old boiler

[jacks]

I have a gloworm gas boiler, about 12 years old. One plumber said it was leaking and would need to be replaced with these combi types... but I wonder if it can be fixed... it whistles and fizzes quite a bit when the heating is on and sometimes the pilot cuts out when it's running and cant be relit.
Is it fixable or should I replace it?

 

[Bahco]

I had a boiler 12 yrs old that was playing up.
I chose to replace rather than throw good money on repairs.

 

[oilman]

My mother has an old gas boiler. She was told it need replacing along with some of the pipework. It was banging so much the house was in danger of falling down. It also had ignition problems. A gas guy fixed the ignition for around £100, and I powerflushed the system and cleared the feed pipe blockage. Over the months, the boiler quietened down completely.

It was a site cheaper than getting a new one, and being a large cast iron simple boiler is more reliable than these tiny modern things. Also beware the combi. Look up other posts about these things, I do only oil, but combis are a great way of earning loads of money. They may not suit your water supply or your situation. If you want to buy one knowing that, that's your decision, don't say you weren't warned.

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

yaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

 

[oilman]

yaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

There's nothing like a useful comment is there?

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

yaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnn

 

[oilman]

You're obviously tired. Try sleeping. That is of course unless you are being deliberately rude. I don't see what benefit you get from it, but I suppose you know.

Time after time I come across people who complain about having got the wrong boiler (and it's usually a combi), perhaps you could explain what you seem to think is wrong in giving some information before they get one.

 

[shaggy]

Let me explain oilman. You have already rightly pointed out that combi boilers earn gas engineers a lot of money and PVMan is one of them. From reading his posts he is very knowledgeable and I'm sure he does a good job. However, Glow-Worm have made some excellent boilers with long lasting cast iron heat exchangers such as the Space-Saver wall mounted and 45-60 floor mounted ones. You can still get most of the parts, certainly a gas valve if you should need one. I'm not sure about the heat exchanger but they last a long time. The gas engineer will tell you it's only 70% efficient but compare your gas bill over 15 years to the service bills for constantly having a combi repaired that will only last 5 years anyway and it's no contest.

 

[oilman]

Shaggy thanks for your post, but which one wins the contest? For oil boilers, the cost of repairs don't justify a replacement until the water jacket starts leaking. Despite that, when you get to combies, some individuals are ok, while some cause problem after problem. Most of it is associated with all the heating system components running at a higher temperature than if they were seperate units. This applies to oil pumps too. Pumps on the HRM Wallstar are in a cooler place than most internally mounted boilers, and last a surprisingly long time.

 

[kevplumb]

anybody want my old boiler she dont half make a noise if she gets to hot

 

[shaggy]

Kev, are you refering to your wife?
Oilman, there isn't a contest. If the old Glow-Worm lasts 25 years with very few replacement parts needed(and it could last longer), then compare that to the cost of constant repairs to the combi and several replacement boilers in that time. The combi boiler may have a place in a block of flats where space is tight but otherwise there is not a lot going for it.
Perhaps PVMan will have a different view.

 

[kevplumb]

pulled a floor stander out last week to fit a combi

only electrics basic sloenoid valve

gas train consisted of basic ffd and relay valve coupled to large lump of cast iron plodding away merrilly customers son decided they needed a combi
shaggy yes

as engelbert sang please release me

 

[kevplumb]

ps the gas train now resides at our local college so in four years might be playing with my donation

 

[oilman]

shaggy, I thought that was what you meant, (but I couldn't be sure as you mentioned 70% and possible gas savings). There is the same problem with oil combies, expensive to maintain, etc, etc (but then you'll possibly have noticed a few of my posts showing my views on combies.)

 

[shaggy]

Yes, I said that the old boiler may only be 70% efficient and the selling point of the new one would be that it will be over 90% efficient. That's very tempting because it will use less gas, but long term, considering the repair bills and replacement costs every few years, then it will be more expensive.