New Boiler or Stick with old

stephen_e

BUFF said:

With upgraded controls & properly set flow/return temps to ensure condensing (assuming that your radiators have enough output to allow for running lower temps) I would expect you to save ~30% gas. I would expect the installation to pay for itself within it's life (assuming 15 years) - probably less if gas prices stay where they are or continue to increase.

That what I thought BUFF. Plus I think the boiler will definitely need replacing in next 5 years so possibly this summer is the right time to change that gives me a couple of months to accept the bill. Thanks for all input . Appreciated 

victor2

Quite a few manufacturers give 10+ year warranties now. Does usually mean it must be installed by an accredited installer and serviced annually, but should mean you get at least 10 years out of a new one. Don't expect it to last as long as its predecessor though. They don't build 'em like they used too!

k_man

stephen_e said:

BUFF said:

With upgraded controls & properly set flow/return temps to ensure condensing (assuming that your radiators have enough output to allow for running lower temps) I would expect you to save ~30% gas. I would expect the installation to pay for itself within it's life (assuming 15 years) - probably less if gas prices stay where they are or continue to increase.

That what I thought BUFF. Plus I think the boiler will definitely need replacing in next 5 years so possibly this summer is the right time to change that gives me a couple of months to accept the bill. Thanks for all input . Appreciated 

As asked above, how 'smart' are you current controls.
I suspect a big chunk of the 30% is the potentially improved timing and temperature/thermostat controls, outside of the boiler itself.

BUFF

k_man said:

stephen_e said:

BUFF said:

With upgraded controls & properly set flow/return temps to ensure condensing (assuming that your radiators have enough output to allow for running lower temps) I would expect you to save ~30% gas. I would expect the installation to pay for itself within it's life (assuming 15 years) - probably less if gas prices stay where they are or continue to increase.

That what I thought BUFF. Plus I think the boiler will definitely need replacing in next 5 years so possibly this summer is the right time to change that gives me a couple of months to accept the bill. Thanks for all input . Appreciated 

As asked above, how 'smart' are you current controls.
I suspect a big chunk of the 30% is the potentially improved timing and temperature/thermostat controls, outside of the boiler itself.

Going from a boiler that's probably ~70% efficient to one that is 90%+ will be a big chunk on it's own but depending upon existing controls & what upgraded to could definitely make a significant difference (especially if the improved controls allow you to modify your use). Since I changed over 13 years ago from a non-condensing balanced flue boiler with programmer+TRVs to a condensing fan-flued boiler with programmer+roomstat+TRVs I have basically halved my gas usage. I would guess that the roomstat & being able to modify my usage has probably accounted for 1/2 of that saving. I suspect that when I next change boilers & upgrade the controls further (load/weather compensating) at the same time I might sneak another 10% improvement if I am lucky.

FreeBear

BooJewels said: So, if you haven't already, maybe looking at the thermostat before the boiler might be a more economical way to address some efficiency, with what you already have?

Well worth fitting a smart thermostat that allows you to set different temperatures throughout the day - You can get cheap ones from ~£20 online - Do be careful though, some are for electric UFH.

Since fitting smarter controls to my boiler, I've saved something in the region of 20%.

Ignite

Our boiler is 32 years old and still going strong.  We had Hive fitted 4 to 5 years ago and since then we have made a good saving on the gas used.  I wasn't expecting it to save that much, but we have gone down from 12,500 units to 9,500 units a year on average.  We got our Hive controller via Amazon when they had a sale on and it cost us about £150 inc fitting rather than £250 normal price.

stephen_e

k_man said:

stephen_e said:

BUFF said:

With upgraded controls & properly set flow/return temps to ensure condensing (assuming that your radiators have enough output to allow for running lower temps) I would expect you to save ~30% gas. I would expect the installation to pay for itself within it's life (assuming 15 years) - probably less if gas prices stay where they are or continue to increase.

That what I thought BUFF. Plus I think the boiler will definitely need replacing in next 5 years so possibly this summer is the right time to change that gives me a couple of months to accept the bill. Thanks for all input . Appreciated 

As asked above, how 'smart' are you current controls.
I suspect a big chunk of the 30% is the potentially improved timing and temperature/thermostat controls, outside of the boiler itself.

I agree with this. I read some information that even if you have the most efficient of boilers if the controls are dated or not balanced then the efficiency is wasted

stephen_e

Thanks for all replies. I have definitely decided to change the boiler this summer. I base my decision on the age of the boiler and your advice. If I do not change it in all likelihood it will fail in the next couple of years and will require replacement at an even higher price plus the wasted energy up until it fails. Thanks again

lohr500

Made the same decision with out 35+ year old oil boiler last year for the same reasons.
Parts were getting harder to locate and I was worried that the core could rot through at any time (sod's law in the middle of winter when we would need the boiler most).

New oil boiler is a lot more efficient and sits outside so the kitchen is quieter and free from the smell of oil.

I went for one with a 10 year parts and labour guarantee for peace of mind. I serviced the old one myself, but will need this one doing by an approved engineer to maintain the warranty. More cost, but the 30% fuel savings I am seeing will go towards the capital outlay and servicing costs going forward.   

FreeBear

Ignite said: Our boiler is 32 years old and still going strong.  We had Hive fitted 4 to 5 years ago and since then we have made a good saving on the gas used.  I wasn't expecting it to save that much, but we have gone down from 12,500 units to 9,500 units a year on average.

One of the things I did was to set the pump to run on for ~15 minutes after the boiler shut down - This has enabled me to turn the thermostat down half a degree as there is now a noticeable overshoot. Will a Hive setup allow for pump overrun, or would you have to add a timer module ?