Back boiler- can I get a new gas fire??

singlehouseholder

Morning all wise and wonderful MSE's.
My query is this, please excuse my ignorance, if this is a stupid question. I have a granny fire in my house, which I'd love to replace. However, I went to the fireshop for a look, to see what I fancy so I can scour the net for a bargain, and he said....
"Modern fires are not compatible with old back boilers, yours is probably 25years old, for you to get a new fire you'd need to relpace the whole system, get rid of the back boiler and get a combi, you're looking at a cost minimum 2k..."

Flippin heck, is that right?? Can't afford that, and dont really want to get a new boiler unless mine is well and truly cream crackered, seems a waste of money in my eyes.
So, can I get a new fire, or should I start making plans for a fire screen.
Thanks y'all.

Woby_Tide

most fires that can go over back boilers aren't the prettiest. We ended up doing the above works as boiler was old and inefficient. In the long run glad we did rather than sit llooking at monstrosity fires for last few years

singlehouseholder

fire sure is minging, but i've been quoted at least 2k, hae just paid me credit cards off- well transferred to a tichy rate apr loan with Egg, dont want more debt, not that much anyway, till have paid loan off nxt year.
Back to drawing board- going to get some good old 2x2 make a frame, and cover it in fabric to make a screen.... that'll fettle the ugly fire!!

p4u1_2

Yep, I'm afraid the guy in the Gas shop is right to some extent. Back boilers were sold with a range of fires which will have been discontinued when the back boiler was discontinued. You could try getting something on the second hand market, a bit of a long shot though.

Where the guy in the Gas shop is wrong is regarding the requirement for a combi boiler. I may be wrong, but I did not thing you could get back boilers that were combi. So if you you do not currently have a combi boiler, why install one. One last thing to consider, these days all newly installed boilers must be condensing, and I suspect you may not be able to get a condensing back boiler, could be wrong here though.

Woby_Tide

I don't think the gas shop is implying buying a combi back boiler, more implying to remove the back boiler and put a new 'modern' fire in with space left behind it, then put a combi boiler in elsewhere in the house, i.e. the airing cupboard/loft

p4u1_2

Woby_Tide wrote:

I don't think the gas shop is implying buying a combi back boiler, more implying to remove the back boiler and put a new 'modern' fire in with space left behind it, then put a combi boiler in elsewhere in the house, i.e. the airing cupboard/loft

Yes, but my point is, whether it be a back boiler or wall mounted boiler, replace like for like. Yes, replace a conventional back boiler with a conventional wall mounted boiler, but why move to a combi boiler unless you especially want to or need to. As a combi boiler does not require a hot water tank there may be a lot of plumbing work involved.

vickyn_2

I am currently going thru this process, replacing a 25yo back boiler and ugly Baxi fire, although it is expensive we have calculated in today's environment it will take no time at all to get our money back as a condensing combi will give you 40% improved efficiency over a back boiler. Also you will have no need for a tank and will have instant hot water with a combi and a better flow rate.

We had British Gas out to service the back boiler/fire when we moved in and they said if it were to go caput, then they would struggle to find parts and ultimately would expect us to fund replacement if it is beyond repair under the insurance as it is so old.

Good luck but the £2k investment is well worth the new heating system IMO.

missk_ensington

Ive just bought a house with a back boiler, its a pain in the !!!!!! because there's a lot of building work involved. My wall juts out like a chimney breast making alcoves either side (which is housing the back boiler) and has an old fire hanging off the wall.....in my kitchen!

It is meaking it V difficult to measure for a kitchen so I have two choices- leave it and build kitchen around it and hope boiler never breaks, or replce boiler. Doing this would also require having the jutting out bit squashed and made so the wall is all one surface, but this has implications as the 'chimney breast' thingy in in the bedroom above and loft-thus to do would be about £5,000+.

I have no idea what to do, looking at just replacing the back boiler with combi and £2,000 is about the right amount. You might get it a bit less if you can recykle the radiators you currently have!

p4u1_2

Yes a condensing boiler is far more efficient, but a combi is not for everyone. There is a limit as to how much hot water can be supplied. I've known, going back a few years so things may have changed, thermostatic showers going cold when somebody runs a bath or the hot tap in the kitchen. This may have been due to an undersized boiler, but it is certainly something to be aware of.

annie-c

What make is your back boiler?

Baxi, for example have a website where you can buy new fire fronts to go with their last few models of back boiler.

25 years isn't really that old. The problem, if it is a Baxi, is that the range of styles for new firefronts is a bit limited and most are quite old fashioned. But you won't have to pay £2000 for it! For £2,500 I had central heating with a new combi boiler! A new firefront shouldn't be more than a couple of hundred quid.

annie-c

For example, see here...:

Discounted Baxi Fire Fronts

From £270-600+ so not cheap, but not nearly as much as £2000!