Advice on a good boiler

[ceedy]

Having spent hard cash recently to have new control box and gas valve on our our old House warmer back boiler and its worked ok for 3 months then control box packed up again . arghh! always the same transisitor keeps blowing .

I'm going to bite the bullet and have another new ? boiler in .

The holding factor on this has been the 15mm feed , the distance from the meter and the house full of solid floors and cross boarded upstairs .
And the probable need for a new 22mm feed .
I've have worked out a route to cause least damage to the decoration.

So thorny question.. what is a GOOD relaible BOILER ! ,

4 bedrooms. 1 bathroom, 3 other rooms , currently been running well for years on a 55k BTU thorn house warmer back boiler .

Would prefer to keep the tank , and run a condensing boiler ? .

Been offered free a Potterton Profile 100e in working order? this has been running in a slighter larger home , with ther 15 feed . ok. but is 2nd hand ! .

Anyone got suggestions as to a reliable make ??.

Chris

 

[doitmyself]

The first thing to do is find out what size boiler you really need!

The easiest way to do this is to use the Boiler Size Calculator

As for the gas pipe size, my son had a similar problem to you - back boiler fed by a pipe under a concrete floor from a meter on the other side of the house. The new boiler was to be installed in the bedroom airing cupboard, above the alcove to the right of the boiler. The only bit of gas pipe visible was a 15mm to the old boiler/fire. The installer extended this vertically using 22mm to the new location. The gas pressure was OK.

 

[migoplumber]

i'd upgrade the gas supply to 22mm, then you have full choice of boilers on the market, and you will know whichever boiler you put in it will work correctly.
in my house i have a remeha. there are lots of good boilers out there. dont be sold by guarantees though.

 

[Puddle]

The only bit of gas pipe visible was a 15mm to the old boiler/fire. The installer extended this vertically using 22mm to the new location. .

You should not increase the pipe size in a run, only decrease, therefore you should not be going from 15mm to 22mm up wall to newly sited boiler, it can be dangerous, the bigger the pipe size increase and the longer the run,the more dangerous it can be

Do not think anyone is going to advise you to put a second hand non condensing boiler in

However some boilers to look at are

Worchester,vaillant,advanta,baxi,even stick the ideal classic he in there as old system ,only 'B' efficiency though.

Think you are making the right move in re placing your back boiler,was going to mention before but you had already spent alot of money on pcb,think it has served you well though

 

[oldplumber]

for avanta read broag/remeha lovlee boilers

 

[Blackcatgas]

You should not increase the pipe size in a run, only decrease, therefore you should not be going from 15mm to 22mm up wall to newly sited boiler, it can be dangerous, the bigger the pipe size increase and the longer the run,the more dangerous it can be

Do not think anyone is going to advise you to put a second hand non condensing boiler in

However some boilers to look at are

Worchester,vaillant,advanta,baxi,even stick the ideal classic he in there as old system ,only 'B' efficiency though.

Think you are making the right move in re placing your back boiler,was going to mention before but you had already spent alot of money on pcb,think it has served you well though

And Iam sure that our acs tutor told us you could?
Sorry to hijack the thread, Puddle whats wrong with going from 15mm up to 22mm? never done it but Ive always wondered if you could.

 

[oldplumber]

definite no no, risk of explosive mixture occuring.

 

[migoplumber]

re hi-jacking the thread, i agree with puddle in principle - just good practise.
however oldplumber can i ask you to explain your comment further - for my curiosty. ta.

 

[WHPES]

...........and don't touch Potterton with a bargepole - pile of c**p

 

[garry38]

quote ;;;;;;;;;;;However some boilers to look at are

Worchester,vaillant,advanta,baxi,even stick the ideal classic he in there as old system ,only 'B' efficiency though.


why do i never hear any one mention vokera as a good boiler ....
what do you think of that make of boiler ?

 

[Puddle]

why do i never hear any one mention vokera as a good boiler ....
what do you think of that make of boiler ?

personal opinion only

I think Volkera's are decent enough boilers but would not fit any
In the nineties fitted and looked after loads (DC Tubo's),good boilers,reliable,fitted the new excells,flowmatics and when the original top of range domestic linea came out
See on their web site say heat more than 1.5 million homes,in the nineties was many more than that
But like so many past manufacturers they got to big for their boots and shot them self in the foot
Boiler casings with inspection hole in wrong place,never suppling corrected ones.bringing out a stupid plastic clamped flue,that fell apart just looking at it and a bigger size than all other flues,so you could not do a straight swop,you had to try to make flue hole a bit bigger diameter,hard on ground level,in higher flats,a pain in the bum,move onto a different boiler,different boiler models ,had different pipe orders,then they bring out a boiler with pressure gauge inside boiler!,then they start increasing prices,thinking they can do as they please,ect,ect,engineers left fitting them in droves,sales plunged,it takes a long time for engineers to forget as many manufacturers have found and think Vaillant may find out if not careful

imho

 

[kirkgas]

what explosive mixture can you get in a pipe that is full of gas going from 15mm up to 22mm, i agree it isnt great practice as an appliance may get starved of gas, but was always taught it was a no-no for water due to pressure/flow, but gas expands into the pipe size so it wouldnt be a safety issue as it would only ever be full of gas,

 

[garry38]

personal opinion only

I think Volkera's are decent enough boilers but would not fit any
In the nineties fitted and looked after loads (DC Tubo's),good boilers,reliable,fitted the new excells,flowmatics and when the original top of range domestic linea came out
See on their web site say heat more than 1.5 million homes,in the nineties was many more than that
But like so many past manufacturers they got to big for their boots and shot them self in the foot
Boiler casings with inspection hole in wrong place,never suppling corrected ones.bringing out a stupid plastic clamped flue,that fell apart just looking at it and a bigger size than all other flues,so you could not do a straight swop,you had to try to make flue hole a bit bigger diameter,hard on ground level,in higher flats,a pain in the bum,move onto a different boiler,different boiler models ,had different pipe orders,then they bring out a boiler with pressure gauge inside boiler!,then they start increasing prices,thinking they can do as they please,ect,ect,engineers left fitting them in droves,sales plunged,it takes a long time for engineers to forget as many manufacturers have found and think Vaillant may find out if not careful

imho

I fit the vokera linea he all the time and would recommend it to anyone it is a really good boiler.
I have the standard efficient linea in my own home and it has been almost trouble free.
I just have never heard anyone on this site mention vokera as a good boiler when infact the lnea he is as good as any on the market including worcester and vailiant etc

 

[ceedy]

Good stack of replies thanks.. regards the pottyten !!

the one I've been offered is still installed and working( house being demolished soon),
been in for lotsa years? with no breakdowns ?, but even if very reliable its probably had the best of it gone now ..LOL.

Started ruining the decoration for the new 22mm run. recon the hardest part will be putting the flue throught the 28 inch hamstone wall. ;-)


Been looking at lotsa setups including Alpha's flowsmart.not cheap but you only do a boiler install a few times ,I won't be doing it again in my lifetime !! so best do it right now.

Whatever the plumbers/installers have in their own homes would seem a good start ?

Chris.

 

[Blackcatgas]

Good stack of replies thanks.. regards the pottyten !!

the one I've been offered is still installed and working( house being demolished soon),
been in for lotsa years? with no breakdowns ?, but even if very reliable its probably had the best of it gone now ..LOL.

Started ruining the decoration for the new 22mm run. recon the hardest part will be putting the flue throught the 28 inch hamstone wall. ;-)


Been looking at lotsa setups including Alpha's flowsmart.not cheap but you only do a boiler install a few times ,I won't be doing it again in my lifetime !! so best do it right now.

Whatever the plumbers/installers have in their own homes would seem a good start ?

Chris.

Hi Chris, I rarely come across any combi boilers older than 15yrs.
I like Viessmann btw. I Have a vaillant 831 in my own home.