Good impartial advice about boilers.

[Peter Balcombe]

Where do you get it?

At present I have a backboiler in my chalet bungalow which is now coming up for 19 years old but is working AOK and is on a British Gas Service Contract.. Obviously it will not last for ever although currently there is no urgent need for replacement.

I have established that contrary to rubbish put out back boilers are not due to be "outlawed" but they are liable to be more expensive and less efficient than combination boilers. On the other hand I am limited in options for siting a combination boiler - limited roof space because of loft conversion, car port down side of this semi, positioning of windows and doors etc. I suspect that any saving from the lower cost and greater efficiency of a combination boiler will be offset by the higher installation cost incurred by having to reroute pipework, and the grief to be incurred by upsetting my wife who has planned and ordered her new kitchen siting a cupboard at one of the best possible locations in the kitchen!

Comments anyone?

[Tim Morley]

Our ideal ISAR boiler is designed to fit into a kitchen cupboard. Dont know it that will assist in any way?

[Ed Sirett]

It may well be that you bungalow is one of the few locations where an exemption for not replacing the boiler with a condensing unit is permitted.

However when you do replace the boiler it may well be worth having a very good look around for a better location. This is because back boilers are inherently less efficient and less safe than, fan assisted and room sealed models. They are also _much_ more expensive.

Don't be misled by the marketing hype about new 'electronic' back boilers that just means they have electronic ignition about a 4% improvement.

You don't need to replace the system with a combination boiler you may find that a plain heating boiler is adequate.

[John Rumm]

To be honest it is probably impossible to get totally impartial advice, everyone will have at least a few pet favourites. It is probably better steering clear of people trying to sell you one though. How about here? ;-)

I expect you mean condensing boilers, rather than "combination" (which is a boiler that does space heating and instant hot water without a hot water storage cylinder)

There is a points scoring system that *may* let you not install a condensing boiler. I refer you to the orifice of the deputy PM:

suspect that any saving from the lower cost and greater efficiency of a

Alas none of which figure in the points scoring system ;-((

However don't underestimate the cumulative saving from a big leap in efficiency you may get with a new boiler. You could find yourself paying

20% less for your heating gas each year, which taken along with the fact a replacement back boiler will be more expensive than an "ordinary" one, could soon erode any difference in price.

In the cupboard might work well ;-)

[Doctor Evil]

Try putting a combi in the void space created by the loft conversion and run the flue through the roof.

You will have to run new pipes around the house. Get it done before the kitchen is fitted.

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