house i want has a back boiler? will this need changing

hbklea

looked at a house which we want to put an offer in, but it has a back boiler central heating system? will this need changing to a combi system? if so will this be an expensive job. any would would be grateful

googler

If it works fine at the moment, it doesn't 'need' to be changed.

If it's not working, or if you prefer instant hot water, you may want to change it to a combi system

Cost will depend on factors like size of house, accessibility of cold water supply to where you want the boiler, etc etc - so not enough info in your post to determine. Get a local registered installer to give you a quote.

casper_g

Yes and no.

Yes, in as much as it's probably fairly old and comparatively inefficient, so you might well wish to budget for getting a new boiler at some point. This will cost a fair few quid. On the other hand, if there's nothing much wrong with the back boiler there's no reason you shouldn't go on using it. Get it inspected by a Gas Safe registered technician and have it serviced regularly like any other boiler.

No, in as much as the replacement doesn't have to be a combi boiler. Why should it? Many conventional boilers are still installed. They have their advantages, and some people prefer them.

Hammyman

My house has a back boiler. The amount I'd save on my bills is far less than what it'd cost to replace the system so its just not economically worthwhile as long as its working. Back boilers are built like tanks and go on forever. Ours is now 26 years olf, is problem free and has passed gas safety checks with no work needing doing for the 15 years we've been here.

dangermouse83

Back boilers are fine as long as they are serviced properly. I've been to many on my job as a gas engineer. They are very inefficient compared to combi's and condensing boilers though.
You should get a gas safe engineer (previously Corgi) in to check it out, to make sure there's no blockages etc and to check the room for air vents, which are required with back boilers. Due to the nature of the appliance it is always a good idea to get a CO alarm to detect any carbon monoxide should there be any.
To get a brand new combi, it would cost a few grand easily, all dependant on which sort of boiler you want (make and model etc).
Hope this helped a little!

hbklea

thanks for your replies, its a 3 bed terrace house, the house is empty and the estate agent didn't know if the heating was working or not. we are just trying to work out what to offer on the property and is this an issue we should take into account? we know a guy who will do a full gas check so we'll see what he says

DVardysShadow

dangermouse83 wrote: »

Back boilers are fine as long as they are serviced properly. I've been to many on my job as a gas engineer. They are very inefficient compared to combi's and condensing boilers though.
You should get a gas safe engineer (previously Corgi) in to check it out, to make sure there's no blockages etc and to check the room for air vents, which are required with back boilers. Due to the nature of the appliance it is always a good idea to get a CO alarm to detect any carbon monoxide should there be any.
To get a brand new combi, it would cost a few grand easily, all dependant on which sort of boiler you want (make and model etc).
Hope this helped a little!

The efficiency of a combi is largely governed by the combi package alone.

A system boiler [ie non combi] is dependent upon the configuration of the system outside the boiler

• is the system fully pumped or is the HW gravity fed
• is there a divertor valve
• is there a room stat

a well designed, installed and controlled system boiler is easily the equal of a combi for efficiency - and the system is probably loads easier to maintain

Sammy85_2

We have a back boiler and it causes us no problems. We get it gas checked and serviced yearly. I did enquire about getting it changed for a combi, but the gas engineer said that so long as it is working then there is no need to change it. They were built to last (ours is over 20years old). We have a carbon monoxide alarm and direct ventilation in that room.

The other problem we faced was where to put a combi boiler if we got one. At the minute the back boiler is hidden away in the living room chimney brest and any new boiler would require re-siting of the boiler (unless we wanted it on the living room wall), new pipework and then the cosmetic costs of hiding the pipes and redecorating afterwords.

So long as its working it'll be staying put.

Nickb1

condensing back boilers are available from baxi, although they can only be fitted behind electric fires.

lurkylurky

DF has just had his back boiler replaced with a combi boiler. He's in a 3 bed terrace and had 5 radiators replaced, room stats on all radiators and a new fire fitted. He paid £2600 (this didn't include the fire) and the fitter did a really good job. He fitted the boiler in the airing cupboard upstairs.

wessexw

My mum had a back boiler in hers for a few years, for some reason it refused to heat the very last radiator in the rad set up which was the one in my bedroom, so I was always freezing. The heating guy said it was because the boiler didn't have enough power to push as far as the last rad. But on the otherhand, sometimes it would heat the water tank way too hot to where it would start hissing so we'd have to run the hot water taps to let some of it off. This was in a 4 bed house.