Gas central heating

Jockanory

Here's one for any heating engineers/plummers as I'm having a condenser boiler fitted to run my gas central heating and provide hot water,a new fire in the lounge and radiators in each room(7 in total) but having had a few quotes I'm confused as some are recommending that we have the pipework replaced others are saying its OK and can be flushed through to clear any debris/sludge.
The house was built in 1981 so the pipework is 30 years old and the copper pipes are laid in concrete on the ground floor and upstairs they are under the floorboards but who is right?
I don't mind paying for for any new pipes as I want the system to last and run efficiently but just concerned that some are saying 'no' just to keep the cost down and get the job.
I was also be interested in any recommendations for the boiler and fire make/model that is going to be installed.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Leif

I'm an ignoramus so bear that in mind. If your pipes are laid directly in the concrete/screed without any protection then you risk leaks as the concrete will eat into the pipe. I was told by a plumber that it causes pin hole leaks. My house had pipes in screed which were replaced with above ground pipes, presumably due to a leak, and yup the pipes were not protected from concrete. I'm having them put back in concrete, but plastic pipes which are not attacked.

So I would recommend having the pipes downstairs relaid if they are bare copper in screed. You'll have to pay for channels to be dug in the screed and the pipes, about £200 per room including VAT, and new valves too.

garethgas

Unfortunately, its not as straighforward as it may seem.
If the pipes are burried in concrete and they're not properly protected, they will corrode. Obviously, if they are protected they won't.
However, opinions differ. Some will say that after 30 yrs, rip it out and replace.
The advantage of this is that you then don't need to flush the system. (Well you do but not in the same way).
You're then going to be right for donkeys years.
Others, as you pointed out will recommend flushing the gunge from the system using a powerflush.
Whilst this does the job, you've still got 30 yr old pipes.
Personally, I'd go for option 1 but others may come along and disagree.

gas4you

I'm trying to remember when the copper shortage was. It may have been around the time your house was built. If it was then they used a 'copper' that is often referred to as 'cocoa tin', as it was extra thin and very brittle if it was attempted to bend it.

If you happen to have this, then as well as all the above posts good info, I would say definitely change it.

If it is normal copper, then apart from whether it is protected in the screed or not, I would say keep it. Copper doesn't have a shelf life as such, but flushing it out could find leaks that didn't exist before.

garethgas

gas4you wrote: »

I'm trying to remember when the copper shortage was. It may have been around the time your house was built. If it was then they used a 'copper' that is often referred to as 'cocoa tin', as it was extra thin and very brittle if it was attempted to bend it.

If you happen to have this, then as well as all the above posts good info, I would say definitely change it.

If it is normal copper, then apart from whether it is protected in the screed or not, I would say keep it. Copper doesn't have a shelf life as such, but flushing it out could find leaks that didn't exist before.

It does when buried in concrete. I'm thinking of a 'perfect' protective seal. In the 70's and even the 80's MANY carcasses were just thrown in with only lip service paid to sheathing.
In fact I have seen a few where the sheathing was put only on the entry/exit points.
However, as I said in my first post, opinions will differ on this so I cant say I'm right/your wrong because its usually down to other variable factors.
PS...I'm right :rotfl:

gas4you

My last paragraph was meant to be read that I wasn't including the OP's copper in the screed. Perhaps I didn't make that clear enough.

PPS... I'm also right