Baxi Bermuda BBU HE ~ anyone here have experience of these?

[Nick]

Do you knowledgeable folk have any experience of these please?

We have to take the plunge and replace an existing 30+YO New World 11Kw back boiler with something new. Flue is extendable single wall stainless steel within existing chimney.

150mm I think.

Baxi seem to have the market cornered but this boiler looks good for the purpose. It is relatively new to market so some user or installer views would be welcomed. Location is in a hearth in what is now a utility room, this hearth is ducted directly to an airbrick. The existing firefront has not been used in 25 years (and is quite hideous). We don't have available space for a more conventional boiler. The latest Baxi incarnation has remote boiler controls which could be very useful, the firefront is separately powered from a nearby 13A socket.

15Kw output and no doubt improved efficiency will, without doubt, be a blessing. This boiler would allow us to use existing pipework without huge disruption. As far as I have been able to find out there is no connection between boiler and firefront. That is the basic situation.

a few questions: Any pros/cons for this Baxi? Can the existing flue be used? Most importantly. Can the boiler function without a firefront? Firefront would never be used and is ruddy expensive. I asked this question of Baxi and they say the boiler cannot operate without a firefront as they work together. I had expected this reply. The firefront is separately supplied electrically with its own controls and AFAIK is not connected to the boiler (please tell me if I'm wrong).

Many thanks,

Nick.

[Owain]

Could you knock out the front of the chimney (extend the fire opening upwards with a new lintel) and mount a new boiler between the side walls of the chimney? That wouldn't take up any more space - indeed, could give you some extra storage space beneath the boiler.

On a quick skim through the Baxi thing, I didn't notice any mention of condensate drain

Owain

[Nick]

It would be possible to extend the existing fireplace to accommodate a conventional boiler. This would involve quite considerable work including major structural annd pipework modifications etc. It is our intention to leave this house within a couple of years. The house will be left in good and working order but you may understand that we don't want to make unneccessary expenditure. It took me some while to find decent specs for this Baxi thing (even on the Baxi site). The boiler contains a cistern to collect condensate and a pump to clear that cistern via 10mm pipework. This sounds fine in theory but I am not convinced that it would work well in the long term. However, and unfortunately, I would not expect any boiler to give the 30 years + that the existing New World gadget has done. From what I have read 5 years is good and 10 years extraordinary for any modern appliance. Thank you for your reply.

Nick.

[Roger Mills]

Well, "The integral condensate pump allows the condensate to be discharged into the drain via a 10mm pipe which fits neatly along the skirting. Alternatively it can routed vertically into the soil stack. "

[Roger Mills]

Well, it appears to be a high efficiency replacement for earlier models - meeting current regs but still installed in the fireplace.

Not the existing flue liner - it needs a new concentric one 'cos it's room sealed.

Dunno. It appears to be an electric fire rather than gas like earlier models. It *should* work without it - unless there are any interlocks to prevent the boiler working without the fire being fitted - but hopefully not. You'd have to fill the hole with *something* of course!

[Mark]

If you are leaving the house soon then why replace the boiler?

[Owain]

If it's broken just get a s/hand Baxi Buggrit to fill the gap - they are practically being given away - just don't tell Building Regs.

Owain

[Mark]

AFAIK there's nothing in building regs to prevent you repairing an existing boiler, even if it would not meet the current regs.