New Boiler Needed or Replace Part

lknights1987

Hi all ,

My combi boiler, Alpha CB24 doesn't give me any hot water it was working fine, then all of a sudden it made some weird noises and then stopped working.

I had a British gas engineer come out. As I have the highest HomeCare service plan, they did a service and said the reason for the hot water not working is because of the heat exchanger, which will cost £220 to supply and fit. The engineer also said it stopped working because of the sludge in the system. He showed me the filter, which looked very bad. He advised I either get a new boiler or pay for the part and have a power flush, which will probably cost around £800.

He told he Britsih gas have a deal on just now, but unfortunately I cannot take any deal because every time the salesmen come round to quote, they say the engineer can't go onto a flat roof without scaffolding, which i would have to pay for. The flue on my boiler is above a flat roof. I live in a flat; it's 1 up, 1 down I am upstairs.

I am coming to the end of my homecare plan and thinking about changing providers. I pay £42 per month for the plan I am on.

I'm currently with eon with my gas and electricity. The property I am in is also leasehold!

Can anyone recommend a company to replace a boiler and do a full power flush of the system? I live in Ipswich!

Also, what boiler would be best to go for? It will be for 4 radiators and a towel rail for a 2-bed flat.

QrizB

He told he Britsih gas have a deal on just now

I get the feeling that British Gas "deals" are like DFS "sales" - there's always one on.

I pay £42 per month for the plan I am on.

That's ~£500 a year, which seems like rather a lot!

oldernonethewiser

Is there a reason they need to access the flue on the roof?

Get some quotes from independent boiler suppliers and fitters.

Might well be cheaper than any BG deal.

lknights1987

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82129075#Comment_82129075

The flue is about a meter and half from the flat roof they couldn't get a ladder up on the side and then reach over its too far over nor can they lean out the window and do it.

oldernonethewiser

Is a new flue needed?

lknights1987

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82129152#Comment_82129152

yes the boiler is at least 15 years old and the flue is very old

oldernonethewiser

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82129156#Comment_82129156

If it is that old I would look to replace it as you could easily spend money on repairs only to have another part fail. With a new boiler you'll get a warranty eg Worcester Bosch offer a 10 year warranty.

lknights1987

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82129160#Comment_82129160

Would the radiators need replacing aswell ?

QrizB

Would the radiators need replacing aswell ?

Not generally, no.

I had my boiler replaced last year via Boxt. I didn't have the problem of the flue being above a flat roof (and I might've been able to get a better deal from a local fitter) but it was quick and easy.

What sort of quote do they offer you?

https://www.boxt.co.uk/

You could also get a quote from Heatable:

https://heatable.co.uk/

Or you could go direct to the big names in boilers. Worcester Bosch, Vaillant etc. have "get a quote" options on their websites but mostly they put you in touch with a local company and it's the local co that then quotes.

oldernonethewiser

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82129229#Comment_82129229

Unlikely. I've had boiler replacements in older properties with old boilers and no radiators were changed. System flush, yes.

QrizB

A question:

It will be for 4 radiators and a towel rail for a 2-bed flat.

That can't be more than about 6kW of demand. Presumably you also have a bath or shower that are run from the combi?