Heating & hot water replacement - options & opinions

iamnotasoldier

Hi - my current heat and hot water system is well overdue for replacement, we think. It was installed as part of the house build in 2000 so is over 20 yrs old. Been well maintained & serviced but whilst it's working fine currently, it does get mentioned by engineers that given the age the system, certain spare parts are not available anymore & with the age, it's probably a matter of time before there is catastrophic failure or it's no longer viable to maintain.

Given with the current spotlight on how we heat our homes ie the death of the gas boiler, has anyone got any experience/advice on changing their system & what options are out there ? I've seen Heat pumps getting press but is it too early in their adoption for the masses ? Do we just replace with a modern combi boiler & get another 20 yrs+, if we look after it ?

The house is 3 bed semi circa 2000 as I mentioned, with just my wife & I. 

Any thoughts/advice/anecdote would appreciated.

FreeBear

My boiler is considerably older than yours (probably 35y+). But there is precious little to go wrong with it, and the parts likely to fail are readily available. Have been looking at GSHP to replace the boiler, but at £20-30K for just the boreholes, it just isn't viable. The money would be better spent on insulating & draught proofing - Even with a 20y.o. house, I'm sure it would benefit from extra insulation.

Air/ground source heat pumps, whilst nice on paper, are just too darned expensive to purchase & install at present. The costs need to come down substantially to make it a viable alternative. In the meantime, I'm sticking with a combination of gas and solid (wood) fuel. But then I have a steady supply of logs and space to store them.

tacpot12

The principle options are gas boiler and heat pumps, with electric radiators and electric boilers also available, but offering higher rnning costs. Instantaneous water heaters (like an electric shower) are options to get hot water at the taps. These can be viable if you don't use much hot water, and only have one or two sinks. 

Heat pumps currently cost more to install, even with the generous subsidies available currently. So I would go with a gas boiler for the next 20 years and then expect to switch to a heat pump. 

Typical cost for a gas boiler replacement is £3000, and £7000 for a heat pump (with subsidies). 

grandadgolfer

Pay through the nose and get a heat pump / go for a another gas boiler / do nothing till boiler packs in........easy answer wait till it packs in which could be another 10 years then replace with another gas boiler

iamnotasoldier

Thanks for your input. Wow 35yr+ for the boiler - that's no bad shooting ! I don't think I'm under REAL pressure to get a solution.... yet, but I'm always of the opinion that fail to prepare, prepare to fail, so I was hoping to have a long term solution lined up before it become critical.

With you on the heat pumps-  it just seems too early & cost prohibitive at the mo', which doesn't really leave many other options for the type of house I'm in. I'm wondering now if going all electric might a future proofing, low-ish cost alternative. Gas prices seem to going one way & with the spotlight on fossil fuels, it might be the best forward for medium term.

BTW - does anyone know how you swap a post to another forum ? Just realised I've posted this in "Is This Quote Fair", which is not where I meant to post it ! 

NSG666

Do nothing until it packs up and cannot be fixed.
If you have not got an emergency fund to pay for a replacement when the time comes then start to build one now.

iamnotasoldier

Cheers for input. Yeah we have funds to replace anything, it would just the inconvenience of losing both heat AND hot water - you ever had wife nag you she can't wash her hair

oystercatcher

My boiler was elderly when I moved here so I prepared to replace it when it finally died. 22 years later it's still fine.... (I really hope I am not tempting fate posting this!)

plumb1_2

FreeBear said:

My boiler is considerably older than yours (probably 35y+). 

Glowworm spacesaver??

NSG666

iamnotasoldier said:

Cheers for input. Yeah we have funds to replace anything, it would just the inconvenience of losing both heat AND hot water - you ever had wife nag you she can't wash her hair

Sorry just seen your reply. I find these work for me although the ones from Boots are less obvious being skin coloured.

3M EAR Classic 28dB Foam Disposable Ear Plugs 5 Pairs | Ear Plugs | Screwfix.com

FreeBear

plumb1_2 said:

FreeBear said:

My boiler is considerably older than yours (probably 35y+). 

Glowworm spacesaver??

Baxi Bermuda back boiler (401 I think).