What's a reasonable lifespan for a combi boiler?

Can't remember the gory details (I'm sure it's on th'interwub somewhere) but generally one assesses possible locations for the boiler, excluding ones like (IIRC) the living room, and scores each candidate on a scale of points for factors such as length of flue required, necessity for a condensate pump, the new location being in a different place from where the boiler currently is and so on, and take the most favourable score. If even that is higher than a certain number you can make an exemption and fit a non-condensing boiler.

Reply to
YAPH
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If piece of mind is important then you can always buy a service contract. I prefer to fix things rather than replace if possible.

My last boiler was still going strong after 20+ years.

Reply to
Mark

As was my last one at approaching 30 years but it was essentially just a heat exchanger, burner assembly and gas valve. Modern ones are much more complicated - they have to be to get the current efficiency levels.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Thus spake snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com ( snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com) unto the assembled multitudes:

Reply to
A.Clews

You shouldn't have said that :) says he with a 28 y/o Glow Worm.

Reply to
Clot

assembled multitudes:

Wouldn't be too smug about the 50% efficiency, though. I'd say a condensing boiler (especially if you can DIY) would soon recover its cost.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Replacing the driver board isn't a problem, Worcester driver boards are available for about £135 and replacement is a straightforward job. Of course if it turns out that the diagnosis flowchart got it wrong then I'd have wasted money on an unwanted board, in which case a more expensive fixed price repair from Worcester would have been better.

If the boiler failure were the only issue then I'd probably go for the repair but to make a proper job of the dry lining we really ought to remove and re-fit the boiler anyway so considering its age there could be something to be said for replacing it with a new one while we're at it.

At the moment we're inclined towards going for the new boiler. Since we're pretty well having to strip out the entire kitchen to do the dry lining we might as well go for it and avoid having to hack it about in a few years time when the boiler will eventually need replacing.

Reply to
Mike Clarke

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Unless it breaks down ...

Reply to
geoff

The extra efficiency is useful but the saving is quite small compared to the replacement cost. The existing boiler claims an efficiency ranging from 71% at 9 KW up to 80% at 35 KW. A new combi with 90% efficiency might save 10 to 20% on the gas bill, last year's gas cost £520 so that could be a saving of about £50 to £100 per year - 10 to 20 years would be quite a long payback time.

Reply to
Mike Clarke

Or about £50++ from me

Reply to
geoff

Buy a decent one, then?

The figures are more marginal for a decent RS boiler like say a Neataheat

- but for a back boiler they're difficult to argue with at current gas prices.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

That only works if you assume it will never need replacing.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

To get the 90% on the new one you may need new radiators to get the return temperature low enough.

Andy

Reply to
Andy Champ

Exactly, replacing a working boiler with a condensing one just to reduce energy costs will never make economic sense and probably never even balance out the carbon emissions from manufacturing the replacement. Replacing our boiler instead of repairing it isn't a cost effective or environmentally sound solution but we may well decide to replace it to get a better overall end result with the kitchen refurbishment and to avoid extra disruption in the future.

Reply to
Mike Clarke

Thus spake "Dave Plowman (News)" ( snipped-for-privacy@davenoise.co.uk) unto the assembled multitudes:

I've been agonising about that for ages. Should I go for a new, more efficient, lower carbon footprint condensing boiler that's going to break down every few years (if I'm lucky) and need replacing after maybe 10 years, or stick with my old, inefficient boiler that just keeps going and going with almost no maintenance - though as it's in my lounge I would really quite like to get rid of it and install a proper hearth and maybe a log burner.

Reply to
A.Clews

Yes. Mine is in the bathroom and I replaced it as part of a major refurkle there. I'd not have replaced it then otherwise.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

multitudes:

Not all condensing boiler break down frequently - and like anything else the cost of fixing them varies dramatically, including labour costs. My Viessmann has a self diagnostic feature for any fault which may prove useful.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Reply to
YAPH

Don't think any of the boards Geoff does cost that much :-)

Reply to
YAPH

Much of the cost of a new boiler is in the fitting rather than the thing itself. So if you are going to be paying for the fitting in any case the extra for the boiler may not be (too) significant.

Reply to
djc

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