CH radiators leaking treacle!

wallacebob

My elderly parents had Scottish Gas round to do regular contract check on CH. Engineer recommends replace old boiler, nothing wrong with it BTW, just because it's old and spares are hard to come by. Also they will "have" to have radiators replaced, as they are old. No worries he said, we don't even lift the floor boards, they use micro-bore.

My question: this sound like usual b*ll*cks from gas companies, but am I just cynical?

Boiler works fine, and if it didn't they have insurance and maintenance contract with Scottish Gas! So why worry.

I don't like micro bore, it's a cheap install, which reduces water flow I think? Or am I old fashioned?

After having looked at rads, yes they are old, and there are leaks with black sticky stuff at joints. ( I should have noticed this before - bad Son!) This is probably the inhibitor my Dad put in system years ago.
Can't I get local plumber to drain, flush and clean rads and joints, fitting new couplings if needed? (Or I could do it, lazy Son!) This would be some cost and disruption, but less than new system.

bockster

i think it,s good for your wallet to be cynical.
your right to be wary of microbore, if it is currently 15mm then microbore can only be a backward step.
to clean the exising sytem properly would mean a powerflush which i beleive is in the region of £500 or so, (don't quote me).
if you felt up to it though, lot of work, i would drain system, refill with cleaner run for one week, drain again, remove all rads and blast them with hose in the garden, refit with new fittings and thermostatic valves if not allready fitted, perhaps fill and drain one more time, before refilling with inhibtor,
the above depending on how much filth you discover in the rads, but that should give you a fairly decent clean.
this couse of action would be easy on the wallet but quite labour intensive, depending on how many rads.

as for spares, why don't you post the model of boiler here and get a second opinion off one of the plumbers who post.

hope this helps

wallacebob

Thanks bockster, sounds like good advice.

jockster211

Hi Wallacebob

If you have Scottish gas cover I assume your parents are in Scotland? If so, have they/you thought of applying for a replacement system under the warm deal scheme? It does depend on their income, circumstances, age of current system, etc. New claims can only be lodged up to the end of March I think.


http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/access/FP/CHP


My folks recently had a 30 year-old sytem replaced FOC. Now thats what I call moneysaving!:j .

Jockster

wallacebob

Yes, this is actually the problem. Scot Gas want the work, but apparently no grants available now - all used up? My folks should qualify, but have been told no money is available.
I still think they want to install substandard system tho'! I have heard some horror stories, as the companies do the job down to a price that fits grants structure in some cases- cynical?, ME!