New boiler or keep reliable old one?

WorldTraveller_2

Would like some advice about boilers please. We have a boiler which is fairly old, not sure exactly how old though. When gas men have been here (on one occasion to do some work outside which required turning off our boiler, then another time to fit our smart meter) they didn't say there was anything wrong with it, but one of them did comment that it was old and they personally wouldn't want one like that themselves, and would advise getting a new one. We have considered it, but since we moved here (ten years ago) we haven't had a single problem with it, and seem to pay a normal price for what we're using so don't think it's particularly inefficient (though I appreciate newer ones must be more efficient). We haven't actually had it serviced since just before we moved in here, I know we should have done but I've heard of so many people who had services and then the boiler was left not working in some way afterwards. My attitude is that it's working and so should be left well alone (we do have carbon monoxide detectors in our house). I've also heard people with quite new boilers that go wrong which is another thing that's putting me off getting a new one. Do you think it's ok to use an old, but very reliable boiler?

Tom99

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]When I moved in I tried to have the boiler serviced but the case was rusted on and would not come off.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]It lasted over 12 years before I replaced it.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]A new one will save you gas but I am interested to see what others say about the safety issues of not having the boiler serviced.[/FONT]

jayII

I'd get it serviced (carbon monoxide is not the only worry!) then keep using it, with annual services.

I certainly wouldn't replace a perfectly good appliance unless it's unsafe or overly expensive to run.

WorldTraveller_2

Tom99 wrote: »

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]When I moved in I tried to have the boiler serviced but the case was rusted on and would not come off.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]It lasted over 12 years before I replaced it.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]A new one will save you gas but I am interested to see what others say about the safety issues of not having the boiler serviced.[/FONT]

Yes it's only the safety aspect that slightly concerns me - but then as it has never gone wrong at all I'm thinking it's quite a good, sturdy boiler. If they were cheap things to replace we'd just get a new one, but they're quite expensive so would rather avoid as long as possible.

matelodave

It will probably cost you around £2000 or more to get the boiler replaced, especially as you'll have to have a condensing boiler and extra controls.

Even if you manage to save £200 a year in gas then you'd take 10 years to get a return on your investment assuming that the new boiler lasts that long - many don't.

Repairs to modern boilers with electronics, fans and other gubbins cost significantly more than an old one with only a gas valve to go wrong.

IMHO you should keep it going for as long as you can, perhaps putting a few bob away every year ready for when it does eventually die. I'd be inclined to get a spare gas valve, whilst they are still available then you can keep it going even longer.

WorldTraveller_2

jayII wrote: »

I'd get it serviced (carbon monoxide is not the only worry!) then keep using it, with annual services.

I certainly wouldn't replace a perfectly good appliance unless it's unsafe or overly expensive to run.

Do you know what other safety issues there could be with it? I don't know anything about boilers really. I'm just worried that a service could cause problems that weren't there to start with if they start fiddling with it. I'm sure we will eventually get a new one, especially if we decide to move in the future, but would rather put it off as long as possible.

WorldTraveller_2

matelodave wrote: »

It will probably cost you around £2000 or more to get the boiler replaced, especially as you'll have to have a condensing.

Even if you manage to save £200 a year in gas then you'd take 10 years to get a return on your investment assuming that the new boiler lasts that long - many don't. Repairs to modern boilers with electronics, fans and other gubbins cost significantly more than an old one with only a gas valve to go wrong.

IMHO you should keep it going for as long as you can, perhaps putting a few bob away every year ready for when it does eventually die.

Yes it's the fact that it's so reliable that's making me hesitate to replace it. I've lived in other properties that did have dodgy boilers that kept breaking down, made odd noises etc, and we've had nothing like that with this one.

CashStrapped

What is the make and model of a boiler?

It is best to ascertain how old it actually is.

Furthermore, if it is running fine, and there is no indication of a fault, then I would be inclined to get it through the winter, wait till the weather warms up before getting it serviced. That way, if anything does happen, you are not forced to make a super quick decision due to the cold.

My boiler is 40 years old. Yes, it is very inefficient, but it has never broken down or needed a major part replacing in that 40 years. In that time some of my neighbours have gone through 2 combi boilers.

However, it does need a service! The heat exchanger may need a clean as well as the burner and the flue will need checking for debris.

If it is more then a few years since it's last one, this is a must. Fear of servicing it because it might get broken is not a path to go down. The longer you leave it unserviced, that chances of a minor fault not being spotted and it turning into a dangerous major fault is not something that should be ignored.

Old boilers are very simple and built like tanks. A Gas Safe plumber should have little issue servicing one.

So, wait till spring summer, and look for a local experienced gas safe engineer. If it is that old, maybe look for someone who has experience service older boilers.

My recent service guy was really young and had only worked on modern things. He handled it like it was a museum piece. But, he got there in the end.

Again, what make/model is it?

---

In my opinion, it is not worth replacing if it is working and you are happy with the system and how it operates.

What are you annual kwh figures like?

WorldTraveller_2

CashStrapped wrote: »

What is the make and model of a boiler?

It is best to ascertain how old it actually is.

Furthermore, if it is running fine, and there is no indication of a fault, then I would be inclined to get it through the winter, wait till the weather warms up before getting it serviced. That way, if anything does happen, you are not forced to make a super quick decision due to the cold.

My boiler is 40 years old. Yes, it is very inefficient, but it has never broken down or needed a major part replacing in that 40 years. In that time some of my neighbours have gone through 2 combi boilers.

However, it does need a service! The heat exchanger may need a clean as well as the burner and the flue will need checking for debris.

If it is more then a few years since it's last one, this is a must. Fear of servicing it because it might get break is not a path to go down. The longer you leave it unserviced, that chances of a minor fault not being spotted and it turning into a dangerous major fault is nor something that should be ignored.

Old boilers are very simple and built like tanks. An Gas Safe plumber should have little issue servicing one.

So, wait till spring summer, and look for a local, experienced gas safe engineer. If it is that old, maybe look for someone who has experience service older boilers.

Again, what make/model is it?

---

In my opinion, it is not worth replacing if it is working and you are happy with the system and how it operates.

What are you annual kwh figures like?

It's a Potterton Kingfisher. Just checked and we used 13,578 kWh gas last year, at a cost of £620. That is for a three bedroom house.

jayII

jayII wrote: »

I'd get it serviced (carbon monoxide is not the only worry!) then keep using it, with annual services.

I certainly wouldn't replace a perfectly good appliance unless it's unsafe or overly expensive to run.

I don't think it's common, but heavily used pipes can corrode and joints can fail, possibly leading to a gas leak in or near the boiler.

The same applies if debris builds up and prevents the gas from being burnt fully. Apart from being dangerous, your home insurance might not pay out if the boiler blows up after it hasn't been serviced for several years.

CashStrapped

WorldTraveller wrote: »

It's a Potterton Kingfisher. Just checked and we used 13,578 kWh gas last year, at a cost of £620. That is for a three bedroom house.

That seems to be a boiler circa 2001 - 2007. A baby by my standards.

It is a non-condensing conventional boiler. I assume you have a hot water tank and tanks in the loft.

These type of boilers are super reliable. Less efficient by modern standards, but far more reliable. It's efficiency is actually not too bad at all around 78% as a guide figure.
You will see little in return for investing in a modern combi boiler. A modern combi will be far less reliable.

Your annual gas use is around the national average. So no issues there.

I would be inclined to keep it in good working order for as long as possible.

If it is well serviced, it should not need replacing.