New boiler costs

bigadaj

We're getting some quotes for a new gas boiler, current one is 25 years old so needs to be replaced. Three quotes have come back, all proposing to use an ideal logic 30 plus condensing combination boiler, we are replacing a conventional boiler but all have said that a combi is the only option for new.

Best quote includes for boiler fitting and replacement, removal and disposal of materials including the tank in the attic and the hot water tank in the airing cupboard, new controller and fitting of thermostats on all radiators and cleaning and flushing of system. looking at four days to complete and allowance for electrician to do his bits, £2800 including vat though contractor not vat registered.

just wondered if anyone had any opinions on this, located in the Midlands, more expensive than I'd assumed but hadn't thought about the changes needed for a new combi.

macman

Ask them why a combi is the only option? Is the property even suitable for a combi in terms of flow/pressure, number of bath/shower rooms? Are you confusing a combi with a condensing boiler?
And why would an RGI not registered for VAT want to charge you VAT which he will not have to pay?

Mr_K

Why does it need to be replaced just because its 25 years old ? If it works and is safe, your wasting money on a new one. Any efficiency savings would take many years to recoup, if it pays back at all. Also modern boilers are less reliable than older ones. Don't waste your money.

Cardew

As stated in post#2 a condensing boiler is mandatory - but not a combi; in fact many of us would never have a combi. - loads of posts on the pro/anti combi discussion, so not worth rehearsing the arguments again.


It also seems highly unusual that 3 firms all suggest the same boiler. I can only think that these firms are getting a huge incentive for fitting this Ideal boiler. The most popular manufacturers are Worcester and Veissmann which are also the highest rated by WHICH.


I also don't like the 'allowance for an electrician' phrase - an installer should give an all included price. That said I don't think the price quoted is unfair.

Gloomendoom

bigadaj wrote: »

We're getting some quotes for a new gas boiler, current one is 25 years old so needs to be replaced.

As other have said, why does it need to be replaced? Is it broken?

Ours is over 40 years old and won't be replaced until it breaks down and is beyond economical repair.

bsod

the changes for a new combi aren't needed, you can swap like for like and keep your tanks, so it's not 4 days work.

can't be doing much work if they aren't vat registered (82k turnover) and don't know about regular boilers

https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/archive/boilers/what-is-a-regular-boiler

https://www.mrcentralheating.co.uk/boilers/boilers-by-type/heat-only-boilers

https://www.plumbnation.co.uk/site/regular-boiler-packs/

£800 for the boiler and bits, and 2k in the back pocket, nice earner

how many kw is the existing boiler

victor2

Gloomendoom wrote: »

As other have said, why does it need to be replaced? Is it broken?

Ours is over 40 years old and won't be replaced until it breaks down and is beyond economical repair.

This also.
Ours is about 25 years old and as long as it keeps going, we'll keep it. Costs me under £50 for an annual service and that's it. If/when it eventually dies, we will consider a combi (have no choice about it being condensing), but then we have an electric shower and it will be nice to lose the hot water tank.
A new one will never pay for itself in terms of savings.

Terry98

victor2 wrote: »

A new one will never pay for itself in terms of savings.

Agreed, but I do not regret for one minute getting a new combi boiler.

Although our old one was only 15 years old we were never warm. A couple of new radiators and a new boiler changed all that. As an added bonus we have instant hot water without having to wait hours for the tank to warm up. We have more room in the loft and the airing cupboard! And our bills are at least £30 per month cheaper.

Cardew

Terry98 wrote: »

Agreed, but I do not regret for one minute getting a new combi boiler.

Although our old one was only 15 years old we were never warm. A couple of new radiators and a new boiler changed all that. As an added bonus we have instant hot water without having to wait hours for the tank to warm up. We have more room in the loft and the airing cupboard! And our bills are at least £30 per month cheaper.

If you needed two new radiators it is understandable and a new boiler to get warm, and needed to wait hours for the HW tank to heat up, then you obviously had an inadequate CH system.


If your bills are 'at least £30 a month cheaper'(a huge saving*) then you would save equally as much with a conventional boiler. In fact the Government report linked to below shows that generally conventional boilers are slightly cheaper to run than a combi.


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/69459938#Comment_69459938


Also a conventional boiler fitted to a house to replace a conventional boiler is cheaper.


* with gas prices around 3p/kWh a saving of £30 a month means you saved approx. 12,000kWh pa. Given a combi is generally not recommended for large houses, such savings are atypical.


Anyway, as said earlier, there are loads of threads to discuss combi v conventional. The important point is for the OP to appreciate that a combi is not mandatory, or for many of us desirable.

bigadaj

Thanks all, useful discussion and points raised. I wanted to avoid the classic problem on mse boards of coming on here complaining about the product or service I'd bought after the event.

I'm currently out of the house for twelve hours a day with work so the missus has been dealing with the quotes, she has spent most of her life a s buyer so isn't too naive.

The quoted boiler does have a seven year guarantee which was a selling point, though manufacturer incentives may be a factor as well.

Not sure if space might be an issue, current boiler is in the kitchen and fits reasonably well into available space, and is 600mm by 350mm. Property is fairly standard three bedroom semi, probably confused the point about vat as that would obviously be charged on materials only, though as others have pointed out seemed odd to me even for a sole trader not to be registered given boiler costs and other materials throughout the year.

Boiler predates our buying the property, we've been here sixteen years so 25-30 seems about right. We have had problems with corrosion which has caused issues with servicing in the last year or so, which we've addressed by using carbon monoxide monitors. Appreciate the point about not wasting money but anything, particularly mechanical ro electrical, has a design and practical life and needs to be changed at some point.

Electrician is included, my phrasing maybe wasn't clear, and we have an electric shower, not too bothered about instant water and certainly not worth £1k for the tank changes etc.

Current boiler is a baxi rated at 6.15kw.

Pincher

You seem to have found yourself some kind of one size fit all chop shop type, who probably got a big discount on Ideal boilers this month.

I recently had a Romanian do a job, who was definitely Gas Safe Registered, because I checked on the website. I insisted on a receipt, of course, but it was a different company name from the official one, not VAT registered, and the whole thing is probably just made up.

The only thing that was real was his signature.

I bought a new gas hose for the cooker, but he wanted to use the 25 year old one, and had every intention of taking it away to use it elsewhere, but I put a stop to it.

If it wasn't because nobody would turn up, because EVERYONE was on holiday in Spain, I would never have used them. At least they turned up.

And guess what, he wanted to do all combi, too.