Upgrading regular boiler to a combi - initial advice

littlemoney

amateur_house said:

littlemoney said:

elsmandino said:

3. Where do people tend to put combis, when they do a straight swap - i.e. is it less work to put the combi where the current boiler is or where the water tank is, or does it literally make no real difference?

Ebe_Scrooge said:

3.  It makes little difference really.  It needs to be on an outside wall for the flue to vent, but other than that it can go anywhere.  Probably makes sense to stick it where the old one is as the gas and water pipes will already be there.  But it shouldn't be a huge job to put it somewhere else if that would be more convenient.  Obviously there would be more work involved as the installer would have to move the gas pipe and cut a new hole in the wall for the flue, and block up the old one - but in principle it can go anywhere.

Been reading this thread with interest as I am considering replacing my boiler and have similar thoughts. Howeer  my floor standing boiler was installed in 1983 replacing a Rayburn oven  which also provided hot water. The chimney used by the rayburn is now used by my gas boiler. Can a new boiler vent up a chimney or does it have to go on an outside wall?

@littlemoney - is your current boiler a back boiler? My boiler hasn't worked since May last year, and I've been thinking of replacing it. Mine is a back boiler and behind a gas fire. I've not been in a rush to get it repaired or replaced as it's expensive to run, so I've been using electric heaters and just heating the room I'm in rather than the whole house. Paying the gas standing charge and pilot light is a waste of money for no heating, so I'm not sure what to do - either get the boiler repaired or replace it.

No it's a floor standing boiler installed in 1983. It has a pilot light and no temperature control thermostat. It switches on/off by time so I have to guess what time I will be home and how cold it will be.