Advice needed

[dozo]

Hi all. My central heating system died at the end of the winter and I need to replace it. The old system ran on steam so I need new pipes, condenser boiler etc.
I have so far received various quotes, ranging from 500 to 25000 pounds for my flat (205m²).
However each quote offers different material and I would like someone to advise me how to proceed.
Firstly the pipes: copper, alpex (aluminium flex) and mannesman (steel i think)
then the boilers - I am based in Europe so if you don't recognise some of these makes I apologise:
Vaillant, Bulex, Junckers, Viessmann, Buderus...
Any help is gratefully accepted.
As well as the boiler and pipes, one company is recommending an automated air removal machine, whereas another has it integrated in the pipes, and another ignores it completely.

 

[mrlennie]

no problem with copper tried and tested. Best off asking one of your neighbors see if they can recomend someone.

 

[dozo]

all my estimates come from recommended companies; that is the problem. I agree that copper is tried and tested but the difference in price (with today's tight budget) is large.

 

[mrlennie]

Hrm perhaps find a company that offers all different types, most heating engineers could offer you plastic or copper they would explain the difference in price and quality. I don't see why a company wouldn't do the same?

 

[Bernie2]

Have a look at CE51 CHess (Central Heating system specification) it gives you some idea of what is accepted in the UK.

The problem is we use mostly copper or plastic over here so its perhaps not so easy to give an opinion on other materials from experience in their use.

The boilers we usually know about, as most of the makes export to the UK.

I would however, be wary as technical excellence does not necessarily equate with reliability.

I would get the simplest boiler I could that would do the job I want it to do. And make sure the spares are quickly and easily available and they are easy to repair by local people.

Its probably not funny if the boiler goes off in the middle of Winter and you can't get the spares for weeks or months, and there is nobody local who can fix it because its to complicated.

There is always the added problem of regional by-laws to be taken into account of course. So what may be okay here may not be where you are though common throughout the EU regs seem to be slowly coming in.

Good Fortune