My new Vaillant modulates well - the old one would go to internal 'stat and cut out - as it goes to the internal 'stat and runs at that temperature until the room is up to temperature. Much quieter and, at 50C, very little plume coming out luke warm. The fitter said that it would use more gas this way as it's running for longer and should be set t0 70C. At that it overshoots, takes ages to come back on and the wide variation is rather uncomfortable.
UNless you are stupid enough to install a heat pump in a solid-walled house with a suspended-ventilated ground floor and no insulation.
That is not a cost, it is a massive benefit, short and long term.
Remember, you plant trees for future generations, likewise insulating leaky old houses.
-1, After 2035 it will cost even more because, if current plans are to be believed, gas boilers will be intentionally priced out of reach of normal budgets.
I guarantee that 15 years from now people will be moaning about how they wished they had made the effort to improve the insulation of their house when they *could have afforded it*
I only see electricity up 50%, and I don't use gas, but I hear stories on the radio from businesses like the hotel in Scarborough whose monthly charge has gone up 8-fold.
And also allowing in fresh oxygenated water that is rotting away all the ferrous material in the system.
Or, the ball valve sticks, as they *do* and the system slowly empties or evaporates away if it is pumping over.
Mine has gone up from 12.8p per kWh to 28p, which without my fix would currently be 35p.
Gas had gone from just under 4p per unit to just under 8p.
It is an investment but having insulated the house you would also use much less gas to heat it. A replacement gas boiler would still be a much cheaper option. If you didn't have the many £ks of money to insulated to a standard required for a typical ASHP system then again a gas boiler replacement is cheaper.
But what if you are only heating by electricity once a day on cheap rate power? That’s what I currently do.
Tim
Just so say thank you for all the input :-)
It seems the offer from British Gas isn't particularly generous so I will leave things until the current boiler starts playing up.
Thanks again.
There is no cap on commercial prices, and there are no published rates on-line. You need to ring for a quote. I would say 8-fold is possible...
Dave
I'm also looking for a replacement heat-only boiler, and was thinking of a Vaillant 415. I was put off the ecoFit as the blurb says it has an aircraft-grade aluminium heat exchanger, whereas the ecoTec doesn't say what the exchanger material is - presumably it's stainless.
My current boiler supplies a Boilermate heat store, and the store's controller runs the whole system, DHW being supplied through a plate exchanger.
If the CH demand drops the store temperature below 60C the CH is turned off until the temp rises above 60C, this usually takes just a few minutes; ITMT the rads are all nice and hot having been supplied from the heat store.
This means that I only need the boiler to supply heat, modulating down as the store temperature rises to avoid overshoot.
I'd be grateful for any comments on whether the ecoTec is suitable, or is overkill for this application, and if so what might be a more appropriate boiler. Fitting would be by a local plumber/gas fitter.
I had a Vaillant boiler installed in my previous property about twenty years ago - don't remember what the model was, but after about fifteen years the heat exchanger corroded away to bits - it was aluminium. I was surprised that they'd chosen ally, because the environment of a heat exchanger is fairly acidic and I would have thought corrosion was inevitable. My boiler here is also a Vaillant, but one of the ecoTech range, which AIUI have SS heat exchangers. I would avoid ally ones, whether aircraft-grade (whatever that means) or otherwise, but they may be better these days.
I think you're on an EV tariff where you get 4h / night at 5p/kWh (or similar)? The rest of us don't have that option - seems all the tariffs now check you have an EV before letting you sign up. You can continue to use your immersion, for as much power as you can draw for the 4h. I think some folks on time of use tariffs fit double immersion coils so they can pull 6kW during cheap periods.
Theo
Sounds like your fitter missed the memo on condensing boilers :-)
A family member found out that after a freeze, an unlimited amount of water can do an awful lot of damage.
There ought not be any leaks, or as John has suggested wood rot can be a big issue.
They won't know if you use a "granny lead".
But if it does leak, it will leak and leak and leak…. With a pressurised system a few litres at most.
In addition, a sealed system is much easier to work on without draining down. After depressurising you can replace valves or radiators with very little spillage (and loss of inhibitor). Pressurisation is also helpful at preventing kettling in a loft mounted boiler.
I’ve had both systems. I now much prefer a sealed system. Wins on so many points.
Tim
I know that the 415 ecoTec paired with a VR65, VR66 or whatever may now have superseded them, can read the temperature of a Vaillant uniStore using an NTC device and modulate down as it nears the setpoint. I assume that it would either work with another store or the appropriate sensor could be fitted to the existing store - but you'd have to investigate further.
You need to provide documentation that you own an EV, not what kind of plug you use to charge it. If you can't provide documentation, you don't get the cheap night-rate tariff.
Theo
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