New boiler buying advice please

ferry

Could soon be in the market for a new combination boiler.
Can anyone offer any advice on what we need to consider before making a choice-I'm assuming a new boiler is not going to be a straight fit - the existing pipework fitted to the existing one may be a different fit to the new one etc? Additional labour?
Will we need to factor in potentially any new pipework and labour costs to fit a different one to the one we have now?

For example I guess I couldn't just pop out and get a new boiler!

Thanks

Ectophile

You can almost guarantee that the pipes will be in the wrong order, so you end up with a rat's nest of plumbing with pipes going round each other to get to the new boiler.

Also, consider where the flue will go. Some boilers have the flue pipe coming out the back, while others have it coming out the top. If you have a long flue, it may well have to be replaced with the new manufacturer's official kit. You can't just bodge them together with duct tape.

boliston

I have noticed that a lot of tenants in my block (built in 2005) have been replacing boilers with ones that vent through the side wall instead of via the original roof vent. I hope that when my boiler needs replacing I can get a roof venting one as the side wall would not such a good place as it would be more in my living room instead of in the current kitchen area.

Owain_Moneysaver

Straight out through the back wall is usually the cheapest. Any flue extensions tend to be expensive.

Depending on the rating of the boiler and the length of pipe you might need a new gas supply back to the meter. Most combis now need 22mm minimum.

If your existing combi is a conventional (non-condensing) boiler you'll also have to arrange for a condensate drain pipe to waste.

Ectophile

If you do need to install a condensate pipe, then I would recommend trying to get it run inside the house to a suitable drain if at all possible. If it's outside, then sooner or later it will freeze up - on the coldest day of winter.

J_B

Ectophile wrote: »

If you do need to install a condensate pipe, then I would recommend trying to get it run inside the house to a suitable drain if at all possible. If it's outside, then sooner or later it will freeze up - on the coldest day of winter.

Ours runs to the utility sink drain, just like it should do in your suggestion ....
Sadly, that sink drains through the wall to an outside gully and that froze solid a few winters ago! :mad:

Chrishazle

We had a conventional boiler (13 years old, Baxi Solo PFL80) until November, daughter and sIL have a combi in their house, we had to replace our Baxi so got a condensing rather than a combi. Reason - when we're at daughters and take a shower, someone turns on the hot tap in the kitchen and the shower goes cold! Daughter actually uses this to get SIL out of the shower!! Also daughter does not have a warmed airing cupboard - we do, and SWMBO would be most upset to loose it!!

If your existing system is conventional with a hot water tank in an airing cupboard, think twice about changing to a combi. OK, hot water on demand sounds attractive, but there are downsides too!!