a like for like. So if you have an Ideal you get another Ideal.

I pointed out that our boiler is only 7 years old and condensing so a new one will hardly, if any, be any more efficient. "Doesn't matter" he said, "you get a new boiler."

Then I looked at the exclusions, bummer, over the threshold for income. Can't do it ! But I did ring the Council to see if it was kosher. Yep, as described.

So our neighbour who has a 12 year old system boiler has gone for it. Over the Moon as the boiler is playing up a bit. New boiler, system flush and test, check the cavity wall insulation and put in underfloor insulation. He has a 3 bed house so has to pay a few hundred quid towards the whole job.

So anybody who is contemplating a new boiler might want to talk to their Council to see if such a scheme is coming to near them.

PS don't forget to tell the Insulate Britain chap who has not bothered to insulate his house !

 

[olley]

Fit a new engine in it if it's knackered otherwise leave alone.
Around 2000 I fitted two gas boilers in the refurb of the wife's shop, around 10 years later one went wrong, on investigation I found it had burnt through at the back so I bought a new engine for it, about half the price of a new boiler.

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[Ivory55]

Our bloke said if we had to replace our boiler it would have to be a condensation boiler which is to big to go in existing kitchen cupboard, so would mean new unit which is really a new kitchen. Far more than 2 grand.

 

[Figaro]

I watched an interesting interview with the head of R&D at Worcester Bosch.
His view is that air / ground heat pumps are definitely not suitable for retro fit in most houses.
They will be a fitted in a very limited number of new builds.
WB have developed a natural gas boiler that can be converted to hydrogen for minimal cost, about 70 quid plus an hours fitting charge.
Retail price of the boiler is similar to those already on the market.
So in a few years they will be selling hydrogen ready boilers.
How the infrastructure gets hydrogen to the boiler is another matter and he couldn't answer but was adamant that is the only realistic way forward.
Nobody wants luke warm radiators from a HP.

 

[Figaro]

Our bloke said if we had to replace our boiler it would have to be a condensation boiler which is to big to go in existing kitchen cupboard, so would mean new unit which is really a new kitchen. Far more than 2 grand.

Really ? most boilers are pretty small these days, I'd try another plumber or take measurements to a plumber merchant and ask them to see what will fit.
I'm sure you'll find something to fit if it's a replacement for an existing older boiler

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[M-J]

Our bloke said if we had to replace our boiler it would have to be a condensation boiler which is to big to go in existing kitchen cupboard, so would mean new unit which is really a new kitchen. Far more than 2 grand.

Relocate the boiler, can be done for not much extra in a lot of cases and gives you more kitchen space.

We had ours moved from the kitchen into the airing cupboard upstairs. Loft is also a good option if you have the space.

 

[Ivory55]

Relocate the boiler, can be done for not much extra in a lot of cases and gives you more kitchen space.

We had ours moved from the kitchen into the airing cupboard upstairs. Loft is also a good option if you have the space.

Have no intention of replacing for a long while yet, if it’s working leave alone.

 

[cyberyacht]

Get an Aga and use the wood from all the ash dieback

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