New boiler needed? Any opinions please?

Georgesgran

Luckylegs had her boiler repaired FOUR YEARS AGO!

But still useful for others, surely Georgesgran.

Zombie thread Franbern

I had a new boiler fitted last year. I am on Pension Credit, and looked into help with a grant, but discovered this grant did not cover combi-boilers.

Went with British Gas as they give up to four years interest free credit for their boiler installations. I only got three years as it all has to be paid up prior to your 85th birthday!!!

The boiler has a guarantee for 20 years, so seems as if not all have built-in obsolescence.

Our flats service charge covers the cost of annual service and a 24/7 callout from British Gas,.

Reported

Free boiler replacement check your eligibility in just 60 seconds and get your new boiler through ECO4 Scheme funded by Government of Uk.

2nd opinion certainly. Both our recent houses needed new gas boilers. We had Ideal ones fitted and they were fine. The present one had teething troubles but the Ideal engineers fixed them in one visit. We have Ideal service it annually and their service is excellent. We looked at heat pumps but far too expensive and our house is solid wall so insulation would have added a lot to the cost.

Luckylegs had her boiler repaired FOUR YEARS AGO!

Luckylegs

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?

There are different schemes in different areas too.
Check with your council.
🤞

It is not just a quastion of whether a boiler works, but whether it is energy efficient. You could have a boiler 50 or 100 years old that worked, but it would be consuming twice as much gas as a modern energy condensing boiler, which means apart from the huge waste of fuel and very high energy bill, the damage to the environment would be large.

Modern CH boilers are built to last about 10 years. Then the manufacturers stop manufacturing spares and repairs become difficult. A new boiler will probably be more energy efficient than an older boiler.

Always get your boiler serviced every year. For safety as much as efficiency. The fitter will be checking to see that flue gases are not escaping into the house. Do not think you will smell them if that happens. Carbon Monoxide is without odour and can, and does kill people, without them knowing it is happening. You should also have a carbon monoxide alarm on the side somewhere near your boiler to set off an alarm if this happens. But much safer to get it serviced.

I would get a second and third quote for replacing the boiler.

Sparklefizz

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.

When my last boiler packed in several years ago I got several companies out to give me a quote and the guy from British Gas was so rude to me I resolved never to use them again!

We replaced our old gas boiler two years ago with a new Ideal having got a few quotes. We did look at having a heat pump but rejected the silly price (even with the grant). We've had it serviced twice by Ideal engineers to keep the 7 year guarantee valid. The new one is cheaper to run.

4 year old thread resurrected by a Spammer.

The OP reported her situation resolved, so could that be a cue for GNHQ to close the thread?
Similarly, could there be a Dead Thread Bin, that posters could read, but not add to? Often one sees that ‘comments on this subject are now closed’ on other websites - would that be an option?
I’ve seen recent old threads, added to, but not on the same subject, by newish GN names. They often get no response, as posters refer to the original subject.

Just asking,

Has my nearly 20 year old boiler replaced a couple of months back. I thought I might be eligible for a grant, but as I live in a flat this was not to be. Grants are NOT available for changing out a gas combi-boiler for a gas combi boiler, in flats.

Have had a lot of problems with boiler this summer, resulting in much work being carried out by British Gas who are under contract to look after our boilers. Last time engineers expressed some doubt as to how it would cope in the winter, and I decided not to take the chance.

Many years ago, in my house had a small leak in my boiler and the BG Engineer tried very hard to persuade me that I required a new boiler (the one there was then less than seven years old), obviously he was in for some sort of payout for every successful introduction he made. I let him go ahead and make that appointment, as soon as he left the house I cancelled that appointment and put in an official complaint to British Gas about his behavior - he had not even fixed that leak which required another engineer the following day, to change the washer to stop that.

Two local 'gas Safe, recommedned companies quoted and so did British Gas. Those two companies were about the same, and grand less than BG - BUT British Gas give the opportunity of an interest free loan over the next two or three years (Just two for me due to my age). I needed a like for like so as not to mess up the look of the kitchen.

Work was carried out speedily and neatly.

This Worcester B boiler will outlive me with a 12 years guarantee on it. Will help when my kids are selling the flat, when I die. I am, however, still a little concerned at the HIVE thermostat control that has been installed. Everyone says they are really simple to use - I hope so.

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This is interesting as I’ve just had a quote from BG as a result of my annual service. My boiler was new when the house was built so now 23 years and apparently running at 75% efficiency. Also, no spares available. New one quoted at £2300 which includes Hive. I’m going to get a quote from an independent installer for the same boiler. Not eligible for a grant. I think understandably you have to be on benefits or have a very low income.

I am pleased for you Luckylegs these big bills are a worry!

Just an update. Thanks all of you but particularly Oopsminty whose friend was right. Got a second opinion who came today. It is hopefully just the expansion vessel which he fettled there and then for £40 and he assured us that if it fails again it’s not a big job to replace and the boiler should last a few more years! It just goes to show, you can’t trust anyone, can you?

On the bright side, we decided to get a new TV which is coming on Sunday so I’m excited about that!

Our plumber also recommends Worcester boilers, however he came to service our GlowWorm boiler last week and commented that the noise it was making is because it needs a new pump. DH asked if it was better to put the £300 it would cost towards a new boiler and he said no the boiler is good and will last many more years. I would also get a second opinion but would also say avoid British Gas as their estimates are exorbitant and they charge for them if you don’t purchase from them. We respect our plumber’s opinion, he is very good and only charges £70 for an annual service.

The loft IS a terrible place for a boiler. Not only difficult to access but gets cold up there so switches itself on when not needed, usually in the middle of the night, then we freeze during the day to pay for it. I have a long bungalow with 2 boilers, one at each end so maintenance insurance was colossal. This system was in place when we arrived unfortunately. It was too expensive and impracticable to replace all the pipe work so we put the new boilers in but one has the leak. Both guaranteed 7 years and annual service is only about£50. Vaillant who made the boilers say the pressure problem is nothing to do with the boiler so tough.

Hi Luckylegs! A gas engineer of 30+ years assures me it's the expansion vessel which needs pumping up. Not a hard nor expensive procedure.

Did they actuals check the expansion vessel pressure?

Great boiler which should serve you well for a few years more!

I agree about an annual service. Our warranty is invalid if you don’t have proof of this.

I agree the loft is not the most accessible place for a boiler, but it does free up other space elsewhere.

Our old boiler was very heavy, it took two people to lift it in there when it was installed! DH took it apart when we replaced it, to make it lighter to carry down. The new boiler is so much lighter.

the loft is a terrible place to have a boiler, remember all the old tanks in lofts and water leaks? as well as difficult access

Servicing every year is absolute key, as important as getting the car professionally serviced. The thorough service last summer was £70 and that included the radiator liquid. I have booked him to come every year during summer. I prefer summer to pre-empt the winter rush

I would echo the advice re British Gas. We were about to go with them for a new boiler when a plumber we had fir the shower asked to look at the quote and said he could do exactly the same thing for half the price. He also offered a yearly service at half the price.

I did read somewhere that the new combustion boilers only have a life of about 10 - 15 years years.

Years ago we had one of those floor mounted boilers and it was over 25 years old but we had to replace it because we couldn't get parts anymore.

We had a Worcester Bosch fitted two years ago with a 10 yr part and labour warranty so covered for that amount of time so well pleased.

Craftyone that is all very well but if your boiler is in your loft as mine is it isn’t much fun having to climb up there every few months to turn on the water inlet valve until the right pressure is reached, and the older I get the harder it will be.

Luckylegs I had a new boiler 6 years ago but it has never stopped the problem with the water pressure. It usually occurs very soon after servicing and then every couple of months. I’ve had it checked and they say it isn’t the boiler so I must have a slight leak in the system but nobody knows where. All the radiators are ok and no visible sign of leaks. Keep climbing in the loft I guess.