To replace a 20 year old boiler, or not?

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zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

If you need a new boiler do remember to check out Warm Front, it is amazing how many people qualify for a £2700 grant towards the cost. Don't just assume that you won't qualify.

Very Very true. Old people, those on benefits, low income or disabled give it a look in. Although I would not count my income as low (£198) somethings are not counted War/vetrans pension for instance, this means I am on very low income as far as warmfront is considered.
Combi may be efficient but are they more likely to break down because they are more complicated? Mine heats an immersion tank tank IE not heat the water when you switch the tap on, not that I use the hot water.

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Cardew wrote: »

I have the same type of 20 year old Mexico boiler - albeit bigger - and as stated above it has an efficiency when new of 65%.

A new boiler will about 25% more efficient. However you might find to replace it will cost a bit more than you estimate - if you need to get it to comply with all the new regulations on flue, ventilation etc, plus a pwerflush.

The other point is that several 'experts' have stated that the new boilers which are stuffed full of electronics will be lucky to last 10 years.

If you factor in the loss of interest on the £3k or so and the finite life of newer boilers, it may not be an economic proposition to replace the boiler.

I have decided to 'soldier on' with my old boiler - but that may turn out to be the wrong decision!!!

Replace it..........I doubt it! It is a no brainer. Unless you use very very large amounts of gas? Waiting for one to become irreparable is the best option. AND environmentally it is also the best option. Baxi in particular are easy to repair and the spare parts are cheap. That is not to say your engineer will not make a killing on the spare part. I am afraid allot of us get ripped of by heating engineers because we don't (or even can't as we have already got a call out charge) shop around. Also (SOME) of them are just scaremongers. After all what are carbon monoxide alarms for?

MillicentBystander

Anyone who replaces a working, non-dangerous but admittedly inefficient boiler of any age to save money is not thinking straight IMO. Amazingly, some so-called 'experts' will sometimes suggest doing just that to save money. Idiotic advice. If anyone is struggling to work it out, have a look here:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2930080

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Canucklehead wrote: »

Good morning: A boiler is only as good as the installation and annual servicing. My OH has attended too many boiler breakdowns over the years where the 'installer' has not followed manufacturer's instructions or specifications and the appliance has not had annual servicing: the annual service often catches the small problems before they develop into something expensive (or deadly as the case may be). Please note: many manufacturers do offer long warranty periods but the validity is contingent upon installation according manufacturer's specs and annual servicing. Check the installation guide for any new boiler you are considering for further details (available for download on the manufacturer's website) and ensure your 'installer' follows requirements.

HTH

Canucklehead

You are a gas engineer and as stated earlier SOME of you are scaremongers and I am afraid you give me that impression. IE "(or deadly as the case may be)." Again what are carbon monoxide detectors for? The more you write the more I think it.

"Validity is contingent upon installation according manufacturer's specs"
Or put another way they renege on the insurance policy. Give me an example of how they fit it wrong......upside down?

"And annual servicing." Just as matter of interest how would they know you have had an annual service? Unless they (the insurance company supply it no doubt at a rip off price).

My (I am not a gas engineer) advice is to start servicing it after 3 years LEAVE A DETECTOR NEAR BY and then take out insurance after the first service. Anyone with any ideas or alternative views??

macman

Not having it serviced for 3 years is just plain stupid, because that will immediately invalidate any warranty claim.
If you make a warranty claim they will ask for evidence of the service having taken place.

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mysterons wrote: »

I have the same Ideal Mexico boiler around 16 years old also on LPG. As I have a wood burner I only ever use the boiler when it's absolutely unavoidable as it costs a fortune in LPG.
This is my experience from a time when I relied on the c/h as the main source of heat. Note that I use cylinders as opposed to a bulk tank but if say I ran the heating for 2 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening with the dial at 1 then I'd use a full 47kg bottle (which I believe equates to 90 something litres in LPG) within 5 days. 10 litres per day then at whatever rate you're being ripped off at for part time heating. Not good is it?
However for the number of occasions I use the boiler it's certainly not going to be worth paying for a new combi.
LPG is horrendously expensive and prices are currently spiralling upwards, up 25% since early December.

1 Kg = 1.985 litres
0.512 Kg = 1 litre
47 kgs = 93.295 litres

Do you mean the big cylinders? you must do. How much do you pay a cyclinder? That appears to be very high usage.
A tank holds 1800 litres or as in my case 1600 litres. But can only be filled to a maximum of 80% summer or 85% winter. Therefore 1440 litres for a 1800 litre normal size tank at 80% full. This is equal to 15.5 cylinders (that took some working out)

1/ At the moment my LPG is 42p a liter or 47ppl therefore £43.84p (at 47ppl) is equal to your cyclinder
2/ Are you sure wood is cheaper than bulk LPG? At least where I am wood is far more expensive than anything else. I use it because I get it free.
3/You rent bulk tanks and the cost of rental is £60 a year.. insist on that. You have to take out a 2 year contact (the legal maximum) and at the end of 2 years you can change suppliers and they cannot take away the tank they must sell it to the new supplier at a fixed price (relative to age etc). Also nowadays they have to provide a contract which states maximum rises in prices. These rules were introduced by the competion authority backed up by a new law which bans unfair contract.
4/ The cost of changing to a bulk tank is the concrete base and the pipes to your house. I do not think there are any more cost although I am not sure of that.
5/ Taking out a 2 year contract now should be a good/cheap deal as there is far better competion since the new rules were introduced.
6/This is the site you go to to see what suppliers are available and to ask what all the cost would be for a tank and LPG prices.

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macman wrote: »

Not having it serviced for 3 years is just plain stupid, because that will immediately invalidate any warranty claim.
If you make a warranty claim they will ask for evidence of the service having taken place.

What warranty? Are you saying I have warranty after 2 years? By the way I had the manufactures in and they got the company that fitted it back because of the noise it was making after about 13 months they did not ask if I had it serviced.
How do you supply evidence of servicing? Receipts? What if you lost them?
What if you wait 5 years then had it serviced then bought insurance. Would they refuse to give you insurance..?that is a rhetorical question.

The manufactures are rip of merchants compared to ordinary companies (like AA). I know because they send me unsolicited letters constantly to take out insurance even during the first year when surely it was under warranty.
Have you made a claim and they asked for proof of servicing? Or are you just a typical scaremonger gas engineer?

macman

All boilers have a minimum one year warranty, many have 2 years (eg Worcester Bosch), some offer up to 10 years on certain components (eg Viessmann cover some heat exchangers for that period).
Additionally some installers offer an extended warranty if the annual service is carried out by themselves.
Evidence of servicing: an invoice or service record would be sufficient.
An annual service is sound practice for the reasons already outlined above, a much better investment than an expensive annual boiler cover policy.
I have no professional interest whatsoever.

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macman wrote: »

Additionally some installers offer an extended warranty if the annual service is carried out by themselves. AT PRICES A ROBBER WOULD BE ASHAMED OF
An annual service is sound practice for the reasons already outlined above,
a much better investment than an expensive annual boiler cover policy.

As stated I haven't got insurance and I haven’t had my boiler serviced nor am I stupid for that matter.
How about letting us all know how much servicing cost.

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macman wrote: »

Not having it serviced for 3 years is just plain stupid, because that will immediately invalidate any warranty claim.
If you make a warranty claim they will ask for evidence of the service having taken place.

So I did not invalidate my non existing warranty