Installing a whole new central heating system - options?

[Phil_D]

its the or what comment it looks like its just been dragged down a load of steps and dumped in middle of the floor

Yeah it does. Likely to have had stuff piled all around it and on top of it for years. I wonder why the seller didn’t at least pop the panels back on and give it a quick wipe for the pictures?

 

[slimjim]

Boilers don't like to sit unused,I had my boiler off for 6 months, it wouldn't switch back on, needing a new fan controller, worked fine before switching it off.

 

[slimjim]

re: boiler sizing -

you have the quote from the company, right? what size unit did they spec for?
also, you have a list of the rads that they were going to install?

if you total up the output of the rads, and the hot tank, that should match up with the boiler.


Theres very little point in having some massive boiler if the rads you have it connected to can not dissipate that heat - all that will happen is that the boiler has to cycle all the time, which, in itself, is not a great idea. Or you run the coolant so hot in an attempt to shed the heat that the return is way above the distillate temp of water anyhow, so youre never in condensing mode, and you drop efficiency that way.

What im saying is bigger isnt just better - you want the boiler matched to the tank and rads. Sure, there may be a minor advantage in having a larger exchanger, and then jetting down the burner, but my advice is to try not to get sucked into thinking you need some vast monster.

I thought condensing boilers throttled the gas and air supply back to maintain the water temperature to the rads, rather than cycle on and off, at least mine seems to do that.

 

[wookie]

I don't mind buying a 5 year old boiler but an 8 year old seems to be pushing it slightly.

A boiler's age doesn't have to be held against it, I've known conventional boilers work fine for over 30 years with just the odd spare part, can't say the same for combi's, IMHO they are a lot more complex and less reliable so perhaps you're right to be cautious regarding their age.

Our current conventional oil boiler is well over 10 years and (touch wood) working fine, it gets a new nozzle every so often and I've changed the control board once but that was only about 50 quid.

 

[julianf]

I thought condensing boilers throttled the gas and air supply back to maintain the water temperature to the rads, rather than cycle on and off, at least mine seems to do that.

I know nothing of gas boilers - i forget things quick, but i thought this was an oil question?

 

[Phil_D]

Boilers don't like to sit unused,I had my boiler off for 6 months, it wouldn't switch back on, needing a new fan controller, worked fine before switching it off.

thanks for heads up. seems like either a £300 gamble on something that might be a money pit or £2300 on something thats going to work out the box.

 

[julianf]

As i said before, more than once, the "smarts" are all on the burner unit - and you can pick them off ebay all day long.

Theyre really not complex units. Dont be confused with gas boilers - oil boilers are way more "generic".

But, if you want to buy new, dont let me stop you.

 

[julianf]

Keep an eye on this one -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263462658757?ul_noapp=true

Its a combi, and it appears you probably dont want one of those, and, because its a combi, it will sell for more anyway.

It only comes with the low level flue. An adapter would cost about £170 new i think (might be more like £400 though, i cant remember).

Like i say, flue is where boiler makers make their money.

But keep an eye on it anyhow, you might be lucky.

 

[Kayos]

Keep an eye on this one -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263462658757?ul_noapp=true

Its a combi, and it appears you probably dont want one of those, and, because its a combi, it will sell for more anyway.

It only comes with the low level flue. An adapter would cost about £170 new i think (might be more like £400 though, i cant remember).

Like i say, flue is where boiler makers make their money.

But keep an eye on it anyhow, you might be lucky.

There is a big push at the minute to say a flue is a flue is a flue, because it is.

Manufacturers initially got behind it, then announced they wanted to supply the flues so that was stopped.

Should go through soon hopefully

 

[julianf]

You can see why theyre keen, if they can sell a few bits of stainless for nearly as much as the whole boiler.

Im not sure its any better with solid fuel though, where the flue does not have to match the appliance make. But then i suspect solid fuel devices have a bit of a "luxury goods" premium attached to them.

 

[Kayos]

There is only 4 manufactures of flues in the whole of europe, so its one of 4 anyway. and they are all standard sizes

 

[Phil_D]

There is a big push at the minute to say a flue is a flue is a flue, because it is.

Manufacturers initially got behind it, then announced they wanted to supply the flues so that was stopped.

Should go through soon hopefully

Cheers mate but managed to get a relatively new heatslave for £270 and separately bought all the parts for a high level flue for under £150 (all brand new too!).

Hope fully when the boiler arrives it won’t look like it’s been hit by a bus and then used as a boat anchor for a decade

 

[Phil_D]

So I sold the first boiler on for a profit and the second boiler arrived yesterday.

I had my car in bits on the driveway so had the bloke drop the pallet at the end of my drive. Went out and bought a sack trolley thinking I’d just wheel it into the garage when the car was out the way. Ended up working on the car until it was dark, when I finished I tried and failed to get the boiler off the pallet.. it was literally like it was welded on! She’s a heavy old girl but when I pushed hard to try and get the sack trolley under the pallet would lift up too, even with my other half standing on it!

In the end, just to get it under hard cover I looped some rope under the pallet and dragged it into the garage. Messaged the seller when I got in asking how on Earth he got it onto the pallet as it seems well and truly stuck, turns out he had screwed the thing down!

It was heavily wrapped in cling film so once I got all that off and took all the panels off there were 6 screws holding it down. Was easily wheeling it about as soon as they were removed haha.

Seems in reasonable nick, just the base panel has surface rust - doesn’t even seem to be painted for some reason

 

[Phil_D]

Oh dear, so the almost new grant vortex i bought after a few beers turned up today, and its not a bloody combi! Serves me right for buying stuff under the influence. On the plus side im confident i can sell it on for a meagre profit so no real damage there.

Seen another (for real this time) combi for sale. Its stated as only having had 2 years use, messaged the seller and he 'thinks' its only 5 years old and has been stored for 2 years.. which would mean its been used for 3 years but whatever.

Its a worcester greenstar heatslave 18/25. The model in question was produced 2010-13. is there any method of actually dating these things? I've asked for the serial with the hope i can call them up and find something out but he says its i his lockup so will be monday. I don't mind buying a 5 year old boiler but an 8 year old seems to be pushing it slightly.

I can't think of any obvious pitfalls of buying a boiler that has been stored for a few years - am i missing something?

doesn't look in the best of nick but could possibly be a good deal if its sound

View attachment 130243

And yeah it’s the boiler from this post, the one that looks like it fell off the back of a lorry and fell down a mountainside. What a terrible picture he chose for the advert!