Replace an old boiler?

[buildingmycorestrength]

Hi, we have a v old Vaillant boiler ... over 20 years old. We are in a position to get it replaced this year, to save money on our gas bill due to better efficiency, but also to avoid the situation of the boiler breaking down midwinter. We would go for boiler with 7 year warranty fitted by a local independent heating engineer.

But I've just read that modern boilers are much less reliable than old ones...aaargh! Is this true? Are we better off just getting the old one serviced each year?

If it is still working after 20 years, I will guess it is not a combi.

A new boiler will be more efficient, so will save you gas costs, but the expennse or changing teh boiler will be so much greater that it might take you ten years before tghe gas savings cover the cost of change.

Boiler installations are always cheaper and easier to schedule in summer.

Unless yiou find that parts are unobtainable, or it has a severe and costly fault, I would stay with the old one.

BTW although modern boilers are Condensing (so more efficient) there is no obligation on you to change to a combi. A combi is always more complicated than a conventional boiler, and always has more to go wrong and usually does You can get a modern boiler that works the same as your old one, but better. If you decide to buy a new one, I am very keen on Stainless Steel heat exchangers, which do not corrode. Ask any supplier if the one he tries to sell you is stainless. Aluminium ones in particular often have short lives.

Vaillant and Worcester Bosch are generally considered to be good quality and dependable boilers.

There are also some cheap brands.

That's certainly my experience - the one we had fitted in 2007 has been rubbish. Prior to that, I never had trouble with boilers in previous properties or all the years before I bought my own property.
At the risk of sounding like my Grandparents, they just don't build things to last anymore!

we came to the same conclusion as piglet with regards money saving. we are therefore waiting until ours packs up and hoping it won't be during a big freeze!

We discussed this with our plumber when he was here for another problem. He said stick with old one, and he would have got the job had he said worth changing.

We have just done exactly the same (though with oil) - apparently it takes 10 years to recover the costs through efficiency savings, and the life ex on most condensing boilers is, oooh, 10 years.

Hoping that by the time this one packs in there will be a economically viable renewable source of heating.

Thanks everyone. We definitely would NOT get a combi boiler..had them before and too annoying. Will see what the quote comes in at.

The only circumstances I'd recommend it is if you really wanted the convenience of a combi. Obviously you don't, so I think you'd be wise to keep the old fella ticking over for a while longer. And when you do come to replace it, spring is the time... Better deals on offer, and plenty of time to iron out any wrinkles before winter.

Is there any room for improvement in your loft insulation or draft-proofing? You might be able to make comparable savings for a hell of a lot less!

We are replacing a 25yo boiler in a few weeks. The need to replace is that this one is stumbling along now, the efficiency, the lack of controls & it's position.
We are getting a Worcester Bosch conventional boiler with better controls & TRVs which will be both more efficient in the boiler itself & the way we use it. (currently you get sweltering or cold)
We are replacing it now because we are getting the kitchen done and the joiner is making cabinets for the whole wall that the boiler is currently on. Knowing that when we do have to replace the boiler (inevitable at some point) it will have to be moved (currently flue goes up the chimney and isn't inspectable) so we'd rather do it now, move it to a sensible position and get the cabinetry done properly.
The whole old things are built better argument only holds up to a point... Consider that the shitely built old stuff broke and was replaced at the time, only well built stuff will last until now anyway, so you are only seeing the well built stuff 'that lasted'. The same will be true for stuff built now, when considered in the future. We had a 'alpha' combi boiler that wasn't amazing but did last for over 10yrs. I wouldn't buy another one but it did last.

I often think the same can be said for combis.

People compare their 25-year old, worn-out, rusty, underpowered conventional boiler and badly-insulated, low-efficiency cylinder with a brand-new combi of three times the power, and say the new one is better. They think that's because it's a combi.

If they compared a 10-year old, worn-out, corroded, leaking, underpowered combi with a brand-new conventional boiler with a well-insulated high-efficiency cylinder or megaflo, they would find it infinitely better (the chances of finding a 25-year-old combi that still works are very slim).