We have a floor standing thermal store boiler, It works much like a combi but has a water tank which is part of the radiator system. It is 12 years old, has a poor reputation and has had a couple of repairs. There are new regulations about access to the flue coming into force at the end of 2012, and any boiler of this type, common in new builds over the last 15 years or so, will be declared unsafe if the full length of the flue cannot be visually inspected. We have decided to replace ours with a combi in the loft. Wireless controls are available, so has anyone got recommendation for a good boiler? Don't bother with power output, I will get one fitted that will be more than adequate.
I will confess that I already have a quote, feel free to guess the cost, and boiler specified. Nothing is set in concrete yet, your opinions will be valued.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 12:09
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>> old, has a poor reputation and has had a couple of repairs. There are new
>> regulations about access to the flue coming into force at the end of 2012, and
>>
New Regulations? More likely "guidelines".
The HSE say
"from 1st January 2013 a Gas Safe registered engineer will advise you that the appliance is "at risk" and, with your permission, will turn off the appliance; they will tell you it should not be used until inspection hatches are fitted so that the flue can be checked for safety."
All arising from one death in 2008, allegedly. And until now, mitigated by fitting a CO alarm.
Last edited by: John H on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 12:32
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>> New Regulations? More likely "guidelines".
>> The HSE say
>> "from 1st January 2013 a Gas Safe registered engineer will advise you that the appliance
>> is "at risk" and, with your permission, will turn off the appliance; they will tell
>> you it should not be used until inspection hatches are fitted so that the flue
>> can be checked for safety."
Useful, that. Duly noted.
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>> Useful, that. Duly noted.
>>
>>
I believe the problem is that as these boilers are not condensing the vapour in the flue gas condenses in the flue and as this is acidic it can corrode the flue. Most houses here have white stains on the wall below the horizontal flue outlet from this. I have a vertical flue and the eventual problem with these is the acidic water runs back when the boiler shuts down and corrodes the heat exchanger.
I have planned to change our boiler for a couple of years, It is being done now before the plumbers go to the Bahamas for the winter, I don't need heating, and the 12 year old boiler still works. I don't have a 12 year old car, I don't want a 12 year old boiler.
The current boiler is a Sedbuk "D" rating, the new one will be "A".
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Well I would be paying 700 quid for a Worcestor Bosch and 300 quid max to have it fitted.
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>> Well I would be paying 700 quid for a Worcestor Bosch and 300 quid max
>> to have it fitted.
>>
£300, with the price of copper you are way out of touch, I don't use cash in hand cowboys for gas (or any other) work.
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three pipes from where it was to where it is now. not a lot of copper.
Dont have a go at me if you are getting ripped off, its not my fault.
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 12:44
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Three, glad you are not fitting it, Gas supply upgraded from the meter, Mains water in, Hot water out, Heating in and out, Power supply, Don't forget to cost the controls. Labour at local reputable company rates.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 12:52
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Forgot the remote controls
Still sounds like you are paying way more than that.
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A bit more than that Z, don't forget to cost the Flue. :-)
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Its in the loft! The flue kit will be really small!
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The builder who is doing our kitchen extension/refit is recommending Worcester Bosch for our replacement boiler. That might just be because he stands to make the most money from it, but we trust him.
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Nothing wrong with that choice, well regarded.
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 12:48
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I always refer to this site when checking out broilers ~ www.sedbuk.com/
I have a Grant boiler which is very efficient - it needs to be, as it's an oiler!
Last edited by: Dog on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 12:53
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>> £300, with the price of copper you are way out of touch,
Copper is about £6 a kilo max on commodity markets.
How heavy is the copper in your boiler?
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>> >> £300, with the price of copper you are way out of touch,
>>
>> Copper is about £6 a kilo max on commodity markets.
>> How heavy is the copper in your boiler?
It's not the copper in the boiler, John H, £300 is for the fitting, so it's for the copper in the pipes. £7.50 per three metres from B&Q (15mm, 22mm is £15) so Old Navy must be having his boiler installed in the next door-but-four house.
Last edited by: Mapmaker on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 12:57
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>> >> £300, with the price of copper you are way out of touch,
>>
>> Copper is about £6 a kilo max on commodity markets.
>> How heavy is the copper in your boiler?
>>
Very little I would think, some replumbing required. Do plumbing suppliers charge commodity prices for copper pipe?
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>> Do plumbing suppliers charge commodity prices for copper pipe?
Yes. Today's price @ Screwfix £80 for 10x 3m lengths of 15mm, £160 for 22mm. Their catalogues never have the price of copper pipe in them, because of the rapid fluctuation in the commodity price.
Worcester Bosch was held to be an example of a good quality boiler maker on my plumbing course.
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>> Worcester Bosch was held to be an example of a good quality boiler maker on
>> my plumbing course.
Are you doing Real Life plumbing yet Dave or still the apprentice?
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>> Are you doing Real Life plumbing yet Dave
Not yet Z - I've passed my Level 2 Tech Cert but I need a full-time job in order to gain an NVQ. And full-time work isn't currently practical for a number of reasons. The Tech Cert is valid until Dec 2015 so my intention is to bring it into play before then.
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>> There are new regulations about access to the flue coming into force at the end of 2012,
>>and any boiler of this type, common in new builds over the last 15 years or so, will be
>>declared unsafe if the full length of the flue cannot be visually inspected.
What rot. Save your money and wait until it fails. (And get a CO alarm.)
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I wouldn't touch another Worcester Bosch again. Having been convinced they were the best brand I put one in.
It duly failed 1 month out of warranty, to which W-B blew me a raspberry. After lots of letters they basically offered me an extended warranty, at my own cost!
I wouldn't mind so much but the failed part was around £240, nearly a third of the boiler cost for a ropey fan unit.
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www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/fluesinvoids.htm
Not likely to affect many people unless your gas flue passes through a void. Main problem is in converted flats.
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 13:19
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I've been told (by an nPower employee who was pricing up a boiler replacement at my house recently) that you shouldn't get a combi boiler if your pipe runs to your radiators pass through concrete floors. The pressure gets too high and the pipes start giving way, leading to damaged floors. Just pointing this out in case the OP has such an arrangement and hasn't considered this wrinkle.
I had asked to be quoted for a combi, but they refused to do so and proposed a standard condensing boiler.
I have a similar problem to the OP in that my boiler is located in the dead centre of my house and the flue goes up a chimney stack which is shared with an open fire place flue. I can not have a new boiler installed in the same location and need to have one installed on an external wall, which is going to mean re-routing the gas and water piping in the house. So far, no-one has been able to quote me under 5 grand, and I'm getting rather resigned to the expense of the job. Bah.
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Thanks A'vc, worth knowing, but not applicable in my case.
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Similar problem to AV above. £5k quote.
Investment will repay in 15 years.
I'm not spending it...
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>> Similar problem to AV above. £5k quote.
>>
>> Investment will repay in 15 years.
no it wont. the new boiler wont last 15 years.
>> I'm not spending it...
Dont blame you.
The moral of the story, run it till it breaks.
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This is the approach I am now considering taking, Z. Will get it serviced annually and replace when (if) absolutely necessary.
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>> The moral of the story, run it till it breaks.
>>
They always break when there is snow on the ground, and all the plumbers, (sorry heating engineers), have migrated to the Bahamas for the winter.
I will get mine replaced as a planned event rather than a distress job when it breaks, and it will eventually.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 15:40
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>> The moral of the story, run it till it breaks.
I wouldn't do anything else. This morning I invested £82 on another annual service for a floor mounted boiler that was installed 1976. It still works a treat and has cost me next to nowt.
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Funny how it changes. My mother's 1970 house has a boiler in the dead centre of the house (hot air blowing system). Neighbours with replaced boilers during the 80s had to relocate them owing to a change in the building regs. Neighbours who replaced boilers during the 90s didn't.
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Not sure whether our new boiler will pay for itself, but hopefully it will get rid of the smell of gas in the kitchen we used to come down to in the mornings. And all the funny noises.
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Had a 15 year old combi Vokera boiler when we got our extension done last year and changed it for a system boiler and hot water tank. Think the new boiler is still a Vokera.
Absolutely brilliant, would never go back to a combi again. Four showers every morning off the tank, hot water all the time.
Combi, we couldn't fill a bath as it would run cold eventually, maybe just that particular boiler.
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>> Combi, we couldn't fill a bath as it would run cold eventually, maybe just that particular boiler.
Our combi boiler (conveniently located in the cellar) can easily run a hot bath and the flow rate is fine. Perhaps it was your particular boiler?
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>> >> Combi, we couldn't fill a bath as it would run cold eventually, maybe just
>> that particular boiler.
>>
>> Our combi boiler (conveniently located in the cellar) can easily run a hot bath and
>> the flow rate is fine. Perhaps it was your particular boiler?
>>
My research has indicated that the domestic hot water (DHW) output is of vital importance with a combi, an underpowered one in this area is like having an underpowered electric shower in winter, not up to the job. Almost any combi can comfortably handle the heating load.
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>>
>> My research has indicated that the domestic hot water (DHW) output is of vital importance
>> with a combi, an underpowered one in this area is like having an underpowered electric
>> shower in winter, not up to the job. Almost any combi can comfortably handle the
>> heating load.
Yup, a bath puts the boiler under most stress, all the cold water constantly coming in soon sorts the men from the boilers.
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Come January 2013, a lot of ill-informed homeowners and landlords are suddenly going to find that their gas-safe "engineer" has condemned their system as unsafe.
www.gassaferegister.co.uk/advice/flues_in_voids.aspx
"From 1 January 2013, any Gas Safe registered engineer will turn the boiler off and formally advise you not to use it until inspection hatches have been fitted in appropriate places"
Quite different from what the HSE, who appointed Capita to run Gas-Safe, say.
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Thanks John, that is the message I was trying to get across, it applies to my boiler but not to my installation.
There is a money making opportunity for the unscrupulous, and a potential rip off for the unwary.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 15:55
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How do this apply to boilers fitted in chimneys eg back boilers? Or gas fires with flues up chimneys? Would it not be simpler to fit a CO detector and a vent?! Would an inspection hatch not *increase* the likelihood of dangerous fumes getting into a room anyway??
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In those cases, the flue is not travelling through a cavity. The ones with problems are metal tubes going through cavities in ceilings etc.
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I really dont see the point of this regulation. A flue smoke test and CO test will reveal if there is anything wrong with the flue anyway. And who is going to open the hatches if no-one calls an engineer for a annual service?
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Have a read of my 13:18 post Z.
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I did, its not relevant, corroded heat exchangers is not a safety issue.
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>> I did, its not relevant, corroded heat exchangers is not a safety issue.
>>
A corroded flue in a void is.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 16:33
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Its still a coblers regulation. All that was required was the mandatory instantiation of a CO alarm, which to be honest should be part of the building regs for any home that uses Oil or Gas.
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Bosch Worcester (or Worcester Bosch even) - reliable and very good customer service - for a £150 per annum you get a service and a very good and reliable break-down contract. I'd have one purely for that.
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Thanks PU, I was thinking a WB boiler, one of the CDi range. That service / breakdown contract may well clinch it.
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>> Thanks PU, I was thinking a WB boiler, one of the CDi range. That service
>> / breakdown contract may well clinch it.
>>
That contract only applies to boilers out of warranty, WB boilers are on a 6 year warranty at the moment, (until 31 August).
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>> That contract only applies to boilers out of warranty, WB boilers are on a 6
>> year warranty at the moment, (until 31 August).
You still have to have the boiler serviced by them tho.
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There's a small Worcester Bosch combi in the caravan which has done a sterling job of running the hot water and central heating - six radiators.
Frost protection circuitry works, too - it was minus 20 deg C in the tin box over last winter.
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So, anyway ON, what is your quote? 1.3K 1.5k? 1.8k? 2.0K?
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 17:06
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£1.3K, the hardware is more than that. The total is £2.5K, all work guaranteed for a year with a local firm of good reputation. Boiler (WB 30 Cdi with wireless remote controls and digistat) have a manufacturers 6 year warranty.
Much of the cost is the system cleaning before installation, without this the warranty is void. Most combi problems stem from poor system preparation.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 17:27
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Worcester Greenstar 30 CDI System Boiler £716.63
Worcester Standard Flue Kit - £60.49 + VAT 1
Worcester 2 x 1 Metre Flue Extension - £67.90 + vat 1
Worcester 45 Degree Elbow (Pair) - £51.12 + VAT 1
Worcester Pitched Roof Flashing Kit - £29.82 + VAT 1
Honeywell Sundial RF Wireless Heating Control Pack 3 £164.93
Subtotal £1,090.88
VAT £218.17
Total £1,309.05
So that 1200 quid for some cleaning stuff, copper pipe and labour?
Get another quote.
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>> Get another quote.
>>
Wrong boiler, don't worry I will. :-)
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When I built my house, and was designing my system, I wanted a combi boiler for the instant hot water but because they are quite poor at supplying a few outlets at once, I did the following.
The instant hot water side feeds the kitchen sink, utility room sink and the small hand wash basin in the downstairs toilet.
Using 2, 2 port zone valves I use the heating side like a conventional timed system, in that I have a hot water tank, heated by the heating side and a 50 gallon cold water tank feed in the roof space. In the summer, the heating side of the combi just circulates around the hot water tank, twice daily for just less than an hour.
The hot water from the tank feeds the bath and basins in the bathroom and en-suite. it also feeds a shower via a salamander pump ( hot and cold) to a Grohe shower mixer. The cold water for these is supplied from the 50 gallon tank also.
In the shower in the en-suite, we have an electric shower with the heating part remotely situated and just the small control in the shower itself.
Because we have a hot water tank, it also has an immersion heater as a standby.
The result of all this is that I have plenty of hot water every where and if the boiler quits I can still heat up the water in the tank by the immersion heater.
If the water supply is off for whatever reason, we have the 50 gallon tank which feeds the two upstairs toilets as well so we have all bases covered. Also we don't get affected by mains cold being demanded some where else in the house causing loss of flow elsewhere.
Of course, being in "the game" and gas registered,I do all my own installation and repairs.
If I was having a new boiler it would be a toss up between a Worcester Bosch or a Vaillant Ecotec and whatever you do, don't get it done by British Gas because you are guaranteed to get ripped off.
I would not bother with a service contract either. Most modern boilers are tested with a flue analyser to see if they are burning correctly and if they are, there is no need to dismantle the boiler at all. Mine has not been touched for over 6 years. In fact today was the first time a repair was needed. A rubber diaphragm in a differential valve needed replacing, cost £6.89.
Save the money you would give to these service companies and put it to one side in the event that you might one day, need a repair. In 5 years you will almost have save the cost of a new boiler.
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So, in effect you bought the combi and used it as a system boiler? Why not just install a normal indirect system without all the extra complication and plumbing? Whats the advantage?
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I thought the main reason for installing a combi was to provide mains pressure HW, allowing use of a thermostatic shower. Sounds unusual to have the combi set up to supply only a few taps and to heat an indirect system for the rest of the house - unless it's a pretty big house?
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Its a big house and I wanted a pressurised sealed heating system.
I also wanted diversification in my design so it would cope with the needs of me , my wife and 2 grown up girls and their needs especially in the mornings.
Also, with an indirect gravity system, to get a good flow means using lots of 22mm copper pipe.
The combi has superior flow rates of hot water to its outlets , through 15mm pipe. It also has a built in heat store for instant hot water, so as it supplies the kitchen sink primarily, it has a good fast flow almost instantly.
It's not that complicated, in fact it's quite simple really.
In my view, having a large house with a combi boiler and everything in the house fed from the rising main, means a lot of compromise.
If your mains pressure is not so good, the flow rates are going to be poor with multiple demands at the same time.
Edited to add.
And if the mains water goes off, your shafted big time.
Last edited by: MrTee43 on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 19:51
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If the house is much bigger than 150 m² you're starting to look at split zones for the heating, or even more than one boiler. What you've got there seems like a sensible compromise.
My plumbing tutor had a thermal jacket system (like the OP) - he said that he'd "pimped" his hot water set-up in much the same way as a mechanic might beef up their personal car - just because he could :)
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 20:04
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A man from Northumbrian Water told me there can be problems when a combi is installed in a first or second floor flat conversion.
There's sometimes not enough pressure to trip the combi for hot water.
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The water suppliers generally supply water at around 15 metres head at the inlet to a property. A combi boiler generally requires at least 1 bar (i.e. 10 metres head) to operate - so if it's situated more than 5 metres above ground level there could be problems due to low supply pressure.
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Thu 9 Jun 11 at 20:26
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The pressure at Iffy Towers varies quite a bit.
I'm guessing the water company will ramp it up in the morning when many people are getting up.
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Of course if your mains pressure's not too good the header tank will be slow to fill.
In 'bedsit days' I shared a house in Stanmore with three others. Two of them (blokes) used to follow each other through the bathroom on a Sunday night. Poor water pressure meant the header tank didn't fill between them, drained down and airlocked itself. I got quite adept at cross connecting hot & cold with a hose to blow the lock out.
Fortunately the landlord eventually fitted a bigger header.
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Just to give an idea of what we have to feed, you can work out which needs hot and cold or cold only.
En-suite: toilet, hand basin, shower.
Main bathroom: shower, bath, hand basin, toilet.
Kitchen: sink, dishwasher.
Utility room: sink, washing machine.
Downstairs toilet: toilet and handbasin.
Garage/ Garden: hose connection.
Back Garden: hose connection.
Central heating system:15 Radiators.
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2 weeks ago had the hot water cylinder replaced (300 litre enamelled steel job - house used to be a small hotel with 5 (tiny) bathrooms but is now simply a family home) as the heating coil had gone and I was getting bored of bathing in brown water.
Asked the plumber about a newer, 'more efficient' boiler (current one is bigger than a washing machine but kicks out serious heat output if required and has not had any problems for 6 years) and he looked at me as if I was daft.
"It works fine, you've got single glazing and 20-odd radiators and a bath the size of a small moon to fill."
He suggested a slightly smaller (210 litre) replacement tank as apparently 300 litre tanks are mucho $$$, but to run the HW at a higher temp than the old tank so the bath could still be used without problem.
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The 1200 will include a power flush of the system which will take the man a whole day and will involve expensive machinery. Still seems like quite a lot though.
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>> The 1200 will include a power flush of the system which will take the man
>> a whole day and will involve expensive machinery. Still seems like quite a lot though.
>>
That is the quote that I have the most confidence in, one is crazy money and one is too cheap to be viable for a good job. Even plumbers have to eat, feed their kids, and pay for a roof over their heads. I don't mind paying a fair price for a good job. I am certainly not going down Zeros route of a boiler off the back of a lorry and get it put in by a mate who is an ex Mitsubishi mechanic. :-)
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... I don't mind paying a fair price for a good job...
I agree, if you get what you are paying for - which is a first-class job - then it will be money well spent.
It is very difficult to be sure of that.
You have already followed what seems to be the best advice which is to get a handful of detailed quotes and make the best assessment you can.
The fact that one company quoted 'crazy money' suggests the going rate for the work you need doing is more than some of us on here think it is.
There's a sub-forum on moneysavingexpert.com called: 'Is this quote fair?'
I've never read a post on it, so can't say what it's like, but it might be worth posting the quote to see what they say.
forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=94
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Just to add, there's a thread running called 'boiler quote' which suggests £1,500 to £2,000 is the going rate for fitting a boiler, including power flushes and the like:
forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=3236120
Last edited by: Iffy on Fri 10 Jun 11 at 14:08
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Thanks iffy. My job is a bit more than a straight replacement.
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PU, Funnily thats the exact opposite experience I had with WB -they couldn't care less as mine was 4 weeks out of its original 2 year warranty.
Wouldn't use them again - their attitude on the phone was pretty snotty as well. As if buying their product was my own stupid fault! And the parts prices make VW look like a charity.
When I spoke to the gas fitter who did the installation recently he said he'd stopped fitting WB and moved to another brand (can't remember the name) due to complaints.
Last edited by: Snakey on Fri 10 Jun 11 at 12:56
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We fit a lot of boilers in properties at work.
We avoid Potterton/Baxi (we have new ones fitted with the wrong circuit boards in the factory). Can recommend Worcester Bosch and also Keston (although they are a little pricier, I think they are worth it).
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All you need is a Glow Warm Space Saver, ok they burn gas like a V8 chevy but you save money in the long run as you don't have to pay gas men £500 a year to fix it.
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>> All you need is a Glow Warm Space Saver...
If your spacesaver is a 60b Mk2, they are more efficient than you would have us believe: ineligible for the scrappage scheme a year or two ago due to being above the efficiency threshold.
And, it won't last forever - as Z said after replacing his boiler "the old kettle will leak eventually" - our spacesaver did just that after 27 years.
We got a WB greenstar (heat only, to keep the immersion) and it isn't expected to last 27 years as there are only ten annual stamp positions on the servicing record page.
It may just about break even over its ten years - the man maths says it needs 15 years, but that probably doesn't take rising fuel costs into consideration - whether or not it does is academic, when the old one expires you need something...
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>> All you need is a Glow Warm Space Saver, ok they burn gas like a
>> V8 chevy but you save money in the long run as you don't have to
>> pay gas men £500 a year to fix it.
>>
Just out of interest, where do these boilers that cost £500 a year to fix come from? I've never spent that much on any boiler in my life, and we've had 'combi' boilers for most of the last 20 years!!
Peter
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My Ferroli combi was old when I moved into Iffy Towers about 10 years ago.
In that time, it's cost me £80 to a replace a valve.
The plumber told me it was a good boiler in its day, and there was no point changing it unless it suffers a catastrophic breakdown.
He also reckoned that a new boiler wouldn't last as long, however much I paid for it.
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Lets just hope it lasts, as it will be electric heaters and a kettle for hot what if that breaks.
In the 26.5 years we have had the only thing that has gone wrong is the pump (which my uncle fitted) and the timer which I fitted. I think an electrode needing replacing as well but that wasn't a big job.
We have had it serviced a few times but we just have a couple of CO2 alarms just in case.
However as my dad will loose his job in October I doubt we will be staying here long enough.
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Although if your non-combi breaks you still have no heat ;-) And you've still had more problems than I've ever had with (multiple) combis over 20 years, albeit not as old as yours :-)
Our current boiler's not actually a combi - its some form of ancient potterton installed in the '80s which, I suspect, has chugged along for years. It provides the heating, and the hot water is provided by an Aga, with a back-up immersion. I'm having the whole heating/hot water system replaced in the next couple of weeks though; an Aga must be the least efficient and controllable way of providing hot water in the world!!
Peter
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>>an Aga must be the least efficient and controllable way of providing hot water in the world<<
Especially if it's oil fired :(
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Fortunately it's gas. But it can still get the water up to 85 degrees C, which is a touch dangerous, though does mean you can have multiple baths at the same time as so little hot is required for each one!!
I'm expecting a significant reduction in gas consumption from (a) removing the water boiler from the Aga, (b) replacing a 30 year old boiler with a new one and (c) actually having TRVs on the radiators :-) We are keeping the Aga for cooking, though running it 24/7/52 will never be justified in financial terms, despite what Aga claim!!
Peter
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>>Fortunately it's gas<<
Now that is surprising, I would have thought gas would have been less of a pain in the wallet,
I was thinking about installing a solid fuel Rayburn in my Inglenook to off set the cost of firing up the Grant oil-fired combi, but I've (almost) decided to stick a Charnwood Island 2 jobbie in there instead.
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I'm sure you're right - it'd cost even more if it was oil. My inefficiency/uncontrollability comment was all about the fact that the Aga constantly heats the water (no thermostat!), so its heated 24 hours/day even if no or little water is used. Inevitably the temperature just keeps rising, which has to be a waste of energy (and has the potential to be dangerous)
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>>the Aga constantly heats the water (no thermostat!), so its heated 24 hours/day even if no or little water is used<<
My experience has been with 3 Rayburns, the oil fired Rayburn did the heating & the hot water and worked quite well.
(if you owned an oil well)
I've known of 2 Rayburns that blew their boiler, not a pretty sight :(
One of them blew when my brother was sitting right next to it!
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...the Aga constantly heats the water (no thermostat!), so its heated 24 hours/day even if no or little water is used...
Help is at hand - Aga has discovered the on/off switch.
About £12K and total control is all yours:
www.aga-web.co.uk/our-products/aga-total-control/aga-total-control.aspx?gclid=CJv9k8OnrqkCFcoa4Qod8zZsKg
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Yes, the Aga people weren't slow to mailshot us on that, and I've also had three 'phone calls from them asking me if I'll be attending a demonstration!!
I reckon it costs around £30/week to fuel ours - that'll drop now it's not doing the water, but who know by how much! Assuming a new Total Control one only costs 1/3 as much then the payback is at least 10 years, and it looks like theres a lot more to go wrong with that one than ours... We had the Aga engineers here last week removing the boiler from it (relying on an immersion at the moment) in preparation for the new system; it took 2 of them, and the bit they removed was date stamped September 1961. Its lasted 50 years, and there's no reason it won't last another 50 :-)
Peter
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Keeping the Aga for cooking is a sensible solution, given it's already there.
Some people do that and turn it off for a few months during the warmer weather.
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>>Some people do that and turn it off for a few months during the warmer weather<<
And what warmer weather would that be then :-D
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>> Some people do that and turn it off for a few months during the warmer
>> weather.
When's that coming then ;-) Fortunately our kitchen has a tall ceiling, so the heat doesn't seems to be a problem, even in the summer, and certainly not this year!
edit: beaten to it by Dog :-)
Last edited by: PeterS on Sat 11 Jun 11 at 18:33
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Southern softies the pair of you - or at least Dog is.
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>>Southern softies the pair of you - or at least Dog is<<
Ah, but ... I've lived in a 30's bung a low (roof on) with a South facing conservatory for the last 4.5 years,
Now I'm 'on the moor' in a stone cottage, and my bones ain't gettin any younger :)
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And I'm a Yorkshireman, though I've emigrated to the south coast, so perhaps you're right :-)
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According to the met office site, the Nth York Moors didn't get much above 10c today :(
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...According to the met office site, the Nth York Moors didn't get much above 10c today :(...
I've not long landed here and it's chilly - heating on, again.
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>>I've not long landed here and it's chilly - heating on, again<<
Flaming June!!
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...Flaming June!!...
Had some rain, too.
That's water falling from the sky for those of you who have forgotten what it is.
Last edited by: Iffy on Sat 11 Jun 11 at 19:10
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And I thought I was being clever getting my boiler replaced in the summer when we don't need the heating. :-)
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Another bit of information has come to my attention, The 240 bungalows in our housing estate were built between 7 and 12 years ago. Apparently some were built with non barrier plastic pipes in the underfloor pipe runs. This is permeable to oxygen, and causes rapid corrosion in the heating system. British (and Scottish) Gas will not provide a maintenance contract for these houses. My house has easy access to the underfloor crawl space, has been checked and is all copper pipe. The company fitting my replacement boiler would not fit it unless any non barrier plastic pipe was replaced and the system was in good condition.
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What about the 10 year guarantee on new houses? Or is that as worthless in fixing such a designed in fault as claimed?
Last edited by: madf on Tue 14 Jun 11 at 14:34
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Not designed in, I suspect the original heating installers saving money, plastic pipe is OK if it is barrier pipe. I don't know what the guarantee situation is as I am not effected. I would be surprised if many of the residents are aware of the problem (yet).
Last edited by: Old Navy on Tue 14 Jun 11 at 14:52
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At least it sounds like you've got a proper firm on the job.
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I've got a private water supply via a bore hole and I've noticed blue (copper) stains in the washbowl etc.,
So, I bought some pH strips on ebay and it comes out about 5 on the Richter scale, which is acidic, now - as y'all know I likes to look after my (our) health on a DIY basis, so - I'm having a neutralizing 'whole owse' filter fitted and I am aiming for a neutral pH figure of around 7 ideally, if I can't get to that figure I shall purchase a deionizing machine (ex-pensive) and use the water just 4 drinking and maybe cooking.
Back to cutting the grass b4 it rains :(
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New combi boiler. - John H
