Central heating system -change over...?unbiased advice needed.....

[Whitehall]

I currently have an ancient boiler, no problems but no longer effcient I suspect. It is apparently a ' single pipe top fill, open vented no return system'.
The boiler is floor placed in a kitchen corner,-- with supporting hot water (with immersion heater) and cold tanks in one of the bedrooms, the ground floor of the house is concrete. The shower is electric, and connected to the mains water pipe in the bathroom.

I have been informed by a power company that I would have to have a new system, with new pipes and raidiators - if they fitted a new boiler, which would be wall mounted. It seems that the old pipes would be drained and sealed and the new ones placed around the skirting boards, and down the walls.

Is there an alternative to all this work and disruption? just another boiler, and perhaps a couple of new radiators?

 

[Rodreguez]

sorry if you got a one pipe system a new condensing boiler will not work properly or to max efficiency because return temps would be too high. also unless you want concrete floor taken up the pipes will have to be surface mounted but can be boxed in.

 

[Whitehall]

Yes I think I got that point that they made, but I forgot to ask if there was other options in boiler types.

Are there no alternatives to a condensing boiler? Is that the only one made for domestic use these days?

Thank you for replying

 

[Centralheatking]

Installing what is essentially a new system into a solid ground floor building will mean surface pipes if you do not want the floor dug up.
HOWEVER the visual intrusion can be minimised by
1. Carefully choosing rad positions and back to backing the rads each side of a wall
2. Bringing the drop feed pipes down in white plastic (electrical type) trunking behind the side the door opens against the wall

I personally dont rate condensing boilers - over complicated and the efficiency is i think debatable - one can still get
non condensers - they are still made and if it was my house would stuff the rules and get a non condenser.

if you want some more ideas i will post more

centralheatking

 

[cjg]

the other way but it takes more time , is to cut /chisel into the wall all the way to rad points, put trunking in , lay pipes cap and plaster if deep enough, other wise its sleaved pipes into concrete floor, all boilers are to be condencing as in line with REGS, BUT there are exemptions you will have to check with local council, hope that helps a little

 

[Rodreguez]

there is a point scoring system to fit non condensing boiler but this is rare to fulfill

 

[Whitehall]

Thank you, I guessed there was going to be some difficulty, although one of my neighbours had a non condensing boiler fitted a couple of years back, I guess they have twisted the knot since then....

what would I do if I wanted an electric system only, I suppose there must be something for flats etc...or places ---even new houses-- where gas is not on line ? Do they use immersion heaters and storage type radiators? I have gas only for the heating at the moment.

 

[cjg]

if you go for electric storage heaters then you have to guess what the weather is going to do tomorow , also you will need to change your leccy meter over to e7, and have cables routed to each one, also the leccy used during the day is more £ than what you use at night, times pending ie 9.30 to 6.30am look in to it, hope that helps a little

 

[Whitehall]

Thank you all for your advice. The power company has quoted 4400 to replace the system,
I dont know if that includes the removal of the 'dead' tanks, or just sealing them off.
It does includes a new boiler, Worcester greenstar 28i junior combi, and 7 radiators.
and I presume the new pipes etc.

Currently the bill for heating only (Gas) is 625 per year on this old -still working- system.
which as we are old we need on most days in the winter. The damp is problem in this area.-gets into your bones....
I guess it will all depend on which options are open to me locally, from other suppliers.

Thank you all again, I will go away and think about it all.

 

[dontknowitall]

One area that creates difficulties is the rubbish. If you've not done this already you need to establish whether that quote includes removal of the old boiler and radiators, pipework, cistern(s) etc. Bear in mind that a skip costs say £200 and most of the refuse will fit into one skip. Also bear in mind that if they take the metal they'll probably sell it for profit. If you're so inclined, you can sell the scrap metal yourself!!

Another point is to ask how long the job will take and see if the quote looks and "feels" about right. Difficult to say without seeing the situation but my guess is your quote would take two men one week (one day per radiator, two for the boiler and one "just in case" day = 10 days, 2 people 5 days). This is based on digging floors up and hiding as much pipework as possible but with no chasing pipes into walls.

If it's of any comfort, renewing central heating is never a pleasant activity for a householder - but us plumbers love it!!

 

[Rodreguez]

if you want electric could go all out and go for retrofitting an air source heat pump this should lower bills significally! worth getting a price if your interested!

 

[Whitehall]

Oh God........this must be where I volunteer for community service abroad. But thank you anyway.

 

[easyt]

there is a point scoring system to fit non condensing boiler but this is rare to fulfill

Rare but not impossible. More likely with an oil boiler though.

Worth looking at http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_PTL_CONDBOILER.pdf

 

[Rodreguez]

Oh God........this must be where I volunteer for community service abroad. But thank you anyway.

what do u mean?

 

[easyt]

what do u mean?

Probably somewhere warm.

 

[Rodreguez]

Probably somewhere warm.

got ya!