Do we Need a New Central Heating System?

Border_Collie_2

Hi, We have a 3 bedroom semi, circa 1960's and our Tempus Seven heating control has just broken again. It heats the water, but trips out in the new fusebox if we put the heating on. The bloke who fixed things last time said our Baxi Bermuda & system isn't worth spending any more money on as it's so inefficient. When the heating was working and was first switched on, there were lots of metallic noises and gurgling from the radiators and pipes upstairs, but every thing did heat up....eventually. We know that we will eventually have to get a new system fitted and when we had a new bathroom fitted less than a year ago, along with rewiring the house, we had a gas pipe laid from the meter cupboard to the immersion heater cupboard, as well as wiring, ready for a new boiler....and also a flue pipe? (if that's what it is) installed through the outside wall. We have 6 radiators downstairs and 4 upstairs and half of them are less than 3 years old.
We have had conflicting advice about pipework, with the guy who services our boiler saying that small-bore is required and the guy who did the plumbing in the bathroom saying that the existing pipework can be used. We've just had the house re-wired and new carpets fitted, so really would prefer not to have carpets and floorboards taken up again and don't want the new bathroom ripped to bits to install new pipes there.
British Gas are going to insulate the loft (Council Grant helps), but they cannot do the cavity walls as the cavities are partly obstructed by mortar from the joints.
So....is it worth renewing the existing control unit until we've save up a bit, or should we think about a combi boiler and new heating system.....and would British Gas be as good as anyone else, with a decent guarantee. Also, there's the question of whiat size central heating pipes to use.
Our friend who services the boiler is Corgi Registered and could do it, but it would likely be in stages, as he has a day job.
Any good advice welcome....as it's -2c outside and we're freeeezing...well almost.

MX5huggy

Firstly whoever works on your old or new boiler needs to be gas safe registered, not corgi (although they may be in both).

Sounds like you should go for a new boiler, you don't need to swap to micro, the only reason to use micro is to save money over, using 15mm pipe for a new install.

British gas would probably be the most expensive people to install a new boiler. Try local installers.

DVardysShadow

Border_Collie wrote: »

Hi, We have a 3 bedroom semi, circa 1960's and our Tempus Seven heating control has just broken again. It heats the water, but trips out in the new fusebox if we put the heating on.

So an electrical problem. And your tradesmen want to replace the boiler and the radiators and the pipework.

I suggest you get an electrician in to resolve the tripping and you replace your tempus 7 with a current model.

And change the boiler when you are good and ready. And kick any tradesman into touch who tries to take the scope of the job beyond what is necessary.

Border_Collie_2

MX5huggy wrote: »

Firstly whoever works on your old or new boiler needs to be gas safe registered, not corgi (although they may be in both).

Sounds like you should go for a new boiler, you don't need to swap to micro, the only reason to use micro is to save money over, using 15mm pipe for a new install.

British gas would probably be the most expensive people to install a new boiler. Try local installers.

Thanks for the reply. Our friend who services the boiler, works for a central heating company. His reasoning for swapping to microbore is that it is more able to withstand the pressure involved with a new heating system and that the existing pipes might leak under pressure.
We really don't want to have to have new carpets and floorboards lifted again.....the electricians that rewired the house really destroyed some of the floors & I've had to fit new boards in places. So a new boiler & existing pipes sounds preferable.

Canucklehead

Border_Collie wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. Our friend who services the boiler, works for a central heating company. His reasoning for swapping to microbore is that it is more able to withstand the pressure involved with a new heating system and that the existing pipes might leak under pressure.
We really don't want to have to have new carpets and floorboards lifted again.....the electricians that rewired the house really destroyed some of the floors & I've had to fit new boards in places. So a new boiler & existing pipes sounds preferable.

If the existing pipework is sound (this can be determined by a pressure test) then there shouldn't be an issue coverting to a sealed heating system... or keep the new system open vented... more here.

If you engage the services of your friend, make sure he holds his own Gas Safe Register registration rather than just using the company's GSR number. If he works for a Gas Safe registered firm during the week e.g. British Gas and is doing private work in his spare time on the side, he is illegal. ...please see the advice from GSR here.)

Let us know how you get on.

Canucklehead

craigsville_2

Definately change the boiler to a combi, think a bit long term, youll soon save money on fixing up an old out of date boiler. As for British Gas, it would be cheaper to burn £50 notes to keep warm, use a local Gas Safe registered fitter!

Border_Collie_2

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm starting to get the point that it's a good idea to replace the boiler, but NOT to use British Gas. It looks like the initial outlay will be saved within a few years. Our friend says that our old boiler will probably only be about 30% to 40% efficient, the age it is. I asked him about installation & he's confirmed that he was only recommending the company he works for, as he only does minor repairs / troubleshooting for family and friends. He found out why the system kept tripping the fuse last time....the cable supplying the boiler had originally been laid directly under the burners and had become brittle - the electrician we got in first never looked there, he just wanted to replace the Tempus Seven & thermostat.
As we've already partly prepared for a new boiler, it might not be quite as expensive as we thought.

Thanks agin.

keystone

DVardysShadow wrote: »

So an electrical problem. And your tradesmen want to replace the boiler and the radiators and the pipework.

+1.

Cheers




.

Owain_Moneysaver

Border_Collie wrote: »

Hi, We have a 3 bedroom semi, circa 1960's and our Tempus Seven heating control has just broken again. It heats the water, but trips out in the new fusebox if we put the heating on.

Very probably nothing to do with the heating control or the boiler, but water is leaking in the heating actuator valve. Selection shown here.

Usually the electrical actuator can be removed off the top of the valve without disturbing the plumbing, but if it's leaking it probably needs a new valve body.

That should get your heating back on with about an hour's work.

keystone

craigsville wrote: »

Definately change the boiler to a combi, think a bit long term, youll soon save money on fixing up an old out of date boiler.

OK so thinking long term, a new combi will last how long? 5 or six years? How long will the current Baxi last with a decent system clean (which will have to be done for a new install anyway), 2 years, 5 years, 10 years? Are we confident that their DHW and heating requirements can be met by a combi? Is the supplied water pressure/flow rate suitable for a combi? Sorry but the logic of a bald statement of fact to install a combi escapes me TBH.

Cheers

DVardysShadow

keystone wrote: »

Sorry but the logic of a bald statement of fact to install a combi escapes me TBH.

+1

Had a baxi, self installed. Loved it. Have a combi, already with the present house. Hate it.

Always had a good cylinder of hot water and a good flow.

Current house is warm enough, but the hot water is so slow and temperamental.