What's a reasonable lifespan for a combi boiler?

[Mike Clarke]

Our 10 year old Worcester 350 combi stopped supplying hot water yesterday. Demand for hot water fires up the boiler but doesn't send power to the DHW pump. If I've interpreted the fault finding flowchart correctly then it looks like the driver PCB needs replacing. There's already a few existing minor issues with this boiler (like leaks from the quarter turn CH flow and return valves on the manifold) and we're due to have the kitchen dry-lined which is going to require temporary removal and refitting of the boiler.

In view of the other issues I was wondering if it might be worth considering replacing the boiler with a new condensing boiler if the existing one wouldn't be expected to have much more life after replacing the board.

[matthew.larkin]

If commercial sense has any input to this, I think I'm right in saying that British Gas and other contract maintenance providers use a period of about 7 years as their benchmark as whether a boiler should be replaced or not. So their commercial judgement is that a boiler younger than 7 years old should be capable of economic repair, and if not they replace it.

On that basis, 10 years is a good innings, perhaps time for a new one?

Matt

[meow2222]

unfortunately that doesnt have much to do with commercial sense. The sensible approach is to compare all the econimc aspects of each option, such as:

- costs of repair versus replacement,

- life expectancy of each option

- differences in efficiency

- differences in servicing requirements

7 years is quite young for a boiler. If its not costly to fix...

NT

[John S]

I think there is still life in the thing. I woud change just for good practise (not a fault) after 12 years or so.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Since they'll be trying to sell you the replacement - and it should require fewer repairs, would you really take any notice of what they said?

[YAPH]

I'd want to check with CORG^H^H^HGas Safe technical but I think "refitting" the boiler might actually count as reinstallation, in which case current rules on efficiency of the boiler would apply and you'd have to install a condensing one.

In any case the expense of safely reinstalling the boiler would incline me to go for a new one now anyway, especially given the signs of decay in the existing one you describe.

[John]

I agree with John on this - by having it re-fitted you are spending money on a boiler that has problems - makes sense to replace it. treat it as an opportunity!

[Mike Clarke]

That's an interesting point. I think I remember once reading that removing and replacing the same boiler in exactly the same place was OK but it would need to meet the new efficiency rules if it was relocated. Ours will need to be replaced in almost, but not quite, the same position. The boiler is mounted on an internal wall very close to the corner with an external wall. The flue goes out of the side of the boiler and through the external wall.The dry lining will involve 50 mm of Celotex sandwiched against the wall under 2 x 1 battens which are then covered with plasterboard, There isn't enough space for this extra 3.5 inches of insulation between the boiler and the external wall so to do the job properly the boiler ought to come off and be replaced about 3 to 6 inches to one side. Of course if we did this the flue wouldn't reach and would need replacing as well in which case perhaps Gas Safe regard this as a re-installation needing to meet the new efficiency rule.

Overall it's quite a lot of work and money spent on the old boiler in addition to the repair, which makes me think we might be better off going for a new boiler while we're at it. The other extreme is to hope we get enough life out of the boiler if we replace the driver board, leave the boiler where it is and stop the dry lining a few feet before we reach the corner where the boiler is, but it would spoil the appearance of the finished job.

[YAPH]

I'd be pretty certain this would count as a new installation.

However if you were simply taking the boiler off to wallpaper underneath it ...

[Ed Sirett]

You might find it hard to obtain a replacement flue, which it sounds like you are certain to need.

[geoff]

However, my Vaillant 242E was still working fine when I removed it after more than 20 years in which time I had to replace the fan and the secondary heat exchanger [1]

[1] - having descaled it, the leaks bunged up with scale started leaking

[Lobster]

The other aspect is that a modern (condensing) boiler will be much more fuel efficient than the existing one, so it could be argued that for every year you prolong the life of the old one it will cost you an extra X GBP.

David

[sm_jamieson]

No, I remember this same discussion on this groups a few years ago. There was an corgi ruling that moving a boiler was not a new installation, so you would not need to change you boiler to new regs. Here you go. Things may have changed now of course !

[Mark]

Why not call W-B? They do a fix priced repair on their own boilers, which is a lot less than a new boiler.

[RobertL]

So the procedure to fit a new boiler in a new place is:

1) move old boiler to new position. 2) replace old boiler at new position with new boiler at new position. R

[sm_jamieson]

You'd also have to install the new boiler in the old position, when it is must meet the regs, then move it to the new location, thus removing the requirement for regs. Seriously though, if you are trying to avoid a condensing, you could fit a new non-condensing cheapy in one of the "non-viable" positions, then move it to where you really want it. Or ask an MP for some more devious loopholes ! Simon.

[YAPH]

I thought I asked CORGI's technical helpline a year or so back and received the opposite advice! However I just checked with Gas Safe technical (who, funnily enough, just happen to be in CORGI's home town of Basingstoke :-)) and was advised that it did not count as a new installation and therefore was not subject to the energy-efficiency constraints of Part L, but because you'd be moving the flue it would be notifiable under Part J.

[YAPH]

No, the assessment has to be done for wherever a condensing boiler could be installed: you can't just say "it's got to be at position X where a condensing boiler wouldn't work".

[Mike Tomlinson]

In article , Mark writes

I would have thought, like Poxy Batterton, they would decline to look at anything more than 6 or 7 years old.

If the OP's boiler has been reliable for the last ten years, it doesn't owe him anything. In his situation, I'd probably stump up for a new one with a long warranty (e.g. W-B, 3 year warranty if you have it serviced once a year) for peace of mind.

[sm_jamieson]

OK, but they could tell you to fit it in the middle of the living room wall. How do they decide a reasonable alternate location ? Simon.