What do you think of my plumber?

[Millsy 82]

There are so many different makes and models of boilers and even with every single manual to hand you still may need to speak to the manufacturer as they dont put everything in the manuals. To try and stop homeowners fiddling.

Personally I dont come across many 10 year old boilers that need replacing but sometimes it happens, my way of looking at it is if you have had 10 years trouble free heating and hotwater it owes you nothing so I would look at replacing instead and get 7-10 years warranty on a new boiler have it serviced every year and start the cycle again.

The main thing that makes boilers beyond repair is the cost of spares. Manufacturers are having to make money back to cover the long warranties so they put that on spares.

You could get a second opinion and if it is full of dirt then you could get it flushed and filter fitted which could get a few more years out of it.

 

[Deleted member 110856]

I really genuinely appreciate everyone who has taken the time to post. This will help us to decide what to do. So thank you.



I don't know it would have made any difference but should have added that it wasn't just the boiler that was 10 years old but the entire central heating system. It replaced the storage heaters when we moved in. Everything still looks brand new. I'll update the outcome after meeting with the plumber later.

 

[centralheatking]

I really genuinely appreciate everyone who has taken the time to post. This will help us to decide what to do. So thank you.



I don't know it would have made any difference but should have added that it wasn't just the boiler that was 10 years old but the entire central heating system. It replaced the storage heaters when we moved in. Everything still looks brand new. I'll update the outcome after meeting with the plumber later.

You have not mentioned that you have a filter fitted to your system or that the system has been dosed with inhibitor. If the case is no then before you operate a new boiler the system will need a good clean out
taking a day, then a mag filter fitted and inhibitor chemicals added.
Otherwise the new boiler will not last very long as dirty water will act like liquid sandpaper and the debris will rapidly clog up the heat exchanger and the warrantee will be invalid. centralheatking

 

[Deleted member 110856]

M

yes it had the inhibitor

 

[Harvest Fields]

Has it been drained down at all since the boiler was fitted? How many rads do you have?

 

[Deleted member 110856]

Never been drained. Have x5 big rads plus small rad and a tall towel rail. Plumber has contacted Baxi, think it's the manifold which can be cleaned?

 

[centralheatking]

Never been drained. Have x5 big rads plus small rad and a tall towel rail. Plumber has contacted Baxi, think it's the manifold which can be cleaned?

Has your plumber ever carried out the litmus test to check the chemicals are still up to strength ? This should occur every year at the annual service
I would be keen to know if
X100 lasts that long from a professional angle, 8 years is magnificent
if so and I will let Barnsey at Sentinel know if so...wether it will please him or not (sales) is another matter. centralheatking

 

[firemant]

Hands on heart how many GENUINE service guys here can say that the majority of 10 year old boilers that they see are kaput?. Add on those they don't see as they are working well. Unless there is an unrectified water leak having screwed up the innards most boilers are repairable. It is true that one has to question the sense of paying almost as much in a repair as a new boiler - but, having taken labour into account, how many repairs cost £2K, or even £1K. I changed my 15 year old Worcester 42Kw, but it would have cost no more than £200 for bits to repair it - but I decided to change everything to a system boiler and Unvented.

In truth, if a regular 10 year change cycle was realistic (and fair), I would not recommend spending hundreds of pounds (or thousands if on a service contract) over those 10 years doing basic servicing - what would be the point? And why would anyone even think of paying for a "premium" brand?

The truth is that a lot of boilers are ripped out because the RGI has not a clue about, or is interested in, repairs. Others DO fail early - often because of the filthy system to which it was fitted. IMO it is impossible to properly clean a system and fit the boiler in a morning, which seems to be a regular target, particularly by the bigger firms (most of whom do not actually employ the fitters)

 

[centralheatking]

Hands on heart how many GENUINE service guys here can say that the majority of 10 year old boilers that they see are kaput?. Add on those they don't see as they are working well. Unless there is an unrectified water leak having screwed up the innards most boilers are repairable. It is true that one has to question the sense of paying almost as much in a repair as a new boiler - but, having taken labour into account, how many repairs cost £2K, or even £1K. I changed my 15 year old Worcester 42Kw, but it would have cost no more than £200 for bits to repair it - but I decided to change everything to a system boiler and Unvented.

In truth, if a regular 10 year change cycle was realistic (and fair), I would not recommend spending hundreds of pounds (or thousands if on a service contract) over those 10 years doing basic servicing - what would be the point? And why would anyone even think of paying for a "premium" brand?

The truth is that a lot of boilers are ripped out because the RGI has not a clue about, or is interested in, repairs. Others DO fail early - often because of the filthy system to which it was fitted. IMO it is impossible to properly clean a system and fit the boiler in a morning, which seems to be a regular target, particularly by the bigger firms (most of whom do not actually employ the fitters)

I read all you say Firemant, and agree without reservation on all points.
A company I know has a 'museum' of all sorts of boilers going back ages and when the new fellas start they spend a few days taking them apart and re building them until the boss is happy. The oldest I have seen is an ELM le Blanc 4.20 combi . but that is rare We fitted those in early 80's. MOVING ON
Anyway my point is if people are no longer buying cars but leasing them on a 3 year basis why not apply it to boilers it is obvious
a standard template as exists just tug the stuffed one off and change
dead easy. if all the components are recycleable there is no issue

job done in an hour + or so plus the pump out and inhibitor
days work everybody makes good money. happy days
centralheatking. These people pay £1000 for a poxy phone and £4.00 for a tub of coffee every day and whine when we charge the 'normal' going rate. The Mullins ...Charlie and Scott at Pimlico might well have it right ....centralheatking

 

[p16ulw]

Hands on heart how many GENUINE service guys here can say that the majority of 10 year old boilers that they see are kaput?. Add on those they don't see as they are working well. Unless there is an unrectified water leak having screwed up the innards most boilers are repairable. It is true that one has to question the sense of paying almost as much in a repair as a new boiler - but, having taken labour into account, how many repairs cost £2K, or even £1K. I changed my 15 year old Worcester 42Kw, but it would have cost no more than £200 for bits to repair it - but I decided to change everything to a system boiler and Unvented.

In truth, if a regular 10 year change cycle was realistic (and fair), I would not recommend spending hundreds of pounds (or thousands if on a service contract) over those 10 years doing basic servicing - what would be the point? And why would anyone even think of paying for a "premium" brand?

The truth is that a lot of boilers are ripped out because the RGI has not a clue about, or is interested in, repairs. Others DO fail early - often because of the filthy system to which it was fitted. IMO it is impossible to properly clean a system and fit the boiler in a morning, which seems to be a regular target, particularly by the bigger firms (most of whom do not actually employ the fitters)

If someone goes to repair a boiler 10 years old or older quite often It can open up a can of worms for the gas installer ie water leaks some where else on the appliance and you have now inherited a problem you need to fix you may have given a fixed price repair so this is also the reason a lot of boilers are replaced as well because the engineer knows it’s not worth the potential hassle