New boiler needed? Any opinions please?

No, our old one was ancient, huge, highly inefficient but just kept chugging. It was probably only giving us a third of the energy we were paying for but we just ignored it. British Gas told us to get rid of it many times but we thought they were just on the sell.

This built in obsolescence is infuriating! 10 years old shouldn’t be done for! My husband is going to get it both barrels when he comes back from golf, leaving me with this worry!

My mum has her boiler fir over 50 years, with an annual service gas contract. For the last 15 years she was told the boiler needed replacing. They then refused to continue the contract.
The old boiler actually carried on fir years until she moved into a care home. As far as i know the new owners haven't changed it. My boiler is over 30 years old, we haven't had it serviced fir about 20 years, and is still going strong thank goodness.
I understand from a plumber friend that the new ones have built in obsolescence so best to hang into the old style if possible. Sorry, it Doesn't help in your case I know.

Thanks to all. Yes, it’s been losing pressure for the last year or so, husband kept sorting it. If we change the make, we’d have to have the vent thing changed which would be horrendously pricey. Our old house’s boiler was completely inefficient but it needed extensive renovations to the kitchen/conservatory so we were moving anyway, thank goodness.

I’m surprised that 10 years is the optimum age for a WB though, I thought we had another ten years at least! But my awkward bugger of a husband kept insisting we didn’t need an annual service. The engineer has offered a part but that will cost £300 plus the danger of doing more damage messing about with it. We’d probably be better biting the bullet and getting it renewed but I sincerely hope ten years wouldn’t “see us out”! Now, the blinking television seems to have ‘gone’ as well so it’s going to be an expensive month!

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

We had a new boiler fitted day after lockdown, it’s an Ideal. Just over 2k.

Our old boiler was 15 years old, needed a new part, just as plumbers outlets were shut down. Also needed a new flue, obsolete, so meant having one purpose built.

So we bit the bullet and got the new one, with a 10 year parts and labour guarantee, and should be more efficient hopefully.

We used our regular plumber, who we trust and is reliable. Didn’t get any other quotes, were just relieved to get sorted as no idea then what lockdown involved or how long it would last.

boheminan

Thanks Wibby that info has been so helpful for me. I've been without heating for months, can't afford new boiler and didn't know that there are grants 'out there'. I do qualify, such a relief. Wouldn't of known if I hadn't read this thread.

Your welcome Boheminan, pleased to hear you qualify.

have you tried to raise the pressure yourself, it is very easy and all boiler owners should know how to do it. All boilers lose pressure over time

Underneath the boiler are various taps, find the correct tap, it should be pretty prominent and give it a tweak, you will hear the water flow immediately. If you don`t hear it then it is not that tap and just move it back to where it was. Keep an eye on the pressure dial, without ch on the pressure will be around 1.3, the water expands when the ch is on and will reach about 1.5

Sounds like a bit of `selling boilers stuff`. My boiler man explained that the most call outs are for low pressure and that some use that to make loads of money. He showed me what to do and I am in anew build and have increased pressure slightly 3 times

Same here Sparklefiz with the quote for same boiler from British Gas and what we paid the bloke down the road was a difference of about £1.400. (Neighbour is qualified etc and works for himself)

Thanks Wibby that info has been so helpful for me. I've been without heating for months, can't afford new boiler and didn't know that there are grants 'out there'. I do qualify, such a relief. Wouldn't of known if I hadn't read this thread.

It's true that modern boilers aren't as robust as older ones as there's built-in obsolescence to contend with.

The modern types lose pressure on a regular basis as it 'goes with the territory' which can be a damn nuisance for the householder. Do your homework. Mine was a right old fiddle but the plumber changed a part (for a price) so all I have to do is pull down a lever which is a game changer.

I never had so much trouble with the older ones.

My boiler was old and kept breaking down, and I was told by several different engineers that parts were hard to obtain. There is never a good time to be without heating and hot water, and I was fed up.

My new boiler has been brilliant. It's not actually what you would call "new" now, but much more efficient than the old one, much cheaper to run, and I have never regretted getting it.

One word of warning - get 3 quotes, as I had 3 including one from British Gas - all of them recommending the same boiler, but the BG quote was double the prices of the others.

No, not eligible for a grant.

Definitely get second opinion. My Worcester Bosch is ten years old and is perfect, never missed a beat. Our engineer only fits these and he gets very few problems.

Apparently newer boilers are more efficient and marginally cheaper to run.

My present boiler was fitted around 2009 but it has problems so I was thinking of changing mine but it would be like for like because of where it is situated.

October is the month I have in mind and £2K appears to be the going rate. That will hopefully "see me out!"

I'd get a second opinion too. 40 years does seem exceptional to me though. I think like everything else, they are not made to last as long these days.
We have an Ideal brand boiler and it's very good.

Pantglas2

I’d get a second opinion.

Hear, hear

I thought about boiler grants but thought you had to be on benefits or something to qualify. I’ll look into it. I’m tempted to get a second opinion but is it not just throwing more money at it?

I’d get a second opinion.

The UK goverment do a boiler grants.

www.boilergrants.info/