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Original poster

12 year old boiler. Perfect working order. Do I need to replace??

29 replies

Lostandfound81 · 11/09/2018 07:17

Newly single parent with squat all experience of this kind of thing.

The boiler is about 16 years old but has never caused any issues whatsoever.

Is their a lifespan of a boiler and it should be replaced irrespective of whether working well or not.

Many thanks

OP posts:
frenchfancy · 11/09/2018 07:46

If it is working then just get it serviced regularly. No need to replace

cloudtree · 11/09/2018 07:48

I wouldn't. Ours is as old as that and still going strong. It may well be that it would be cost effective in some situations to replace due to efficiencies that you would see in having a new one but you would need an expert to determine that.

SoupDragon · 11/09/2018 07:50

I wouldn’t replace it if it’s working fine but I probably would start putting some money aside in case it suddenly does go wrong and needs replacing.

Glitteryfrog · 11/09/2018 07:50

Nope.
British Gas had a winge about ours when they replaced the meter. They tried to condemn it... our gas guy (who would actually get the work to replace it) told us it is totally fine and not a concern.

Pywife2 · 11/09/2018 07:52

I assumed we'd need to get ours replaced because it's old, but the very honest guy from the company that installed it said there's no need. As long as they can get the parts, they can keep it going.

Ub1k · 11/09/2018 07:53

Ours is coming up to 19 years old, had from new, working well and serviced regularly. Only thing engineer ever says is it's not as efficient as newer models and if it does go wrong then spares might be hard to find. Maybe start thinking of the future and budgeting for a replacement when the time comes, if at all possible.

aperolspritzplease · 11/09/2018 07:54

Ours was 14 years old when we changed it last year - it had never had a problem and then repeatedly started getting the same problem. It just wasn't cost effective at that point to keep it going. I wouldn't have changed it before that though.

Cost £1900 for the new one.

Meet0nTheIedge · 11/09/2018 07:55

Ours carried on with very few problems till it was about 25, then developed a fault that would have cost several hundred pounds to fix so we replaced it then. We did have it serviced regularly though.

hugoagogo · 11/09/2018 07:56

Ours is a similar age and works fine, we have it regularly serviced and a British gas contract to get it repaired if something does go wrong.

Quartz2208 · 11/09/2018 07:56

Ours lasted 35 years before it gave up. They tend to give you warning!

starlight36 · 11/09/2018 07:58

We replaced our boiler last year - it was over twenty years old. Same experience as others that we got it regularly serviced and it was fine until we had issues with the hot water (still could get heating) but that we couldn't fix it as the engineers couldn't get parts any more. It is quite a hit getting a new boiler but we really did notice the difference in how quickly the new boiler heats the radiators compared to the old. I would try to save a bit towards it a replacement but you could be lucky and get a few more years out of it.

Original poster
Lostandfound81 · 11/09/2018 08:02

Oh brilliant!
Thanks

OP posts:
didyouseetheflaresinthesky · 11/09/2018 09:25

Ours was 26 years old and still perfect working order. Council replaced it anyway but we never had a days trouble with it and it was serviced annually

AnneWiddecombesHandbag · 11/09/2018 09:53

We were told the time to replace it is when you can't get spare parts for it. Ours was going strong for over 20 years before we replaced it. Just make sure you regularly get it serviced.

scaryteacher · 11/09/2018 09:59

Mine died at 20. Regularly serviced etc. Hope the new one lasts as long.

IrmaFayLear · 11/09/2018 10:02

Our house is 44 years old and so is the boiler. British Gas said last week that although it's a bit uneconomic, it's completely healthy (I've just jinxed it, haven't I?!).

Blobby10 · 11/09/2018 10:02

Older boilers are much better quality and longer lasting than modern ones. Mine is coming up for 20 years old and whilst the boiler is fine, there's a rogue screw which makes a seal but was a bit awkward to get into place at the last service in January. Engineer was honest - said it may or may not work and if it doesn't then the boiler is condemned.

As I need to sell the house next spring I've decided to replace the boiler now - estate agent said I should get the money back as its a key selling point to have a new boiler!!

CarolinePooter · 11/09/2018 10:13

Ours is well over 35 years old and we have British Gas insurance and regular servicing. Touch wood we have had very few problems. It is the type with a separate hot water tank. BG try and sell us a new one every year. Other posters are right - start a rainy day fund by all means, but don't panic about the boiler. Also, sometimes there are schemes for subsidised insulation/boiler if you qualify for other help.

ElspethFlashman · 11/09/2018 10:18

I will just counterpoint this by saying that when we replaced our boiler our heating bills dropped significantly. It may work, but it may be costing you. The new ones are super efficient.

CarolinePooter · 11/09/2018 10:23

Haha Irma, mine is now jinxed as well!

Babdoc · 11/09/2018 10:25

Yup, the boilers in my house have lasted 27 years and (so far) 23 years. Old ones are solid and reliable. Modern condenser flue combi ones, not so much.
Modern ones are more economical on gas, so can save you up to £200 a year on heating bills, but there are issues with the flues freezing in cold weather, meaning the boiler cuts out just when you most need it.
They only have very short warranties too - nobody will give you a 20 year guarantee on them, for obvious reasons!
I’ll stick with my old Ideal Mexico boiler until I can’t get parts any more. It’s had a new gas valve and a new circulator pump, and gets serviced annually.
The big advantages for me are that I can dry logs for my fire on top of it, and the hot tank warms my airing cupboard and is a good place for yeast to rise when I’m baking bread.
Neither will be possible with a modern, small wall mounted combi and no hot tank.
I’d save a little each month into a repair/replacement fund, OP, as new ones are about £2000, but keep nursing your old one along as many years as possible.

Meet0nTheIedge · 11/09/2018 11:05

You don't have to get rid of your hot water tank if you get a new boiler, we replaced ours a couple of years ago and it is a regular not combi, it works with our existing hot water tank. You can't dry logs on it though Grin.

onceandneveragain · 11/09/2018 12:18

Mine was put in when the house was built c.1990, hasn't been changed since, and is still going strong.

I don't bother even having it serviced because when I did the first time the engineer said, although it was working fine, if it did break there was nothing they could do because it was so old they no longer had the parts to fix it. So I've just been saving the money I would spend on services/insurance in anticipation that it will eventually break and I will need a new one. However saying that I started doing that when I first moved in and several years later it's still going strong (jinx!), so may end up moving with it still intact.

Of course if you do ever replace it it would be a selling point if you then came to sell to have a new boiler, but otherwise there's a reason the saying's "If it ain't broke...!"

ForalltheSaints · 11/09/2018 12:22

No need if regularly serviced, in my opinion.

SydneyCarton · 11/09/2018 12:47

Babdoc We have an Ideal Mexico boiler as well, I’d never heard of the make until we moved into this flat! It’s at least 20 years old and still going relatively strong although we have had a couple of hiccups. We’re looking to move in the next couple of years and will probably replace it before then though to get the best price