New boiler for central heating

funkywilson

I have a small dilema with the house I'm just moving into.....

I currently have only an electric immersion heater for hot water and shower which heats itself. central heating wise I have the piping and radiators all in place but no boiler as the previous owners used a argo coal boiler which has since gone.

If I go for gas I will need to have a new boiler (obviously) but also the gas piping redone and checked as there hasn't been any gas used in the property for a very long time. I imagine the cost is not going to be cheap.

I was consider as an alternative going for an electric boiler as I wouldn't need any new pipe work done, my only worry though is the running costs of an electric boiler could be alot more than gas. If I only used the boiler for central heating purposes (pretty much turned off otherwise) and kept the immersion for hot tap water (or even a kettle lol) would this be a better idea than going for gas?

DVardysShadow

If the CH was solid fuel, you need to get it looked at very closely before deciding that you can use it with a new gas boiler. Firstly, it will be really ancient and if it has stood unused it may be in very poor condition. Secondly, it may be part gravity circulation or it may be single pipe layout, which may not be a good place to start for a new boiler.

Owain_Moneysaver

An electric boiler is the worst of both worlds, the high running cost of electric and the problems of leaky pipes and lack of control of a wet system.

If you have a live gas supply to the house, or it's not too expensive to get connected, installing gas CH may pay for itself in terms of lower running costs and increased house value when you come to sell.

Whether electric storage heaters / economy 7 is worthwhile depends somewhat on the house structure/insulation and your lifestyle.

Premier_2

If you have a dead gas supply pipe to the property, it may be possible for them to put a new plastic liner inside it - that shouldn't cost much. They'll check that possibilty when they survey the job. If they conclude it's not possible and you would need a new supply pipe which will be expensive, you can decide not to go ahead.

Mankysteve

You dont nescarry have to replace the raditors and pipeing. My parents have just had a combi boiler fitted with the old pipe work and rads. The peipe work must be at least 20 years old as that's roughly how long we've lived there and it wasn't new when we moved it.

Pincher

Solid fuel heating usually have a thermal store, so the radiator pipes simply circulate through it, without being heated by the boiler directly. The idea is that you burn coal or wood twice a week,
to heat up the thermal store, which supplies heat the rest of the time.

If you are lucky, the gas boiler connects to the thermal store by two copper pipes: flow and return, so it's a direct replacement for the solid fuel boiler. You can top up the thermal store as often as you like.

In terms of the gas supply, you might be able to get a free "infrastructure upgrade" from the pavement to the meter.
The new pipe from the meter to the boiler should be 22mm.
15mm will work, if you have a short run,
but if you decide to have a gas cooker, it's pure luck whether you have enough pressure.

funkywilson

Thanks for the replies.

From what you're saying, gas going to be extremly expensive to arrange. The supply hasn't been used in years and years and it does require piping to the kitchen as there isn't any (the old piping only goes to the living room, the kitchen is an extension built with the purpose of using the argo and no gas, the previous cooker was electric).

The central heating is looking in decent condition, it doesn't have a boiler now but it was used within the last year (and i think has a flow and return since it was used for coal), it also shows signs of recent maintanence. Is an electric boiler just for central heating only really that bad a move? It's only ever going to be used for central heating only (so evenings in the winter) and be turned off any other time. I'm not bothered about a gas cooker either, an electric would be fine for me.

Pincher

Check out air source heat pump, which is all electric, and works like a boiler replacement. At lower temperature, it warms the room slower, so you might need larger radiator panels.

Alternatively, air conditioners incorporating heat pump technology can be had for about £1,000 per room. Air conditioners need servicing annually, like a lift.

Heat pumps give you similar cost per kilowatthour to gas.
I am not talking about electric bar heaters, which would cost three times compared to gas.

funkywilson

I don't mean to sound rude, but some of these replies aren't really answering what I'm asking.

When I'm referring to an electric boiler, I meant something like a boiler, not a heater! For example the Trianco Aztec TRI - 6KW Electric Boiler (I can't link to it I'm afriad on here).

Premier_2

Premier wrote: »

If you have a dead gas supply pipe to the property, it may be possible for them to put a new plastic liner inside it - that shouldn't cost much. ....

funkywilson wrote: »

... From what you're saying, gas going to be extremly expensive to arrange. ...

:huh:

The advice given relates to the cost of getting you a gas supply i.e from the mains to the meter.

You will, of course, be liable for the cost of any piping from the meter to wherever you want it in the house.

Depending on your specific circumstances, distributing the gas around the ground floor won't be too expensive, usually they lay the copper pipe under the floorboards

Pincher

funkywilson wrote: »

I don't mean to sound rude, but some of these replies aren't really answering what I'm asking.

When I'm referring to an electric boiler, I meant something like a boiler, not a heater! For example the Trianco Aztec TRI - 6KW Electric Boiler (I can't link to it I'm afriad on here).

You seem to be saying you do not have a thermal store,
so you will be running the Trianco during non-Economy 7 hours, on demand.

Trianco uses a conventional heating element, so it will cost three times in money per kWh (heat) compared to gas. So if it costs £500 to heat your house a year by gas, it will cost £1,500 by Trianco.

Having said that, the Trianco is a good, minimum hassle, option for an infrequently used second home.