Boiler replacement - Boxt.co.uk

Jan_V

Our boiler had been playing up for a while and has decided to give up the ghost. Looking into getting a new one installed and was checking out this site and found this thread. Notice it's been a couple of years since the last comment. Has anybody had any recent experience with this company - Boxt? I've been reading through the comments but can't make up my mind. Our old combi is/was a 25 yr old Ferroli Modena 80e so no condensate pipe and the rads will need a really good flushing as from what I've read if we put a brand new boiler on our old system it won't be long before the new boiler will malfunction due to the sludge passing through it and will likely not be covered by their warranty as it's our system that has clogged it up. Is this correct?

ButtersUK

That does sound correct, Jan_V

Some installers recommend powerflushing. Probably, partly, because they can extract another few hundred pounds from you..... but that's not really fair - the system does have to be clean and a powerwash is one, effective, way of doing it.  Remember, though,  on an old system there's always a chance that the pressure might bring on leaks on joints that were only just holding on - but if you have a Combi already then the system will be pressurized to anything up to 2bar, or slightly more anyway.  The alternative is for the prospective installer to put some system cleaner into the radiator circuit and leave it there for a predetermined period of time and then to flush the whole system out with fresh water.  All boiler manufacturers will demand that any system that their boiler is going on to needs to have water that's clean (clean enough to pass a certain criteria which they lay down and would be in their Ts and Cs.)

On top of that is the advisability to fit a magnetic filter into the system when the new boiler is fitted.

I recently had a 28 year old boiler removed and a new Ideal Vogue MAX 32kw Combi fitted .... that particular boiler comes with 12 yrs warranty and an Ideal magnetic flter in the box. Actually the filter is a re-badged  all metal Fernox filter and is one of the better ones.

Most observers would probably suggest you employ a local gas registered plumbing and heating firm that are recommeded to you from personal experience. You might get lucky with BOXT but most would say it's a bit of a gamble as you won't know who is going to turn up on the day.  But I have no personal experience so can't be unduly harsh.

FreeBear

ButtersUK said: On top of that is the advisability to fit a magnetic filter into the system when the new boiler is fitted.

Most (all ?) boiler manufacturers mandate a magnetic filter, otherwise the warranty is void.

With a 25 year old system, I'd suggest fitting larger radiators so that you can run at a lower flow temperature (good for efficiency). If all the radiators are replaced, that will reduce the amount of sludge lurking in the system.

But in today's climate, I'd recommend looking at a heat pump. The likes of Octopus are regularly quoting prices on par (or even cheaper) than a gas boiler installation.

ButtersUK

Tiny bit picky there with my phraseology, FreeBear, but we won't dwell on it.

Point taken that a Heat Pump is, perhaps, an option, depending on the physical restrictions that may, or may not, be in place ... but, putting aside whether a Heat Pump would be the best solution or not, not everyone is in a position to replace every single radiator in their property and, I'll stand corrected, but I do gather that it is considered either wise or recommended (depending on the size of existing pipework)  to replace the pipework serving the new rads with a larger bore circuit if doing so in order to encourage the boiler to function in 'Condense' mode - i.e with a suitable temperature drop across flow and return and the achievement of a return temp of 55 degrees or below..... you didn't mention that.  Although, having said that, it happens that my own installation uses part 22mm, part 15mm and a fair part of it, 10mm copper pipework and by careful balancing and by careful adjustment of the water temperature leaving the heating side of the boiler I have been able to get my boiler to operate in 'Condense' mode for the vast majority of the time - and I can say with some certainty that my radiators are definitely not oversized. I suggest that, given the rads were in good order, it wasn't at all necessary to replace them for bigger ones.

I had a similar choice when I had the new boiler installed ... either to look at a Heat Pump or just to swap the boiler from a 'heat only / vented cylinder' set up to a Combi .  And, as it happens one or two individuals suggested that in view of the possibility of my pressurising (sealing) the system causing underfloor leaks it might be a good idea to re-pipe the whole house.  I wasn't prepared to rip up a whole house worth of 22mm chipboard sheets (secured with 3" nails)  .... and remove skirting and plasterboard sheets ... if I didn't have to, and it's qiuite likely that Jan_V  wasn't planning on replaceing all the rads either unless it was "mandatory".  Which it isn't.

Agreed, replacing all the existing rads would serve to ensure the rads were free of magnetite - but so would removing them and flushing them through with the garden hose, and that exercise would cost quite a bit less than fitting new ones.  If that latter course of action were to be undertaken then it might be considered wise (but not mandatory) that TRVs were fitted (or renewed if old ones in place) and new lockshield valves fitted too. But that's not the point at hand here.

But anyway, it's bedtime.

ButtersUK

Well that was all it a bit pointless, wasn't it.