Replacing central heating

Rijndael

Hello everyone,

We have a regular boiler with 11 radiators, the system is approx. 25 years old, full of sludge. The heating is mediocre on most radiators whilst 1 radiator is completely dead (no heat whatsoever). We cannot have the system flushed because the pipes are too small (i think 10mm or something.

Now, we want to replace the whole system, new boiler, new piping and new radiators. How much do you think it could cost to have such a job done ? We want to use a regular system with cylinder etc. Note that the gas pipe may also need to be replaced because its 15mm and we need a 22mm.

Also, we are considering selling this property, will a dated central heating system decrease house value ? Would it be worth going through such an ordeal ? We will have to take out all the floorboards, manage new piping and what not.

FLAPJACK

It's a big job......worth doing if you are going to stay in the house, however if you are aiming to move out then you maybe lucky and recoup the cost by having it included in the sale valuation.

Really though you are only probably going get back the money you have paid out, but it would make the place more sellable as it's something the new buyer wouldn't have to do.

Then again if you want to save the hassle, find out how much it would cost to replace the system then knock that off the valuation (or part of) as then you can use it as a barginning tool in sticking to the price you want...providing it's a sensible one and obviously lower than comparable properties in the area.

macman

You'd never recoup the investment. If the system is working, however mediocre, then sell it as such-it's up to the buyer to establish its condition.
Surely the rads can still be removed and flushed manually, even with microbore?

jalexa

Rijndael wrote: »

Also, we are considering selling this property, will a dated central heating system decrease house value ?

Almost certainly unless the buyer is naive and/or badly advised. And since it is a buyers market it may make your property less attractive.

Get some quotes and decide.

gas4you

Microbore systems can be flushed, but probably won't get the full effect of cleansing like 15/22mm pipes.

I have done many on microbore.

I would suggest a powerflush and a magnetic filter fitted, then move.

Minute

I have a similar problem. We have been recently advised that our current system is 30 years old, which accounts apparently for our huge gas bills for our tiny cottage. British Gas came around and offered some options. The current system involves 2 horrible water tanks in the loft (one for bathroom 1 for heating), a hot water tank in a cupboard upstairs and the old boiler in the kitchen downstairs. All these would be replaced by a combi boiler, which would go in the loft (would required removing the floorboard to put pipes in and also a flue pipe through the roof.). The boiler would cost around £1000. Fair enough. But in all, the work and parts together come to £4500, so in total, British Gas quoted us £5500 for a new system; I know this is for the long term but it is way beyond what we expected. Does this seem reasonable???

spiro

Minute wrote: »

I have a similar problem. We have been recently advised that our current system is 30 years old, which accounts apparently for our huge gas bills for our tiny cottage. British Gas came around and offered some options. The current system involves 2 horrible water tanks in the loft (one for bathroom 1 for heating), a hot water tank in a cupboard upstairs and the old boiler in the kitchen downstairs. All these would be replaced by a combi boiler, which would go in the loft (would required removing the floorboard to put pipes in and also a flue pipe through the roof.). The boiler would cost around £1000. Fair enough. But in all, the work and parts together come to £4500, so in total, British Gas quoted us £5500 for a new system; I know this is for the long term but it is way beyond what we expected. Does this seem reasonable???

Get in touch with 2 or 3 local tradesmen (ideally recommended ones) and see how much the price drops. At a guess I would say to about £3000-£3500 based on comments made by others.

A.Penny.Saved

Any chance that you could get a few tools and replace the pipework and radiators yourself? Then get a Gas Safe engineer to swap the boiler for one you purchase. That way they won't be adding to the costs for any unnecessary work. They do like to profit from the supply of the parts as much as the work done. You would have to make sure that the engineer will fit a boiler that you supply, some might not want to do it because they don't earn as much.

It's only the boiler that you cannot do yourself unless you are suitably qualified.

It might take you a month or more, although it's not that difficult IMO.

EXBGENGINEER

Typical..... money saving... yeah do the job yourself if you know what your doing.... if you are going to supply the boiler, most decent engineers will agree that they would give you options on boilers they would fit. And no its not ONLY THE BOILER YOU NEED A GAS SAFE REGISTERED ENGINEER TO DO THE GAS PIPEWORK ASWELL??? Its knowitalls like you that kill people, both lives and businesses... Get a grip... get an honest company in to sort it out..... from the sounds of it a decent company would do the lot for around £3500.00

A.Penny.Saved

I stated the boiler should be fitted by a Gas safe engineer and that should include any gas pipe work. When I said pipework and radiators I did only mean the water pipes. Of course an unqualified person cannot touch gas pipes. I said nothing which is unsafe, you only misinterpreted what I said to protect your job. I only stated the water system/radiators which anyone has a right to do themselves.

Nice to see people trying to protect their jobs and then claiming that any money saving is unsafe.

Getting quotes as to the recommended boiler and then checking prices to see if it could be purchased separately and a saving made providing that a qualified engineer is willing to fit it.

Check the price of parts.

unclebulgaria

A.Penny.Saved wrote: »

Any chance that you could get a few tools and replace the pipework and radiators yourself? Then get a Gas Safe engineer to swap the boiler for one you purchase. That way they won't be adding to the costs for any unnecessary work. They do like to profit from the supply of the parts as much as the work done. You would have to make sure that the engineer will fit a boiler that you supply, some might not want to do it because they don't earn as much.

It's only the boiler that you cannot do yourself unless you are suitably qualified.

It might take you a month or more, although it's not that difficult IMO.

Yep penny wise pound foolish!
If i had a peeny for every time I've heard that one i'd be a millionaire. Just for the record, whether an engineer profits from him supplying the parts or not is up to the customer and engineer, a self employed person is working to make a profit, not do you or anyone else a favour!
Its a free market out there, the only thing you said that makes sense is to get a GSR engineer to fit his boiler.
He could save lots of money doing his/her own piping and then when it bursts and floods his house and his insurance ask who did it then refuse to pay out because it was a DIY job, booooom go his/her savings.

OP get some quotes from local independant GSR engineers then decide. Just for the record, you cannot powerflush microbore piping successfully as the volume of water forced through the rads isn't great enough to shift stubborn deposits in the piping of rads, thats from IPHE who advise against powerflushing microbore systems.