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Original poster

Please tell me about your gas central heating

37 replies

Fallulah · 01/03/2020 16:42

My house, built in the 80s, still has the original gas central heating system - radiators, tank in the airing cupboard, water tank in the loft and boiler downstairs.

It’s getting progressively less reliable. I’ve done all the things like bleeding the radiators, flushing it out and replacing the pump but I think its life may be coming to an end. To be fair it’s done well and when it’s working my house is toasty warm (it’s a two bed terrace so I think I probably benefit from being surrounded). I may also be looking to rent it out in the next couple of years so need the system to be working reliably.

I was all set to reclaim the airing cupboard space, get the tank out of the loft and go for a Combi boiler and radiators with individual thermostats, but a few people have now advised against the Combi, with their reasons being their hot water isn’t as good and it means if the system breaks you don’t have heating or hot water rather than just no heating.

I’m questioning myself now! Got an engineer coming round later in the week to inspect the system and quote for what’s needed so I’d like to be as informed as possible by then!

Have you replaced your central heating? What did you go for and has it been reliable?

Also interested in views on Hive etc. At the moment I just think that’s one more thing to go wrong but it could be convenient!

Thanks

OP posts:

StarlightLady · 01/03/2020 16:50

I am a combi fan. You always have hot water exactly when you want it. Yes, if it breaks down you have a problem. But if another system breaks down, you have a problem.

Ceebeegee · 01/03/2020 16:50

I replaced an old gas back boiler system with a new combi in the airing cupboard. It's been fine so far. I also had an electric shower installed, so if the boiler does break, I can still shower.
One slight annoyance (first world problem) is that my new radiators are all a different size to the previous ones which meant I had a load of decorating to do. Apparently the new radiators were calculated to the size of the room, which is fair enough, but they're all smaller so had to redecorate each wall they were on.

Reliability has been good, I got an 8 year guarantee if I have it serviced every year.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 01/03/2020 16:52

We have a combi. I wouldn't consider any other system.

If you have two showers you could have one electric and one mains from the system - then if the boiler does break there is still a shower for the short term.

We have two little oil radiators stored in the attic just in case.

It's wonderful to have hot water whenever it's needed. It's also lovely to pre set the heating to go on and off at different times.

Interested in this thread?

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Home improvement

Bessiebigpants · 01/03/2020 16:53

I loved my combi boiler in my old old house it was an expensive one tons and tons of hot waterIve also had the 80s immersion tank you described. we have a brand new heating system with a pressurised tank which is very good. I would say combi is fine for smaller house and a couple of people would not be my first choice for a bigger family

LIZS · 01/03/2020 16:58

We have a conventional boiler in a 4 bed with hive, replaced about 18 months ago. Hive is fine except it goes down in a power outage. However times we have used it remotely are rare. Like boosting it from my sofa though!

Babdoc · 01/03/2020 17:02

The old fashioned type of boiler is much more reliable, is basically a simple mechanical pump (with fewer parts to go wrong) and lasts far longer.
Mine is 25 years old, still going strong, and in all those years has only needed one new thermocouple and one new gas valve - total cost about £40.
Combi boilers are a bit more efficient - you’ll save a little on your gas bill each year. But I doubt if you’d save enough to offset the cost of having to replace the whole boiler much sooner - you won’t get 25 to 30 years out of a combi.
Having said that, you might not be allowed to install any kind of gas boiler for much longer - fossil fuels are very much being phased out due to climate change, and there is pressure to force us all towards electric heating. Much like the electric cars debate.

StarlightLady · 01/03/2020 17:02

And how long is if going to be before Hive systems start getting hacked?

Rosecatter · 01/03/2020 17:08

Be cafeful op. If its pretty old it might not conform to modern standards and the engineer might condemn it.
Our boiler is ancient and engineers won't touch it. DP had to learn how to service it himself.

Original poster

Fallulah · 01/03/2020 17:12

I’ve got an electric shower so actually thanks for reminding me I would still have that with a Combi if it went wrong.
Boiler has been serviced every year. I actually think it’s the pump/pressure/something in the heating itself rather than the boiler, but it has done really well to get to 30!
Thanks for all the feedback so far!

OP posts:

GoatyGoatyMingeMinge · 01/03/2020 17:27

If you're renting the house out soon and considering replacing the boiler I would stick with a non-combi boiler (they're called system boilers I think).

a) The benefits of a combi (not needing to manage the timing so that you always have a cylinder of hot water, reclaiming the cylinder cupboard) will not be felt by you as a landlord. I don't think either of those things will bring in more rent.

b) The downsides of a combi are much more inconvenient for you as a landlord. If it stops working the house loses all heating and water immediately and your tenants will justifiably want it fixed right now. With your current system you can have an electric immersion element in the cylinder to provide hot water, some electric convector heaters for the rooms, give the tenants a fiver a day for the extra cost of electricity, and the boiler problem is no longer a stressful emergency.

As a further bonus it will be cheaper to replace like with like. Converting the plumbing over to run a combi boiler requires more work and will cost you more. (And usually the boilers cost more.)

woodencoffeetable · 01/03/2020 17:30

combi boilers are great.
modern ones are very efficient too.

if you can get a solar water heating system on your roof you can keep the water tank to keep hot water.

VerbenaGirl · 01/03/2020 17:34

We went combi in our old house and it was great - always have hot water and we converted the airing cupboard into an en suite loo. Now planning same in the house we moved to a couple of years ago, with the boiler in the current airing cupboard. Less to leak as well, as there’s no hot or cold water tanks.

GiantKitten · 01/03/2020 17:59

We switched to a combi when the old oil boiler died shortly after we moved in to our house 35 years ago. That was a Vaillant, which lasted nearly 30 years with help from British Gas homecare, & we now have a Worcester Bosch.

The boiler and washer & dryer are all in the old airing cupboard in the bathroom (big cupboard, in big bathroom) which is a brilliant arrangement.

NB Combis can leak! We now keep a large roasting tin on the shelf under ours, so if it starts to drip a) the water gets caught & b) we hear it, before it starts coming through the kitchen ceiling below

GoatyGoatyMingeMinge · 01/03/2020 18:20

I don't think this is a normal part of combi life! All boilers can leak. It means there is something wrong that needs fixing so that they don't leak any more!

LIZS · 01/03/2020 19:00

Combis can switch off if the condensing pipe freezes. Usually when it is really cold weather so not ideal. It needs to be internal or well insulated.

sniffysnifferson · 01/03/2020 19:22

Combi boilers should not leak! You need to get it looked at.

GoatyGoatyMingeMinge · 01/03/2020 19:56

Combis can switch off if the condensing pipe freezes.

This is true of any condensing boiler (pretty much all boilers nowadays), not particularly combis.

GiantKitten · 01/03/2020 20:50

It has been looked at, several times

Leaks have been from different places. Excessive mains pressure has been blamed. (But boilers have water in - why should they never leak?)

ICouldHaveBeenAContender · 01/03/2020 21:01

Our boiler has sprung a leak tonight. Luckily it's booked for servicing tomorrow anyway.

(Not sure that's what you wanted to know, OP, but you did ask!)

DH is vehemently against Combis. He reckons they can power either the heating or the hot water, but not both at the same time, and that's what we want first thing in the morning. Maybe if you live in a warmer part of the UK than us it's less of an issue, but he'd never switch.

One thing we got put in was 'weather compensation'. It requires a detector outside, so that once the outside temperature drops to a certain temperature, the boiler fires up. This is in addition to dividing the house into 2 zones - upstairs and downstairs, each with their own timer/thermostat - and having thermostatic valves on every radiator.

GoatyGoatyMingeMinge · 01/03/2020 21:12

(But boilers have water in - why should they never leak?)

That's a novel attitude! By the same token they also have gas in them - I guess that the odd explosion is par for the course.

DisgraceToTheYChromosome · 01/03/2020 21:19

We had an old Baxi in our last house, and it cost a fortune to run. The combi we have now heats a 4 bedroom house with the hot water running flat out, and costs 40% less to run.

GiantKitten · 01/03/2020 22:46

GoatyGoatyMingeMinge

Note number 2