central heating

botnedzzz

Is central heating a scam? Ask an energy expert(?) what is the best way to heat a home and he will respond by saying "A combi-boiler with radiators. He will go on and quote costs compared to electricity/storage heaters etc. Maintenance (by cowboys) of the (inefficient) system is paid scant attention. Typical winter morning, I go out early and bump into a neighbour (more than one), topic of conversation - central heating on the blink, have had BG or another outfit out who I am paying for maintenance and they tell me it will cost due to clauses in contract - I could go on and on with examples like this.
Three years ago, having had my fill of breakdowns and bleeding radiators etc, I had my radiators ripped out and bought a radiant gas fire, my condensing boiler is now a water heater only and I rely on my super gas fire for heat. Okay I live in a two bed bungalow but I would do the same if I lived in a bigger property. Comments?

JJ_Egan

So you have one room heated as opposed to multiple rooms .

Maintenance not something i have a problem with as its a no no for paying a yearly sum for something that is not needed .
Neither have i ever asked an energy expert .

dogshome

The 'Scam' as I see it, is Condensing Boilers themselves and the standards they are built to.

At present I have Oil Fired heating & Water provided by a 27 year old boiler
OK - I've had to face up to the era of silly oil prices, but those days have gone and are unlikely to be back for quite some time.
I have annual service that costs £65 which always incudes a jet change and filter cleansing, and I've bought and fitted one pump and two 3port valve motor packs over the years
Against that, there ain't no Standing Charge at £90 odd a year

Now the 'Must Condense' lobby,( who are these people), have laid their grubby hands on oil boilers and I can't fit a new one into the area where the present boiler is sited - If a new is fitted it will have to go into a Custom Built outhouse, which apart from the cost, will be 80' from the part of the house where the bathrooms and kitchen are located - How green is the heat loss onthat?

We now have Gas in the village so my only other option is a Gas Condensing Boiler, which history shows is unlikely to have a life beyond 12 years and I'll have to employ a Regd. Gas fitter to fit a pump or 3 port valve

Oh, and this is the best bit
I've had a couple of local plumbers look at installing a Gas Boiler, and both have said the only place it can go is in the Loft - This is a Chalet style house with a Crawl Space loft thats 30' long, with a loft trap at one end, and a gable end wall, where they say the boiler must go, at the other.
Me and my SWMBO are definately not Spring Chickens, I can just about make that all too often hands and knees journey to re-pressure the boiler, be she doesn't stand a dogs chance

teddysmum

botnedzzz wrote: »

Is central heating a scam? Ask an energy expert(?) what is the best way to heat a home and he will respond by saying "A combi-boiler with radiators. He will go on and quote costs compared to electricity/storage heaters etc. Maintenance (by cowboys) of the (inefficient) system is paid scant attention. Typical winter morning, I go out early and bump into a neighbour (more than one), topic of conversation - central heating on the blink, have had BG or another outfit out who I am paying for maintenance and they tell me it will cost due to clauses in contract - I could go on and on with examples like this.
Three years ago, having had my fill of breakdowns and bleeding radiators etc, I had my radiators ripped out and bought a radiant gas fire, my condensing boiler is now a water heater only and I rely on my super gas fire for heat. Okay I live in a two bed bungalow but I would do the same if I lived in a bigger property. Comments?

What an odd rant.


The meaning of 'scam' is 'fraud' so how can an innocent boiler, set of pipes and a number of radiators commit fraud ?

Cardew

I can understand the OP's disenchantment with an unreliable CH system, but as I understand the post he is keeping an unreliable boiler for production of hot water.

Is it the OP's view that those in larger houses than his should have gas pipes run to every room to fit a radiant gas fire? Then what happens about a balanced flue?

reeac

I don't know what's typical but our oil fired system is 19 years old, has a roughly annual service for around £65 and I can't remember it ever letting us down. I remember the days of one heated room and everywhere else being freezing ...not for us.

botnedzzz

The boiler is excellent - as a water heater. My gripe is about central heating systems, it seems most disagree with me, so be it.
I remember the days of one heated room, that is where I am now - and happy to be so.

botnedzzz

Stupid response, if you don't mind me saying.

botnedzzz

Condensing boilers a scam, quite possibly you are right. As I see it, some bright sparks in government make rules and regulations (in this instance cutting emissions) and the trade exploit the rules and regulations to make money.
I have a condensing boiler (12 years old and going strong), engineer said it could only go in loft, so it went into the loft - big problems. Two years later spoke with BG and they told me it could be moved to kitchen with flue through the roof, I had that job done - worth the money. Check it out, no need for flue through wall (as with normal boilers), as I say, flue can go through roof.