Not to replace very old boiler?

[Amibeingdaft81]

Sorry Boring!

12 year old Combi boiler.
No problems. Works fine. However it’s so old!

Are boilers one of those things that even if working well - from a safety perspective you don’t keep one going indefinitely?

If replace, any recommendations please?

Ours is an Ideal Mexico, from the early 1980s. We have it serviced by British Gas every year. In the late 90s the heat exchanger cracked and was replaced (free by BG), so possibly that has given it a new lease of life!

I have occasionally wondered about replacing it, but I believe new gas pipes are a different bore so we'd have major disruption given where the gas main is situated re the boiler.

Ours is also 12 years old. I don't consider it old and I'd be pissed off if it needs replacing before it's 20.

We deliberately got a decent one (Worcester Bosch) in the hope it would last and so far it has, although it has needed a couple of minor repairs.

In any case it can get in the queue as our fridge freezer is at least 22 years old so if anything is being replaced, it's that.

We were supported with a paid for maintenance plan from a Company for years. Then they wanted to pull out because they said they couldn't find the part when something went wrong. I found it within 5 minutes on t'internet! So they had to come and fit it (quite a big job). They carried on supporting us till 20 years was up, now we just get it serviced every Autumn... still going strong.. 22 or 23 years from new.

Ours was 17 years old and repairer was saying for about the last 3 that no parts available . We got new as desk on from local gas company. It's made a difference. House heats up much more quickly.

I remember my parents moving into a house and the boiler had a condemned sticker on it. It was still on it when they moved out 15 years later
Not recommending that obviously. Just saying boilers last a long time. You cant wear them, drive them or go on holiday in them.
If it ain't broke don't fix it, and definitely dont go out and by a new one

Our boiler must be coming up to 30 years old, it's probably very inefficient but it has never given us any problems or needed any repairs. I want to replace next year but it's a back boiler which I would like to get again and very few companies seem to do them. 12 years isn't old imo.

I'd get it serviced and start saving for a Worcester boiler for when it starts failing. It might last another 5-10 years (unless you also want to do something like move it anyway, in which case you might as well replace it at the same time).

My parents only replaced their boiler in their house 2 years ago...only so they could have radiators fitted. The old boiler was the original from when the house was built in the 60's. As long as it is serviced regularly I'd keep it.

12 years isn't old for a boiler

12 years isn’t particularly old - what leads you to think it is? Unless it’s a British Gas repair engineer, who are always extremely keen to get you to buy anew one,

We’ve got a 13 year old Vaillant boiler, get it serviced regularly, had some work for the first time in the winter. Asked the engineer about what he thought the life span would be and he said it’s until you can’t get the parts - and they are still easily available. He said the more recent boilers are flimsier in build ( like many white goods are) though some of the more recent condensing boilers have been redesigned to improve the poor durability of the first ones( we deliberately did not have a condensing boiler installed on the advice of a friend with specialist knowledge)

That's young for a boiler! We just had our 40 year old one replaced. It was still going strong, but we wouldn't have been able to get spare parts for it if anything did go wrong!

PS our old one was a Potterton too - seems like they were built to last :)

My boiler is 27 years old and serviced annually (it's a Potterton). Until it breaks down and can't be fixed I am not replacing it. There is no point spending £4K on something that will break after about 5 years.

Mine is 29 years old. British Gas said there would be no saving to replace it

12isn't old and if it's ok then keep it. We recently replaced our old Vaillant which was about 18/19 years old (was in when we bought the flat). I don't think previous owner ever had it serviced!
A few things had gone wrong with it and the hot water didn't was kick in so we decided just to get a new one. The new one (another Vaillant) seems way more efficient.