Condensing Boiler

paddypaws101

I am having a new kitchen fitted in next few weeks. My plumber has suggested I have a new condensing boiler fitted at the same time. My present boiler is approx 15 years old but has only needed minor repairs once and is working absolutely fine. His argument is that firstly a newer boiler will be cheaper to run, but also that if I go to the expense of a new fitted kitchen now, the boiler will almost certainly need replacing at some point in near future and that would mean removing units and damage the new kitchen.
Any advice? I do not really want to add 2k to my present costs, but then neither will I want to ruin my lovely new kitchen if repairs to old boiler are impossible.

AdrianW2

paddypaws101 wrote: »

I am having a new kitchen fitted in next few weeks. My plumber has suggested I have a new condensing boiler fitted at the same time.

Does your plumber also fit boilers perchance?

paddypaws101 wrote: »

My present boiler is approx 15 years old but has only needed minor repairs once and is working absolutely fine. His argument is that firstly a newer boiler will be cheaper to run

A new boiler might be 10%-15% more efficient and have a 10 to 15 year design life but has more parts to fail. Will you be able to save £3350 (£2000 + compound interest @ 3.5%) as a result of that efficiency gain?

paddypaws101 wrote: »

but also that if I go to the expense of a new fitted kitchen now, the boiler will almost certainly need replacing at some point in near future and that would mean removing units and damage the new kitchen.

I'd have thought that a half-way competent kitchen designer could come up with something that wouldn't be damaged by replacing the boiler. Forward thinking might plumb in a condensate drain now.

Canucklehead

Hi

What is the boiler make and model that you have now?


GSR

sandiep

A new boiler should be around £600. £4k is a new central heating system & boiler.

A new condensing boiler will make a big difference to your energy consumption, there are also grants around out there to encourage people to replace 15 year old boilers with new condensing boilers, so talk to your local energy efficiency people - who are usually based in the local council offices (at same time find out about loft & cavity wall insulation).

I would do the following; find out about grants and get at least 2 other quotes from other companies for the new boiler, and if I had the spare funds (budget £1k extra) then I would be sorely tempted to do it, because I know just how low our energy consumption is on our spanky new boiler.

Also

AdrianW2

sandiep wrote: »

A new boiler should be around £600

Plus labour. Plus installing a drain. Plus TRVs on bedroom radiators. Plus larger bore gas pipe. Plus powerflush. Plus decorating. Plus new wiring. Plus new consumer unit to bring electrics up to standard (required because of the new wiring).

DVardysShadow

AdrianW2 wrote: »

Plus labour. Plus installing a drain. Plus TRVs on bedroom radiators. Plus larger bore gas pipe. Plus powerflush. Plus decorating. Plus new wiring. Plus new consumer unit to bring electrics up to standard (required because of the new wiring).

I think that is OTT. The existing boiler is presumably already wired.

AdrianW2

DVardysShadow wrote: »

I think that is OTT. The existing boiler is presumably already wired.

As I understand it, a condensing boiler needs to keep circulating water over the heat exchanger once the boiler has turned off, which involves running an additional mains carrying cable to the pump. I'm sure there are other, cleverer, ways.

DVardysShadow

AdrianW2 wrote: »

As I understand it, a condensing boiler needs to keep circulating water over the heat exchanger once the boiler has turned off, which involves running an additional mains carrying cable to the pump. I'm sure there are other, cleverer, ways.

I really am not up to date with the latest IEE regs, but I used to be and there was principle, that you did new work to new standards, but if what was already there was to regs at the time it was put in, it could stay. In the specific case of a new boiler, as long as the boiler and heating system was connected to the same mains outlet, there should be no need for even beginning to think about changing the consumer unit.

paddypaws101

Hi, my present boiler is a vaillant combi, don't know the model but it is 15 years old. Apart from a new diaphragm pump in 2007 it has never had a problem. I am looking to replace it with a vaillant ecotec pro 824 which I can get for around £800, yes, plus labour plus power flush but should be less than £1500 all in.
I will enquire about a grant, but don't hold out much hope from Waltham Forest!
Thanks for all the info, any other opinions thankfully received.

paddypaws101

The new boiler would be approx the same size, and would be going in same location. There is fairly easy access to run the condensing drain. BUT, all the pipes run down the back of a corner unit, and then along the back of a full run of units.

roddydogs

Whatever you save on running a Condensing boiler will be more than offset by the fact that their more unreliable, and cost more to buy, and to mend. Unfortuantly youve got no choice now if you want a new boiler. Its just another "Theoretical" green issue