Boiler Worth Replacing, or Leave it until it dies

[Giblets46]

Hi all, I've got an old Ravenheat 820/20 24KW boiler (74.5% energy efficiency E). 3 bed victorian flat (high ceilings), two bathrooms with showers.

It is still working, but it leaks (from within), leave a small tuperware container under it (about 2/300ml month over the winter, fine over summer!), I got a quote a three years ago when I got it serviced to repair this (the guy said it wouldn't last the winter think this will be the third/fourth since then), quote to repair was £700. I just left the leak

Now in a position to buy a new boiler, but wondering if I should just let it run and die, or buy a new one and appreciate the energy savings (and hopefully it heating everything a bit quicker).

A couple of Q's though, I've mostly microbore running round the house, will this affect the boiler I will be looking at.
Also should I keep with a 24kw system, or is it worth upgrading at all (radiators & showers seem hot enough, so guess that answers the question).
For a plug and play replacement, what is a good ball park figure?
Many thanks

 

[HERTS P&D]

If you wait until it dies.

What will happen if it dies on 23rd Dec?

What will happen if it dies on the coldest week/month of the year?

Answer: Who ever fixes or replaces it will be charging you a MUCH higher price.

Andy

 

[SimonH2]

If you are confident it will last the winter, then consider changing it in summer. Few are thinking about their heating during summer, so from various comments in here, the trade is quiet. In autumn, everything breaks down when people switch stuff on that's been off for months (so the trade is busy), and then things get busier still when the first proper cold happens and heating is properly stressed.

So, when do you think you'll get the best deal - and find a tradesman with the time to do the job properly ?

As HERTSDRAINAGE2010 says, you need to weigh up the risks and make a choice. If it does break down, it's not likely to wait until it's nice and warm ! Do you live alone (and can manage a bit of cold), or do you have others to consider - the WAF* for a failed heating system in the depths of winter can be pretty low, and young children/old people are quite vulnerable.
* Wife Acceptance Factor

But that does depend a lot of what the problems are. Our old boiler was a really ancient thing, size of a washing machine and floor standing. At some point BG announced that spares were getting hard to get, and the heat exchanger in particular was no longer available - so they couldn't provide a guaranteed fix under contract. I recall dad taking the thing apart at one stage (the cast iron HE was leaking at the joints), drilling out what was left of the studs, and reassembling it - it lasted a good few years after that, and I don't recall it breaking down at all. Something like 9-10 years ago we had a new fangled condensing boiler fitted (Ideal Icos M3080) - it's broken down on average about once per 2 years and had most parts changed.