Boring dilema

[rainbowinthesky]

Okay, our boiler has stopped working. We have been told it is probably the fan which will cost £400 to replace but not definite. If not the fan it will cost £1600 to replace the whole boiler.

We have £400 but dont have £1600. What would you do? Would you risk it and just try to repair or try to get the whole amount to replace (gawd knows where from)?

The boiler is approx 7 years old.

what rating is it? If you can scrape together the money then a new boiler may make efficiency savings
Can you get a second opinion? Where are you in the country?

what make is your boiler?

Ideal which by all accounts is a crap brand. Our neighbours who have replaced said they save around £100 a year on bills since replacing. We're in the SE. Just not sure where we will get the money to replace in time before it gets cold.

If you don't have the money to replace your boiler with a good make (we have a Vaillant and had a Worcester Bosch, both of which were excellent), then I would just spend the £400 to replace the fan, but I would, as polarbear says, get a second or even third opinion.

If you do decide to replace your boiler, though, it's worth checking out British Gas - they tend to be a bit more expensive than independent gas engineers, but they do offer interest-free credit over one or two years, which really helped me out when I was broke after buying my first home.

I had a word with my cousin, who repairs boilers among other things. He said price varies within the ideal range, replacement fans can cost about £85 for the part but can be up to £200. He said to get a second opinion for sure. He also said that a more efficient boiler will save you money, but you can also get grants to reduce the costs. Some councils offer this, give them a call, they may be specific about the rating, brand or boiler, but it's worth looking into.