Boiler replacement - Council/Housing Assoc.

mac.d

I know the question of how long boilers should last is a well-worn one, but does anyone know if there are any guidelines or recommendations for council or local housing associations on when they should replace boilers? And am I correct in thinking that the grants that are available for new boilers can't be used by council/L.H.A. tenants, so therefore you are stuck with an old boiler until such time as the council decides it needs replaced?

System

mac.d wrote: »

I know the question of how long boilers should last is a well-worn one, but does anyone know if there are any guidelines or recommendations for council or local housing associations on when they should replace boilers? And am I correct in thinking that the grants that are available for new boilers can't be used by council/L.H.A. tenants, so therefore you are stuck with an old boiler until such time as the council decides it needs replaced?

Surely, the sole criterion is whether a GSR’ed engineer will sign off the annual Gas Safety Certificate. I am pretty sure that if there was a way that Councils could get the Government to pay for replacement boilers - negating the cost of future repairs - Councils would be submitting applications by the van load. Boilers are a bit like cars. Replacement is driven by two things: maintenance costs and the availability of spare parts. Sadly, public bodies are not very good at spending now to save in future years.

matelodave

I agree with Hengus, I guess they replace them when they can't get them fixed or alternatively they get a lump of money from somewhere to have a bit of a blitz.

Unfortunately, like most things in councils, housing associations and even businesses etc, the capital cost of replacing an item comes out of a different budget to the repairs and maintenance one and probably needs a special case to be made to get the funds requiring lots of paperwork and scrutiny by accountants and councillors.

So in most cases it's less hassle to just keep repairing stuff however old, inefficient and inconvenient it may be.

They'd probably find it easier to get the money to replace it with a heatpump rather than another boiler



T

st999

so therefore you are stuck with an old boiler until such time as the council decides it needs replaced?

At least you don't have to pay to get it replaced.

footyguy

mac.d wrote: »

I know the question of how long boilers should last is a well-worn one, but does anyone know if there are any guidelines or recommendations for council or local housing associations on when they should replace boilers? And am I correct in thinking that the grants that are available for new boilers can't be used by council/L.H.A. tenants, so therefore you are stuck with an old boiler until such time as the council decides it needs replaced?

They probably replace them as any other owner/landlord would. i.e. when they break and it is uneconomical to repair them. It is usually up to the tenant to report any fault.
(although faults may also come to light during the annual safety inspection)

Obviously large organisations such as councils/HAs will be mindful of when a pattern emerges of the cost of repair/replacement of similar aged, similar model boilers in a housing estate causing issues, and may, when that situation arises, elect to replace all boilers (which have not yet been replaced) in that area.

ChaunceyGardiner

st999 wrote: »

At least you don't have to pay to get it replaced.

What do you suppose the rent is for? My housing association flat was built in 1979. Since then, a new kitchen has been fitted and the storage heaters replaced by gas central heating, around 10 years ago. Everything else is original, even the windows. Hardly excessive, wouldn’t you say?

System

ChaunceyGardiner wrote: »

What do you suppose the rent is for? My housing association flat was built in 1979. Since then, a new kitchen has been fitted and the storage heaters replaced by gas central heating, around 10 years ago. Everything else is original, even the windows. Hardly excessive, wouldn’t you say?

If your gas boiler is only 10 years old, and it has been properly maintained, it still has many years of life left in it.

ChaunceyGardiner

Hengus wrote: »

If your gas boiler is only 10 years old, and it has been properly maintained, it still has many years of life left in it.

I don’t doubt it. A very good boiler it is, too. But its eventual replacement will not be ‘free’, as the poster above suggested.

macman

Depends entirely what boiler they fitted. Social housing tends to be equipped with budget installs bought in bulk, Ideal and Vokera come to mind. Some of those will be lucky to last ten years.

mac.d

Thanks for all the replies. There's never been any problems with its annual gas safety inspection, and although it broke down a couple of times last winter, it was easily fixed and is still working ok. But an energy survey flagged it as due for replacement, and the last repairman said it was getting hard to get parts for. All inspections and repairs carried out by the council but obviously different people each time.

st999 wrote: »

At least you don't have to pay to get it replaced.

Aside from paying rent and supposedly getting things for free, I was more thinking of being able to get a grant towards the cost and paying to get it replaced if the Council/H.A. won't do it. I don't think that is possible though.

st999

Perhaps I should clarify my statement.


You don't have to pay for it all at once in a lump sum or borrow the money.