Memory lane: When Men were Men, and Boilers ran for 30 years

[GasAt300Bar]

Memory lane: When Men were Men, and Boilers ran for 30 years

My old 1972 floor-mount boiler is on the way out. The casting's been weeping water for a 12 month now, a Potterton brick of a thing, bigger than any washing machine. A Honeywell 2 button, as an upgrade?!, not much else in it. You know the kinda thing. Running a standard 3-bed semi. 'Tis a Luvverly job. Still runs town gas I reckons It's real beauty is in its efficiency. Efficiency that is, in not blowing PCBs, limit stats, and the other :nono:. Doesn't self-destruct every 7 years. Makes no claims on ROI efficiency savings of 10% that any loon and a crayon can see look laughable. ie 'tis nearer a tank, than a boiler.
Reckon it'll probably still outlast any of the things put in today, but it will eventually shed its mortal coil. I need to be prepared.

So, going down memory lane before we all got castrated, with the dual caveat of GasSafe and efficiency requirements removed, even Corgi come to that, if you had you time again, and being a gas engineer, what would you hang on you elderly mother's wall to be sure, if you're not about, she doesn't unload her pension on a Pimlico Plumber's van outside her door.

I mean, my mother has an Ideal RS460 (about 1984 vintage), and it just keeps going, on and on. You can get the PCBs for it for £30 etc. It's an ideal solution. SWIDT.

Probably not close to 75% efficient and no GasSafe man could install and sign it off today.

But that Ideal RS460 aside, what other boilers, with parts available now, were in this league. How far would you have to look back? i want one. I'm aware the HE will be tired, but used will be fine.

You see, I'm a hydraulics bloke, I work with petrochemicals at daft pressures, and still our 300Bar Natural Gas compressors and burn-offs have less :nono: in them than my mate's new Potterton, er 'thing'.

'orrible it is.

So, and I am aware of the implications, what's the Massey Ferguson of the boiler world?

 

[hammers4spanner]

Put it in a glass case on show in your garage when you eventually retire your pride and joy

 

[Masood]

a Vaillant Turbomax is the one for me. Sold

Seriously though, you can't legally fit one these days. It's non-condensing so you'd need special dispensation from Building Control, normally only given for listed buildings or where there is absolutely no way of getting the condensate away.

Plus, even if you can buy a working one you'll have no history. No reputable GSR would fit it. If he/she did fit it, they couldn't register it.

If you want basically bulletproof, buy an Intergas. Just 4 moving pasrt, heat exchanger like a brick, massive internal waterways, super-efficient, and not as expensive as most..

 

[GasAt300Bar]

Mainly tongue-in-cheek buddy. I'm sure my mechanic says the same about me when I mention that I always service and repair motorbikes....

We had a plumber working on his car in our yard last year. Put PTFE on everything that moved

Welding this thing does not appeal. In the finish, Stupid.

So really, I have to bite the bullet, knowing it'll be off my wall again in seven years.

I want an Intergas I assume pay a bit more. Thank you.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Baxi Duotec comes close as being easy to fix ,one of the easiest to work on

 

[GasAt300Bar]

Inter gas, Baxi Duotec et al appear to be combination boilers, I've a power shower via Megaflow, and I've plenty of room for my tank. I'll do some more digging. Thanks chaps

 

[Phil]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY4tD2Hbg_A


Welcome gasAt300bar, I cant help reading your posts to the voice of Harry Enfield Yorkshireman.

 

[Masood]

Inter gas, Baxi Duotec et al appear to be combination boilers, I've a power shower via Megaflow, and I've plenty of room for my tank. I'll do some more digging. Thanks chaps

Can't comment on the Duotec as I don't know them but Intergas is also available as a system boiler, heat-only, any configuration you might need.

The cleverest bit is, you can pipe up the combi to run as a system boiler, no problem, manufacturer approves. Another hot water source available if you decide you need it in future. It can run on a sealed system or open-vented. Very, very flexible in its application.

 

[Dotty]

Understood. No swearing.
Seems even keeping the CF in the garage, well vented as it is at present might be less than wise.

Glad you understand the swearing rule now, I've just edited two of your posts.

We don't allow swearing, disguised or otherwise, on open forum. At all.

Normally results in the offender being sent off for an early bath.

 

[GasAt300Bar]

Can't comment on the Duotec as I don't know them but Intergas is also available as a system boiler, heat-only, any configuration you might need.

The cleverest bit is, you can pipe up the combi to run as a system boiler, no problem, manufacturer approves. Another hot water source available if you decide you need it in future. It can run on a sealed system or open-vented. Very, very flexible in its application.

So I think I have this right, an Inter gas combi gets plumbed as any heat-only / or system, my Megaflow / bath runs via my tank, but if I like, I can run the odd sink of water in my kitchen or the dishwasher/washer straight off the combi, even if what is in my tank is still cold water?

Thinking about this as I type, I see how this would be, I think? But HW off the combi is at one pressure, off the tank at another, so i assume I'd have to keep the two HW feeds apart. No biggy, I think they are pretty much run that way now.

Have I got this right?

Harry Enfield Yorkshireman signing off.

 

[GasAt300Bar]

Put it in a glass case on show in your garage when you eventually retire your pride and joy

You're taking the... I'm sensitive ya knows. I can tell.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

System equivalent of the Duotec Megaflo System

 

[Masood]

So I think I have this right, an Inter gas combi gets plumbed as any heat-only / or system, my Megaflow / bath runs via my tank, but if I like, I can run the odd sink of water in my kitchen or the dishwasher/washer straight off the combi, even if what is in my tank is still cold water?

Thinking about this as I type, I see how this would be, I think? But HW off the combi is at one pressure, off the tank at another, so i assume I'd have to keep the two HW feeds apart. No biggy, I think they are pretty much run that way now.

Have I got this right?

Harry Enfield Yorkshireman signing off.

Yep, that's correct..

 

[joni os]

Inter gas, Baxi Duotec et al appear to be combination boilers, I've a power shower via Megaflow, and I've plenty of room for my tank. I'll do some more digging. Thanks chaps

Viessmann regular boiler worth consideration. Open vent or sealed will both work with your Megaflow. Care needed on open vent to initially clear air from Hex but otherwise sound . Modulates well and has pump over-run option. What ever new boiler you install, thorough cleaning of existing system essential. I would flush, chemically clean for two weeks and flush again as a minimum.
Equating figures for CO deaths to floor standing boilers is misleading as it ignores the radiant heat gas fires with back boilers, common at the time, installed in original fire place. Cold air supply to these, cutting across room from outside wall, caused discomfort and vents were frequently blocked.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Another vote for Viessmann

 

[Stanios]

Oh yes the two things in life I have unwittingly missed out on as a youngster, It is always a rare and special treat for me to behold the majesty of a floor standing box only a trained eye of a seasoned hardened veteran, a real man, can appreciate the intricacies and finer details of.

Compared to what I've been training on these are mysterious beasts to me, a bit like cosmos, unfathomable for my tiny brain - after all as a young person my brain is not nearly developed. Gawking at the big grey pipe sticking out of the top that rumours say causes death, the reset button that has seen more fingering than the entire xhamster catalogue, this boiler ofcourse needs its very own room as well - nothing is worthy or compact enough to share space with it.

The rush is too much for me, I recall the legend of the real men, that long ago in another era real men roamed the land and worked the boiler. I let out a sigh, the final pushfit connection on my fresh combi has been pushed in its noon and I am eager to go finish my lego spaceship at home and have some warm milk.