Condensing boilers "multi-billion-pound con-trick"

leveller2911

amcluesent wrote: »

Did your central heating break down in the big freeze? Here's why...

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So the message is clear: if you have an old boiler, provided it is working properly and is serviced regularly, you are almost certainly better off keeping it until it is beyond economic repair. Parts will be cheaper, it will be less likely to break down and there is no danger of it stalling on the coldest night of the year.

But IMO thats not strictly true.We have a back boiler,its a baxi bermuda and its 60% efficiant which means for every £10-00 of gas we put in it £4-00 goes straight up the chimney and that takes no account of the costs in servicing and parts.Your not taking into account the efficiency of a boiler.
If you add that all up over a year I very much doubt the old back boilers are worth keeping ....

amcluesent

>Your not taking into account the efficiency of a boiler.<

The article spelt out why the claimed efficiency of condensers are virtually impossible to achieve on typical installs.

silvercar

andrew-b wrote: »

No that's all hassle you could have avoided if you had used a decent installer in the first place (you've since told us they are no longer gsr registered...maybe a reason for that!). I'm pretty sure no manufacturer will recommend running a condensate into the surface water drainage. Condensate is acidic and should be drained away to the main sewer. It's pretty obvious a gutter will cause the condensate to freeze. But then why should you be expected to think about that...you paid someone to do the job in good faith.

So your installer is to blame..they took the easy route rather than doing the job properly. Condensate pumps are available to solve this sort of problem so could have pumped the condensate upwards and out the other side of the property. Sure it's trickier but not impossible.

Interesting viewpoint. The RGI was recommended - on here and in real life. Baxi have accepted that it was installed correctly and are covering some of the damage under their 2 year warranty. On my other thread about this problem, RGIs have posted that it is acceptable standard practice.

As for your alternative solution. I doubt the attractiveness or the price of a condensate pump in the one reception room and then piping through the house from front to back. What would you do (now at 1st floor level) with the condensate? Run it down to a drain? with the same problem?

Without a crystal ball I doubt you can predict which RGIs will still be registered 18 months later.

amcluesent

Interesting that Labour forced the used of condensing boilers on us in 2005, then added the ridiculous overhead of a HIP to anyone selling.

But did any HIP ever point out the boiler was an accident waiting to happen due to the condensate pipes set-up or the installation would never be that efficient? I think not...

As always 'professional' reports, guarantees, warranties etc. not worth the paper they are written on!

C_Mababejive

Its what i have said for years.

Combi boilers (whether condensing or not) should be reserved for small properties and flats.

For family homes and similar,install a HE system boiler and HE cylinder.

Pennylane

We were thinking of getting a condensing boiler when ours needed replacing but a very experienced local plumber actually advised us not to. He said he'd put us one in if that was really what we wanted but he wouldn't have one himself. So we didn't!

1984ReturnsForReal_2

This is the major problem with combi boilers. That & the fact you have no access to water at all once something serious fails because there is no tank.

I have decided I will probably never pay for a combi boiler to be fitted.

Decided that last year & now I am even more sure of it.

Posted yesterday by me.


Not a chance & I would never recommend a combi to anyone in a house or any property that is exposed in anyway.

Which is 95% of homes.

aboard_epsilon

leveller2911 wrote: »

But IMO thats not strictly true.We have a back boiler,its a baxi bermuda and its 60% efficiant which means for every £10-00 of gas we put in it £4-00 goes straight up the chimney and that takes no account of the costs in servicing and parts.Your not taking into account the efficiency of a boiler.
If you add that all up over a year I very much doubt the old back boilers are worth keeping ....

When you add up what a plumber charges these days to fix the thing ..the old one may be more cost effective to keep.

Old ones ...up to 30 years lifespan ..with very little going wrong .

New ones .sometimes less than five years lifespan ..also in that five years may break down a few times .........projected....in the 30 years the old style one would have lasted ..you may have to replace the new fangled condensing boiler 4 times at plus £2000 a time ..

So over the next 30 years the new ones could cost you in excess of £10,000..im maintenance and replacement costs...PLUS YOUR GAS BILL ON TOP...and i reckon thats a low estimate .

OK ....compairing them with washing machines as someone did a few posts back...but the difference is.........a washing machine is able to be replaced by the the consumer at no cost to fit in most cases.

These things should not be acceptable ...i hate the thought of all the old people out there spending all their retirement money on just keeping the heating up to scratch ..all getting coned by timothy spall in the nice cosy British gas adverts...and Wallace and grommet ..proclaiming how much better they are ...stinks.

I proclaim this year to be "the year of the gas safe plumber"..rich pickings for all ..Die Glückliche Zeit as the u-boat captains would say ..but this will go on ...there isn't any British navy that will stop them.

all the best.markj

silvercar

This is the major problem with combi boilers. That & the fact you have no access to water at all once something serious fails because there is no tank.

Is this always true? Or can the cold water taps throughout the house be run from a tank. Particularly if a combi has replaced a conventional boiler.

aboard_epsilon

Pennylane wrote: »

We were thinking of getting a condensing boiler when ours needed replacing but a very experienced local plumber actually advised us not to. He said he'd put us one in if that was really what we wanted but he wouldn't have one himself. So we didn't!

very good advice from a very good plumber ..heed it .

all the best.markj