British Gas advising to replace our boiler.. should we?

southcoastrgi

Powermax were a good idea 30 yrs ago & they are still a good idea now, instant heating & mains pressure hot water, the only 3 things that really go wrong with them is the time clock, the flow switch leaks & the blending valve scales up, they can be dangerous if they aren't repaired or serviced correctly but then so can any boiler but for this reason a lot of installers won't touch them, some parts are now obsolete so depending on what goes wrong depends if you will need to replace it

kinger101

I wouldn't replace a boiler until it dies, or it was sensible to do so because of some other house remodelling work. It's extremely unlikely to reduce your gas bill sufficiently for it be classified as an "investment".

Sofitos

Why don't you buy insurance that cover boiler replacement? Some company could replace you boiler(just in cas boiler crush) that older 7 years with additional fee ~ 200 GBP.

littlerock

well I had to get a new gas boiler because the old one was broken beyond economic repair (and we are not talking BG advice.). My gas bills for the winter period have halved (really) so I reckon it will pay for itself in around 3 years (I have a large house and like to keep it warm)

southcoastrgi

littlerock wrote: »

well I had to get a new gas boiler because the old one was broken beyond economic repair (and we are not talking BG advice.). My gas bills for the winter period have halved (really) so I reckon it will pay for itself in around 3 years (I have a large house and like to keep it warm)

You will typically save between £200-£300 a year on gas so prob a bit longer than 3 yrs

VfM4meplse

kinger101 wrote: »

I wouldn't replace a boiler until it dies, or it was sensible to do so because of some other house remodelling work. It's extremely unlikely to reduce your gas bill sufficiently for it be classified as an "investment".

I had originally decided not to renew my BG Homecare contract this month because its too expensive (£300+ pa) for something that I get no more than an annual service for.

I'm now thinking of having my Potterton boiler replaced (its over 15 years now), purely because its old. Its working fine, but I am terrified of it conking out during cold weather, being left without heating and hot water. BG has given me a quote for a whistles and bells end-to-end service including powerflush, Hive etc, which even when "discounted" is unsurprisingly steep.

Having read this thread I am wondering what I should do? Shall I just replace it and have done with it? Or continue with cover? Or stop paying for cover and accept that it will run into problems eventually?

missile

BG frightened my MiL every time they called to service a perfectly functioning boiler, with tales of it is inefficient costing you money, it will break down any day and you will have no heating etc.:(

BG fitted a new boiler and has broken down three times in three years! Now they tell her it is dangerous and a earth strap must be fitted to gas supply at circa £100.:eek:

My wife complained, why did you not fit that when you installed new boiler. "Not our problem it was installed by an independent contractor" :mad:

ariba10

In my mind, asking B G for advice is like asking Kwik Fit "Is there anything wrong with my car.?.

Gloomendoom

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I'm now thinking of having my Potterton boiler replaced (its over 15 years now), purely because its old.

My Potterton boiler is 45 years old. Yours may have another 30 years life left in it.

FreeBear

A Baxi Bermuda back boiler here - Must be over 30 years old now. It is serviced fairly regularly, and the only problem it has suffered from in all that time is the CH pump failing. Fortunately, easy to replace, and is something I can (and have done) myself.

Sure, I could get a new boiler installed, but with an annual gas bill of less than £300, it is going to take a lifetime or three to recoup the cost from lower gas bills.