Advice on replacing 2 boilers please

[steshaw74]

Hello there.
I'm looking to purchase an old 3 bed house house that currently has 2 boilers - one for hot water and another for the central heating. The house would be a full renovation which would mean easy straightforward access for fitters (I'd hope!).

What I would like to do is replace both old boilers with a single efficient new one, however, being a numpty I am wondering what pitfalls there are to this and is there anything I should consider first.

A few things I can think of......

1) Is it likely that there will be 2 gas feeds(the boilers are only placed 4 foot apart)? If so, would that cause a problem when consolodating to one boiler?

2) Would having 2 boilers mean that there is already double the pipework running through the house? And if so, would it be best for a fitter to rip all of that out and start again with new pipework for the GSH and water from a new single boiler?

Anything else you guys can think of?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Bahco]

I would only put 1 boiler in a 3 bed house.

If I was staying in the house for many years I would rip all the old pipework and rads out and renew the lot.

2 boilers

 

[htgeng]

I would only put 1 boiler in a 3 bed house.
2 boilers

Don't you know thats Dr Drivels previous house?

 

[Bahco]

No , it would have an unvented cylinder in every room if it was his!

 

[Agile]

Don't you know thats Dr Drivels previous house?

Are they both Broag then?

 

[steshaw74]

Do I sense an injoke hijacking my thread

I'd be more inclined to have someone take out the 2 old boilers and the existing pipework and start from scratch.

However, I'm just wondering if anyone knows of any pitfalls to doing it that way and what probs are associated with cutting off the gas supply to the redundant boiler location?

And, concerned of "removal of existing boiler and pipes & complete new installation cost" Vs "removal of 2 boilers, and adding a new boiler using existing pipework"!!! Minefield!

 

[Aquaheat]

Are you sure that it is 2 boilers and not 1 boiler and 1 instantaneous water heater?

Do you have a hot water cylinder?

If one is a water heater then as you say they are only 4 feet apart then depending on pipe runs converting to a combi would be pretty straight forward. Would have to increase gas pipework to 22mm minimum and allow for condensate pipework but everything else should be similar.

If you have a cylinder then you could either look at converting to combi but the amount of hassle with pipework would be hard to say without looking at it, or you could convert system to Y plan and install a system boiler. Again pipework issues are hard to say without looking.

If you can clarify the whole system a little more, controls etc then that would help people to give you a clearer answer.

If the system really is that old then you may find it more cost effective to rip it all out and start from scratch. This would also benefit you as you could put everything where you want it to begin with

 

[steshaw74]

jonjb,

Thanks for the advice and suggestions for further info. I an currently bidding on the house and hope to make another visit there next week. I'll let you know what I find regarding: cylinder; water heater and size of pipework.

However, the house is in a bit of a state and it would be nice to rip out the existing and start from scratch.

 

[Agile]

Its all normal business for a competent CORGI to do.

Cost probably in the region of about £3k-£5k to replace everything new.

Tony

 

[Bahco]

Not another landlord hoping for a cheap installation!

 

[steshaw74]

Not another landlord hoping for a cheap installation!

I wish!
I fall in the "another Joe Bloggs who can't afford a decent place" category!

 

[htgeng]

I an currently bidding on the house and hope to make another visit there next week. I'll let you know what I find regarding: cylinder; water heater and size of pipework.

A picture is better than a thousand words, so please take a camera with you and take some snaps of those boilers and pipework! The agents shouldn't care if you do that.

 

[Aquaheat]

I would say that the most likely situation would be that there would be a boiler to service the heating and an instantaneous water heater.

This is just going by the comment that there is 2 gas boilers. There are still quite a few of these set ups dotted about brum.

I don't think that there is a time where i have seen 2 seperate boilers running htg + dhw seperatly in a domestic situation. (should say small domestic situation as there are a few large houses 6+ bedrooms that run andrew water heaters and a heating boiler ssshhhhhhhhhhhh dont tel BB!)

As Tony (Agile) has previously stated as have yourself and I, the best bet in a situation that old would be to start from scratch. It would be cheaper in the long run than trying to convert existing to work and being disappointed, if it works correctly at all.

 

[BigBurner]

If it is a multi-point and boiler then fit the Rinnai TwinFlow
http://www.rinnaiuk.com/
http://www.rinnaiuk.com/Updates-18-09-08/A4 Twin Flow.pdf

The CH boiler is actually an Atag bought in. Rinnai do the multi-point part and package it all up.

 

[Aquaheat]

BORED!!