Megaflo & new boiler or megaflo only???

[MrsSuperMario]

We have a boiler that was installed in 2008. The water pressure in the kitchen has always been very good yet this isn't the case for two bathrooms on the first floor.

We got 2 quotes from different heating engineers. First one said we should install a Megaflo which would improve water pressure significantly. The second one recommended we install a new boiler and a megaflo plus change the gas pipe.

The cost difference between these quotes is fairly significant and we really don't know which to go for. In our understanding the boiler we currently have isn't particularly old and gets serviced annually. Any suggestions as to which option we should go for?

I've just had this done. Your incoming mains flow is very important to determine if an unvented system is suitable - time how long it takes to fill a 2 litre milk bottle or something from the COLD kitchen tap and work out the number of litres per minute - that's your flow.

Do you know the model of your boiler and is it a combi? (Do you have a standard hot water cylinder at the moment with water tanks in the loft).

The pipes coming to the house are old and small so the second plumber initially recommended to change these which would have cost us a fortune. So he then suggested we change the boiler and install megaflo which would provide plenty of hot water and improved water pressure throughout the house.

The current boiler isn't a combi and yes we have a standard hot water cylinder and water tanks in the loft. In any case the water tanks in the loft would go.

I'm just wondering whether it is wise to change the boiler now? We only replaced it 8 years ago and the average lifetime for a boiler is 10-15 years?! I guess if we did go ahead with it then that would mean we avoid any issues with this boiler in the next 5 or so years because they are likely to start acting up towards the end of their life span.

If you have a 2008 boiler that can heat your house, then it is adequate to heat an unvented cylinder such as a Megaflo, even if it is a combi.

If you want to change the boiler for some other reason, because you don't like the colour, or it has an irrepairable fault, or you want to support the boilermaking trade, then you are free to.

Much more importantly, how many bathrooms do you have, what size is your house and, most important of all, what is the flow rate of water delivered to your house? (not the pressure)

Fill a buciet at the kitchen cold tap, time it, calculate how many litres per kinute you get. Do the same at the garden tap and utility room tap if you have them.

Observe the incoming supply pipe. What colour and diameter is it?

The boiler has served us well so far with regards to heating etc. though there were some minor issues last winter. We have 2 bathrooms upstairs (a 2 storey 3 bed detached house). Must let DH measure flow rate of water, and will have to check re supply pipe.

If the pipes coming to the house are old and small then your flow rate may well be poor and the only real option (short of an accumulator which you don't want) would be to upgrade them to at least 25mm blue plastic. Calculate the flow and let us know you really want 20 litres/minute for a Megaflo

From what we were told by one of the plumbers was that upgrading pipe work now would be very expensive. At this time we wouldn't be able to afford this so we are trying to find a reasonable but a more cost-effective solution. Would a megaflo with the current boiler improve water pressure? They said we may have to change the boiler in a few years anyway so would it be wise to do it all in one go?

A boiler is almost never worth replacing (economically) until it packs up. Why spend £2k+ replacing a boiler to save £100 a year in costs if you're going to do it every 10-15 years?

If you do not have adequate flow a Megaflo will be a total waste of money (incidentally Megaflo is just a brand name, an expensive one and I would go for another make of unvented cylinder which will do the same job for half the price). I had my lead pipe replaced with 32mm plastic in the summer and the cost was about £900 using a mole. If you're competent at DIY, have the time and are willing to do a bit of hard graft you could do it for under £100 in parts (unfortunately time was against me!).

We've received so many opinions over this with most of them going against changing the boiler. And I see why a megaflo could also fail us if the flow rate is rubbish. Without (yet) measuring the flow rate I'd like to think it isn't overly awful since flow from kitchen tap is very good, but this may be deceiving..

Look for a gnarled local plumber who is willing to dig a trench, or more likely a plumber who knows a labourer or small builder.

You don't need to pay heating engineer rates to lay a pipe.

Look at the other thread this morning where I talk about pipes and valves.

I've read your other thread this morning PigletJohn and found it extremely useful. Thank you for your kind advice too HollyMaingate.