# Central Heating Boilers



## mw22 (Aug 15, 2005)

I've been told by my old man I need to get myself a new boiler - apparently the one I've got could qualify for the antiques road show :roll:

Anyhow, I know absolutely nothing about this stuff.

Got a smallish 3 bed semi, 1 bathroom (electric shower), 7 radiators thru the house, gas fire. Nothing out the ordinary really.

Any ideas what sorta price I could expect to pay for a boiler?
Who's the best to fit it? (local plumber vs British gas etc etc)
Fitting costs inc other parts?
And anything else I may need to know.

Thanks in advance

Mike


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## R6B TT (Feb 25, 2003)

If its still working why change it ? New ones may be more efficient (if you go for a condensing one) but it would take you about 300 years to recover the cost.

Our neighbours had theirs replaced a couple of years ago - it was the original gas boiler, 35 years old!

Gas boilers I think are usually around Â£2500 fitted.


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## mw22 (Aug 15, 2005)

Yeah it still works, me dad just reckons its so old its a death trip. I appreciate its just his opinion, and whilst he's far from Corgi registered..... he normally turns out to be right.

Maybe I should just look at getting it serviced to make sure its ok..... any thoughts on that??

Cheers 
Mike


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## karenb (Jun 12, 2005)

mw22 said:


> I've been told by my old man I need to get myself a new boiler - apparently the one I've got could qualify for the antiques road show :roll:
> 
> Anyhow, I know absolutely nothing about this stuff.
> 
> ...


My other half is a Corgi registered gas installer, so I'll ask him about price but I know we fitted a new middle price range combi in a similar size house for Â£2200 recently. British Gas will be expensive (overheads) and they fit the same boilers just badged as British Gas. You can get a cheap boiler, or an expensive one and loads in between, it depends on how much you want to spend and how long you are likely to stay in the house. I presume you currently don't have a combi, do you have a hot water cylinder in your airing cupboard?

PM me if you want more info 

Karen


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## mw22 (Aug 15, 2005)

Hi Karen,

No, deffo dont have a combi boiler.
I do have a hot water cylinder in airing cupboard tho.

Apart from the size, Id be interested to know what constistutes a cheap or expensive boiler (apart from the price obviously  )!
Generally I've got a well insulated house. I dont think I use a vast amount of hot water, and the heatings usually only on during the coldest couple of months.

Not quite sure what other questions to ask, as I don't know what answers I need lol.

Thanks

Mike


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## cuTTsy (Jan 31, 2003)

We recently fitted a new oil fired boiler.

We got three quotes and the company we ended up using checked all the radiators and water system to make sure we had the correct btu's Apparently our old bolier couldn't heat a two bed flat. This was confirmed by all installers who quoted.

Oil boliers are more expensive so can't help you on the money side but could always use this site they have given me god advice in the past.

www.askthetrades.co.uk


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## karenb (Jun 12, 2005)

mw22 said:


> Hi Karen,
> 
> No, deffo dont have a combi boiler.
> I do have a hot water cylinder in airing cupboard tho.
> ...


PM sent


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## R6B TT (Feb 25, 2003)

mw22 said:


> Yeah it still works, me dad just reckons its so old its a death trip. I appreciate its just his opinion, and whilst he's far from Corgi registered..... he normally turns out to be right.
> 
> Maybe I should just look at getting it serviced to make sure its ok..... any thoughts on that??
> 
> ...


Yep, you are supposed to get them serviced / safety checked every year. They don't actually do very much - brush some ashes away, make sure its working properly. Think a service should cost you around Â£50 - Â£60 - I'm on the British Gas Servicecare thing which costs me about Â£20 per month for Boiler and Gas Fire, that covers the service and any parts if it goes wrong. I've not done too badly out of it I don't think - new fan, new PCB (which burned out after a spider crawled in and shorted it) and 2 pumps.


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## mw22 (Aug 15, 2005)

Thanks for all the responses - very much appreciated.

Least I have somewhere to start now.

Cheers

Mike


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## Widget (May 7, 2002)

If your boiler is old I would recommend that you get yourself a Carbon Monoxide detector.

Only a few quid. Could save your life.


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## Major Audi Parts Guru (May 7, 2002)

mw22 said:


> I've been told by my old man I need to get myself a new boiler - apparently the one I've got could qualify for the antiques road show :roll:
> 
> Anyhow, I know absolutely nothing about this stuff.
> 
> ...


I would recommend a Worcester-Bosch unit. Had mine for 7 years and it's been great 

http://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/


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## karenb (Jun 12, 2005)

Major Audi Parts Guru said:


> mw22 said:
> 
> 
> > I've been told by my old man I need to get myself a new boiler - apparently the one I've got could qualify for the antiques road show :roll:
> ...


What did I tell you!! Audi TT without the dash pod problem :wink:

PS this will only make sense to Mike


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## mrs coope (Mar 24, 2007)

May be worth you having it serviced by british gas.... they give you a free "health check" on your system & all equipment when you sign up for a service plan even if you aren't supplied by them, I've found them really helpful & honest 'cause they won't personally gain if everythings ok or not - unlike some tradesmen who'll do the usual intake of breath followed by much shaking of head & tell you you need at least XY&Z done & probably ABC whilst you're at it (just to be safe), you then end up paying out a fortune for work that didn't need doing in the first place or even paying to have your own perfectly good parts "replaced" by nothing but themselves..... :?

Totally agree with Widget though - definitely get yourself a carbon monoxide detector.... :wink:


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## mw22 (Aug 15, 2005)

karenb said:


> Major Audi Parts Guru said:
> 
> 
> > mw22 said:
> ...


LMAO 

I am with British Gas, so may go down that route!

All food for thought.

Ta

Mike


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## jonah (Aug 17, 2002)

New boiler Â£450 
Plumber to fit Â£ 450

Thats if it's a straight swop, if you want to go the combi boiler route your probably looking at Â£2k.
Most people go the combi rout these days although for a family they are not the best as to heat the water on demand costs more than heating it for a tank, although being a single bloke would be the cheapest from a bills cost view.


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## jonah (Aug 17, 2002)

mw22 said:


> karenb said:
> 
> 
> > Major Audi Parts Guru said:
> ...


British Gas will charge you Â£1k atleast over what a good plumber will, and the sub it out :?


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## mw22 (Aug 15, 2005)

Sorry Jonah - meant may go down the british gas servicing/home care route - not the replacement with them.

I am just looking for a straight swap, hoping its fairly simple!

May get someone in for a quote now I have some info on the subject.

Ta

Mike


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## Widget (May 7, 2002)

mw22 said:


> Sorry Jonah - meant may go down the british gas servicing/home care route - not the replacement with them.


In which case, they'll recommend you get a Carbon Monoxide detector.


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## a13xbb (Jan 27, 2007)

jonah said:


> New boiler Â£450
> Plumber to fit Â£ 450
> 
> Thats if it's a straight swop, if you want to go the combi boiler route your probably looking at Â£2k.
> Most people go the combi rout these days although for a family they are not the best as to heat the water on demand costs more than heating it for a tank, although being a single bloke would be the cheapest from a bills cost view.


thats not london prices!!

I work for british gas :wink:

as for boilers top of the lot are vaillent followed by worcester,gloworm etc "cheap" boilers are biasi and the b&q brand.

you could always take a pic of your boiler and i can tell you how old it is roughtly!


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## mw22 (Aug 15, 2005)

Ok, no laughing at the back please :wink:



















Cheers

Mike


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## a13xbb (Jan 27, 2007)

not one of those................ :wink:

its probably the best part of 20 years old and not all the parts will be avaliable to repair it if it goes wrong, depending if your going to stay in the property for the next few years or not as to what you replace it with!
midrange i woud say replace it with a potterton suprima HE quite a good boiler and it conforms to the currency efficiency rules
You may get a slightly better price during the summer as heating engineers are not so busy during these months, thing to consider when having it replaced:
having the system powerflushed cleans sludge/debris from all the rads and pipework
having TRV's fitted (thermostatic rad valves) these should be fitted to conform the efficiency standards when repalcing a boiler
Replacing the hot water cylinder thy get blocked up with scale and become less efficient.

the list can go on and it depends alot on Â£Â£Â£

any questions im happy to help cheers alex


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## mw22 (Aug 15, 2005)

Thanks Alex.....

I expect I'll be here for a few years, and even if I sell up - its not gonna do any harm having a new piece of kit on the wall as apposed to the antique I currently have.

By your estimation then, I'm guessing this is the boiler that the house came with new - which is also around 20 years old.

I may have found myself a Corgi fitter who's just finished a job contract at my dads workplace, and is spending the next few months on some property development with his brother - so should have the time to fit me in. By all accounts he's a top bloke who won't rip me off - which is always nice to know before you hire someone.

Cheers for the info

Mike


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## Widget (May 7, 2002)

Alex

Tell him to get a CO detector will you :roll:


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## mw22 (Aug 15, 2005)

Thanks for your concern Widget - I'll get one :wink:

Mike


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## karenb (Jun 12, 2005)

alibTTman said:


> not one of those................ :wink:
> 
> its probably the best part of 20 years old and not all the parts will be avaliable to repair it if it goes wrong, depending if your going to stay in the property for the next few years or not as to what you replace it with!
> midrange i woud say replace it with a potterton suprima HE quite a good boiler and it conforms to the currency efficiency rules
> ...


Mike, check out this link, http://www.boilers2go.co.uk/category/Po ... ng_Boilers, it should give you an idea of prices if you want to source the boiler yourself.

Cheers, Karen


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## Ashtray_Girl (Nov 27, 2006)

As said above make sure they power flush it!!

We had to get a new boiler when we moved in and didn't have a lot of money the cheapest we could get with labour was 1000k he was recommended to us and we trusted him he told us he powerflushed it, then a year and a half later we found out the boiler was corroded and he hadn't powerflushed the rads and the boiler was f***ed! The servicing people were awful and really patronising and rude too

Decided to get British Gas in and they installed it all for us, powerflushed it and the amount of crap that came out of the rads....! the Worcester/Bosch one and it's been fine ever since, cost 2500k, and they do all the servicing etc. We just figured go for them after being ripped off we didn't want to take a gamble again! So make sure you watch them powerflush the system don't take their word for it we were naive and trusted him!


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