Condensing boiler is not for me

[Centralheatking]

I am a heating contractor/installer/employer with many years experiencenow retiring a bit from installation (knees etc)I would like to canvass some opinions. My friends in low places at BGtell me of horrendous failure rates of condensing boilers. Lots to do with crap in old systems that clog up miniscule heat exchangers- my system is old and I flush it every so often with water and gifts !I have a conventional (system) 30kw wall hung 100 Gloworm its great BUT ifI need to replace it STUFF the rules can I get similar in this country or can i just order it from abroad.All unconventional thoughts welcomecentralheatking

[gassafe]

You answered the question yourself.... horrendous failure rates due to crap in old systems!

Clean the system properly prior to installing your new condensing boiler & you will be fine.

[Centralheatking]

I get the ferrous aspect but from what I have been told its other components that fail
with in a few years also esp the worcs . In the old days proper boilers lasted 15-20 years plus.

We have many old but lovely cast iron rads they will be an on going prob.


As an engineer with many years product dev experience I feel that condensors are
intermediate technology. I suppose I will just get someone to rebuild what goes wrong.


Anybody got a decent casing for a 100 ultima gloworm that they are scrapping ? in the

West Lancs area ? Pints bought in appreciation


Have a good weekend all of you

Thanks for any ideas

[johnnyplumb]

It's the old question, what's the best , efficiency or reliability. the latest boilers have become over complicated, too many electronic parts, better to look after your existing boiler/ system imo, It will need replacing eventually though and when the time comes, you could replace the heat exchanger [ if you can find one] replace gas valve, burner, boiler stat, etc, then you virtually got a new boiler, good for another 30 years or so, probably cost as much as a new condensing boiler though, but if it's reliability you want, might be the way to do it.

[Millsy 82]

You can still fit non condensing boilers but they have to be band B there are not many brands that make them as theres not many people that want them.

A good flush and something like a magnaclean do work wonders and if the water is looked after then they dont tend to cause to many sludge related problems.

New boilers do tend to have more problems and will not last as long than the older cast iron heat exchanger, Gas valve, Thermostsat, and thermocouple boilers but everything has their time and it will come to the point that it will have to be changed due to corrosion.

[Roger Welton]

I don't think the issue is that condensing boiers are un reliable in general, I'm sure if modern non-condensing boilers are equally unreliable, its just the manufacturers make them all to a price nowadays, rather than to last.

[jtsplumbing]

Dont worry to much about it ! the way gas prices are going up you wont be able to afford to turn it on !! you will have to find another way to keep warm ! Try This

[Roger Welton]

Not wrong burning fivers will be cheaper soon per kWhr

[mountainman]

Not if he purchases a decorative gas meter by-pass off eBay of course. Lol

[tamz]

I am a heating contractor/installer/employer with many years experiencenow retiring a bit from installation (knees etc)I would like to canvass some opinions. My friends in low places at BGtell me of horrendous failure rates of condensing boilers. Lots to do with crap in old systems that clog up miniscule heat exchangers- my system is old and I flush it every so often with water and gifts !I have a conventional (system) 30kw wall hung 100 Gloworm its great BUT ifI need to replace it STUFF the rules can I get similar in this country or can i just order it from abroad.All unconventional thoughts welcomecentralheatking

BG is not what it once was. Thee are too many clueless halfwits working there now. They may be able to swap parts but they know nothing about systems.
You can still buy classics or some vokeras if you come up over the border but you will probably be better opening up the fireplace and buying a chainsaw the way the price of gas is going.

[jtsplumbing]

All these old boilers over the border ! maybe we should take up a boiler smuggling ?

[JAH HEATING]

Main combi for under £400 can't go wrong

[ggman]

I know the boiler that will suit your system, THE TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER IS MADE IN COPPER, 6 TUBE LONG 60 cm, the DHW heath exchanger is a long serpentine of copper and it is always wet by the boiler hot water, les complications as there is not any complicated and fault prone 3 ways valve, there is only a flow switch when there is DHW request the electronic stops the pump and will give the max power to the burner. Simple isn't it?
These boilers last longer my brother in Italy had one that still running efficiently after 25 years.
I am trying to import them, the manufacturer stated that they are particularly suitable for old system iron pipes and cast iron rads.
Here the link of the website http://www.mcncaldaie.com/BLUCOND.pdf the blucond is actually a condensing boiler, but there are other models, if you're interested I will help you with translations cos the website is only in Italian.
Regards
ggman