Hi
I have an old (1978) Baxi Bermuda 551, could anyone tell me how many BTU's this boiler outputs so that I can compare to replacements?
I know I should really check my radiator BTU requirements, which I will do , but I just wondered what the boiler, which has been effective, is rated at.
Thanks
Quoting from my installation manual: "The boiler unit output is range rated from 10kW (34,000 BTU/h) to 16kW (55,000 BTU/h)".
HTH.
AFAIK no back boiler units (BBUs) were made that exceeded 16kW. Invariably the BBU will have been set to the maximum gas rate of the range.
You should not worry about getting a slightly more powerful replacment (if that is the best choice in other respects) as modern boilers are modulating (i.e. they vary the gas rate to suit the heating requirement automatically) and would typically range from about 40%-100% of the maxium power. Boilers with forced premixing (usually condensing models) would typically modulated down to about 25%-30%.
Thanks to both for the info.
I have frequently been told that these old Baxi Boilers are either "all on or all off", if that is so what does the control on the boiler do i.e. the round knob that goes from "low" through"1,2,3,4" to "High"? How does this regulate the boilers output?
Presumably from what you have said new back boilers are significantly more efficient than the one I have?
That is simply the thermostat which determines the temperature of the output water. This turns the burner off once the temperature is reached. Whilst the burner is burning, it's running at full capacity. If your house needs less than the full output, the burner will be on for part of the time and off for the rest - as opposed to a modulating boiler which can turn down its heat output whilst continuing to run.
Umm... not by very much. Mostly the saving is the removal of the permanent pilot light. The replacement units are seriously expensive aswell, not withstanding they are inherently less safe and force you to have a gas fire whether you like it or not.
Interesting comments, I would require a gas fire, however, can you explain why the back boiler is less safe?
Do you recommend a combi boiler, the reason I ask is that all except one person that I know who replaced a back boiler with a combi has found the radiators do not get as hot and it takes forever to run a hot bath. They also seem less reliable, more complicated and seriously expensive to fix. As I said one person is very happy but six or seven others are not, are they unlucky or could it be because they acquired combis when they were fairly new and did not offer the heat outputs that current ones do?
I would be grateful for your comments especially as you are in the trade and I am not.
It is not necessarily "less safe" it will be safe enough if installed and maintained correctly. I said it is less iherently safe meaning if installed and/or maintained incorrectly or neglected or abuse it may become less safe than a modern room sealed type of appliance.
The issue is CO poisoning if the flue becomes blocked and the appliance becomes faulty.
Combis are right for some homes and not others. Only this last week I had a cusotmer in a small flat who was seriously pleased with the removal of the tanks and cylinder and the increase in pressure.
If they are not making the radiators hot enough that is a fault of the installer. They can and do work correctly.
They
2 points. It depends on the make. A lot of the faults in non-combi systems are with components that are in the combi appliance case (pumps, motorized valve)As
Unhappy combi customers are pissed off because: A) The DHW flow rate is poor (they were mis-sold a combi) or should have had a storage combi system. B) The heating does not work (because the installer cut a corner too many i No balancing. ii No corrosion inhibitor iii No flushing out of system. iv Wrongly wired controls. (My sister had the thermostat wired in Air Con mode! [1]). C) The boiler was one of the cheaper models [2] and is forever breaking down. and/or the service personnel have lost the plot.
My guess is that a 'typical' combi is right for most 1 & 2 bed flats, debateable for small houses and wrong elsewhere.
BTW I'm just off to reccy and quote for a BBU replacement which BG are refusing to maintain any longer. 3 bed house.
[2] (e.g. Puma, Ocean, Ravenheat, Halstead...) [1] I.e It comes on when the house gets hotter and stays on, it goes off when the house gets cold and stays off!HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.