Back boiler gas usage advice

[Piecan]

Hi I've just got a property with an eight year old back boiler. I've been keeping a note of the meter readings and in 40 days its used 118 m3 units. Its been on a timer coming on twice a day for an hour just heating rads no hot water, as its unoccupied. For two hours it uses 3 units which I calculated as 33kwh. It seems a lot to me. Is this right or does it need checking? I'm hoping to get a combi fitted, as long as it makes a difference. The property has eight rads and is a two bed detached house. Thanks

 

[lame plumber]

A good combi will save on gas. but against this are the changeover costs, are you stating for long etc etc needs to be considered.

 

[jrmurray]

Check the data badge and that should tell you how many kw the boiler is but a combi is mostly likely to save you money, how many people are at the property and how many bathrooms hace you got? Whats the water pressure like?

 

[villa_tom]

Rip it out and start again with a high efficiency boiler. You'll save money in gas which in turn will pay for the installation costs anyway.

 

[Piecan]

Hi thanks for your replies. There is only me and there is a bathroom and will be a shower room. The water pressure is good. I will have a look for the badge but its a Baxi Bermuda rg3. I'm waiting on a quote for a Worcester cdi and potterton platinum the latter having a five year warranty on the heat to heat exchanger, not sure on the Worcester. In my house and my friends we used 1 unit in two hours so this one using three units in two hrs seems high. The meter was only put in 2007, so that should be working ok I would have thought. Maybe the Baxi is gas hungry?!

 

[jrmurray]

Then yes i would put a combi in for sure will save you a fortune, i know people will hate me for saying this as not everyone likes them but have you thought about an ideal logic+ i fit them all the time and come with 5 years parts and labour and there around £650 + vat.

 

[AWheating]

when the boiler is serviced every 12 months it should be gas rated to check its consuming the correct amount of gas. Ask your gsr engineer next time to confirm the measurements are correct.

 

[lame plumber]

the sums, only rough figures, complete change over boiler, upgrade rads to trvs rm stat etc, £3500, year 6 new pcb etc £400, hope it makes it to yr 7&8 and new boiler £4500 etc total over say 10 years £8400or £840 a year. If you stay in house 10 years cost £840 a year, are you making that sort of saving on your gas bill. Just being a devils advocate before you rip out a working boiler! a lot of savings can be made with insulation before you go and rip it out. Could spend more on a decent boiler or less and have more repairs. if you move house yr 6 have you saved anything?

 

[plumber0808]

Agree with above it depends on how long your going to stay there to recover the money back, if not you are paying for someone else's boiler.

 

[villa_tom]

when the boiler is serviced every 12 months it should be gas rated to check its consuming the correct amount of gas. Ask your gsr engineer next time to confirm the measurements are correct.

Would you really gas rate a back boiler? I've only ever checked working pressure and burner pressure! I'd only gas rate of I thought something was amiss.

 

[lame plumber]

Would you really gas rate a back boiler? I've only ever checked working pressure and burner pressure! I'd only gas rate of I thought something was amiss.

must have done a different training course to the rest of us then!!

 

[Piecan]

Thanks guys and I appreciate the sums of how much it would cost in terms of recovering the initial cost...I have paid for someone else's boiler in my current house as it was only fitted two years ago, but life has nasty surprises hence I'm alone in my next move. The other reason for dumping the Baxi is it feels rather drafty with its nice large vent in the suspended floor and chimney vent, plus the shower and toilet is going to be sited where the hot water tank is in the cupboard upstairs. I intend to live there till I'm too old to look after it and the garden, when by then, me and my possible large collection of cats, get moved to a cosy little new build and I'm known as the mad old cat woman...well that's how I see the future progressing anyway!

 

[Piecan]

Haven't heard of that one, but will look into it thanks.

 

[plumber0808]

Fit a combi then. No doubt.
hope all goes well.
maybe post the job on here.

 

[plumber0808]

INTERGAS. Very good if your going to do it, do a bit of research as it will be a long term investment.
The worcester sell tons because there the big boys in the market, I fit a lot of them as there easy to sell. In my own house I would fit a Intergas.

 

[Piecan]

INTERGAS. Very good if your going to do it, do a bit of research as it will be a long term investment.
The worcester sell tons because there the big boys in the market, I fit a lot of them as there easy to sell. In my own house I would fit a Intergas.

I remembered Intergas when I got the heating engineer round but he hadn't heard of them so I asked for Worcester CDI and Potterton as it was the same he'd fitted for a member of his family. He fitted the heating system I have now and my parents. I may get other quotes though.

 

[plumber0808]

Every installer will have a preference, if you went with a intergas the installer must be a platinum installer to get a 5 year warranty otherwise its 2 years.
Any boiler these days should come with a 5 yr warranty apart from the cheapo ones.
the logics are good, my customers usually go for the worcester.
i think they go on the net and their website is very good and are a very known manufacturer

 

[Bronze_tap]

For two hours it uses 3 units which I calculated as 33kwh. It seems a lot to me. Is this right or does it need checking?

Remember: Power = Energy/Time

So our calculation would be: 3*10/2=~15 KWh

As for the gas usage i woudn't day is too much. The efficiency of a good back boiler is comparable to the open flued one, and is ~10-15% less than a balanced flue one.

Before doing boiler replacement I would make sure ALL WALLs and ceilings are WELL insulated...

Also I would go for systems boiler (keep the HW tank or replace it with unvented one), than the combi, unless you've got a fireengines level flow rate from your's mains feed... The combis usually are less reliable than the good systems/heat only boilers. And tend to be more expensive in the long run (including service/repairs), than the HW cyl + heat only/systems one.

 

[plumber0808]

Also I would go for systems boiler (keep the HW tank or replace it with unvented one), than the combi, unless you've got a fireengines level flow rate from your's mains feed... The combis usually are less reliable than .

Eh? You need a good flow rate for a unvented cylinder?? They also want the airing cupboard space.

 

[Rob Sale]

Just being devils advocate here, the op should maybe swap it straight swap for the new high efficiency baxi bemuda boiler.

 

[Mike Jackson]

Still doesn't free up the airing cupboard and the cost of getting those special liners down the flue is a fortune.

 

[Piecan]

Thanks I did ask about the Baxi condensing back boiler but yes you need a special flue liner and then the condensate pipe has to be run out through the living room wall. Another reason for dumping it is that I've heard from the neighbour that the previous occupant had nothing but trouble with this existing boiler, British Gas have been round so often they may has well have moved in apparently. I'm getting everything decorated and when a bathroom will be fitted upstairs all the walls will be internally insulated to current requirements, as either side the bedroom walls are dwaft walls and sloping bits as they are in the chalet roof.

When I get a new boiler I will continue to take out insurance cover which includes an annual service. I do prefer system boilers usually but don't want water tanks in the tiny not very accessible loft and a combi will take up less room. I will take good care of her and maybe she will play nice and not break down on me.

 

[TBServices]

When I get a new boiler I will continue to take out insurance cover

Waste of time and money.

which includes an annual service.

No it doesn't.

I do prefer system boilers usually but don't want water tanks in the tiny not very accessible loft and a combi will take up less room. I will take good care of her and maybe she will play nice and not break down on me.

If you want to take care of your boiler have it serviced every year by a professional that will follow the MI's, not just stick a probe in the flue and call it a service like Centrica (British Gas)

 

[Piecan]

Waste of time and money.



No it doesn't.



If you want to take care of your boiler have it serviced every year by a professional that will follow the MI's, not just stick a probe in the flue and call it a service like Centrica (British Gas)

I've always had insurance that's included an annual service. It came in very handy when things went wrong on my previous old boiler. It was through servo warm which I think then became through home serve. I don't use British Gas. Maybe the boiler needs servicing properly, just hope I can get it changed soon..not really worth spending money on something that's going to be ripped out.

 

[plumber0808]

There is no need to insure a boiler under warranty, for the first 5 years bank the money.
i know you are not going with BG service contract but an example: they fit a boiler then try to sell a service contract after a year even though it is covered, so they charge you x amount for something you will already have with the manufacturer