Would anyone know the cost of replacing a 24 year old Potterton gas boiler with a condensor boiler. Currently the boiler is working perfectly, but the plumber who replaced a part in it last year said it is getting more difficult to locate parts - but I am still reluctant to replace it if it is working well.
My current gas bills in winter are €40 per month which should drop a bit once I finish upgrading my attic insulation. In the warmer months I only use a bit of gas for cooking and I manually turn off the boiler pilot light. I have an electric shower so little or no DHW requirements.
It is very rare that you will save 50% especially with such small usage. The larger the usage and the larger the system, the easier it is to achieve larger percentage savings. Your pilot light is costing you approx €10 per month to have it on.I'm a bit sceptical whether a new boiler will 'halve' my bills. I am in a small terraced 2up 2down house (six radiators). It's just myself and the wife here (for the moment!) and if/when kids arrive we will be looking at moving to a bigger house and renting out this one. So our tenants may be the main beneficiaries of a more efficient boiler. I suppose we'll have to replace it at some point though and I'm beginning to think we might as well do it while we still live in the house. What size boiler should I be looking at? I know it's difficult to say without seeing the house but any ideas? I'm thinking I'd like to undersize it a bit if it means better efficiency. I think this may require replacing one of the radiators with a bigger one.
Heating controls are always of benefit. You must way up the benefit of timing when the upstairs heating comes on, having it temperature controlled & only heating where you want when you want towards the cost of installing zones.Is there any point in going for heating controls in my case? I don't think we need different areas zoned due to the size of the house. Surely we can just adjust the valves on the radiators in areas not being used? I would like to be able to heat the water without heating the radiators (which I currently cannot do) but if this adds major cost we can work away with our power hungry electric shower. If we were to shower using the DHW I think we'd need a pump to get decent pressure.
YupIf I don't go for the heating controls, I presume this rules me out of SEAI grants?
It is an absolute must to powerflush a system when installing a HE boiler. It would be akin to fitting a brand new engine in your car but re-using the old oil from the old engine! Nuts.... Sludge will destroy a HE gas boiler heat exchanger. They are so much responsive than a standard efficiency boiler it they have very small passage ways in the exchanger.I've read (admittedly from guys who profit from doing it) that a full Powerflush is essential when replacing a boiler. Although my system is old, the radiators are red hot and the only noise they make are normal expansion sounds as far as I can tell. Although maybe I'll get the flush done too if I can get a good price. How much extra would this be, considering the size of the house?
Change your installer. Sticking a magnet cleanse on a system is a waste of time. He is only suggesting that because he does not have a Powerflushing machine. It is a must for gas boilers.
Regarding the boilers, he had quoted you for the cheapest on the market. For a small bit more, perhaps €100, you could go for a Bosch, Viessmann or an Ariston. My preferred is the Ariston because its parameters can be changed to suit your small system. Extremely adaptable.
Your usage is very small so you would have to decide on whether the boiler is worth replacing or not. If the boiler is running fine & is heating all the rads & water sufficiently, it may not be worth replacing.
Anybody who has Powerflushing equipment would not suggest putting in a magna cleanse as an viable alternative. I have only had a call out on Monday to a destroyed heat exchanger in a 1 year old gas boiler. I cannot stress the importance of it enough.
Regarding Ideals, IMHO they are an ok boiler, fairly low down on my list.
Why do you have to go the SEAI route if you wish to install a Viessmann? That's a new one to me!
Be interested to know - what impact the whole process has on existing floors, walls, rooms .... i.e do they have to pull up flooring to access pipes? What re-work needs to be done?
I have a Kingfisher free standing potterton, and its no doubt OLD!.. However it is working.. but I have always wondered the impact replacing it will have on my home (especially the new floors/tiles I have downstairs)!!!
Most registered gas installers are also certified for electrical minor works. This covers how to properly wire a complete heating system the way it should be done A - Z. How good the installer is will vary like any trade or professional.It just occurred to me that the boiler will need to be wired electrically. Is this something that is normally included in the quote or is it a separate job? I would have presumed paying for supply & installation of a boiler meant that it'd be up and running when he left. I'd better check this with him too.
A great boiler for its day. Fairly bullet proof and very uncomplicated. Downside is very slow to heat & has a permanent pilot light which on average costs €150 per year to keep lit.Be interested to know - what impact the whole process has on existing floors, walls, rooms .... i.e do they have to pull up flooring to access pipes? What re-work needs to be done?
I have a Kingfisher free standing potterton, and its no doubt OLD!.. However it is working.. but I have always wondered the impact replacing it will have on my home (especially the new floors/tiles I have downstairs)!!!
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