What system do I have?

JohnD said:

I am not a gasman.

Doing the cylinder properly would cut your gas bills at once, and would be cheaper than buying a new boiler. By upgrading the controls you should be able to make you house more comfortable as well as saving energy. Perhaps you don't have a room stat and some of your radiators come on whenever you want to heat the cylinder. That should also be fixed. Perhaps you don't have a timer.

If it is not convenient to buy a new boiler straight away I would get the cylinder done while you get the money together or make up your mind.

Sooner or later your boiler will break down and not be worth repairing, and you can't delay any longer. But I see your cylinder has an immersion heater you can use for hot water if the boiler is out of action so it will not be a catastrophe.

Opinions differ, but a combi is less suitable the more people you have in your house who might turn taps on or flush WCs at the same time.

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Total rubbish , get some professional quotes and make up your own mind

Well I've had a plumber come up and he has suggested an ideal logic plus or vogue Combi boiler 35kw

Is this a good boiler?

ash1212002 said:

Does that mean what's been fitted to the cylinder is ok?

Not sure whether to replace the complete system for a combi or just replace the boiler and keep the cylinder

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I would consider keeping the existing boiler for the time being, and modding the system downstream of the pump. Convert to S-plan (2 motorised valves) or W or Y-plan (3-port diverter valve), and a conventional strap-on cylinder stat.
From your pics that doesn't look too hard from a plumbing viewpoint. There'd be some wiring mods, but can't tell how easy it would be running cables round your house.

fixitflav said:

I would consider keeping the existing boiler for the time being, and modding the system downstream of the pump. Convert to S-plan (2 motorised valves) or W or Y-plan (3-port diverter valve), and a conventional strap-on cylinder stat.
From your pics that doesn't look too hard from a plumbing viewpoint. Ther'd be some wiring mods, but can't tell how easy it would be running cables round your house.

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What's the difference between S W or Y plan?

Out of the three what would you recommend and why?

Would the above type of system be better than a combi?

ash1212002 said:

What's the difference between S W or Y plan?

Out of the three what would you recommend and why?

Would the above type of system be better than a combi?

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S-plan has two 2-port motorised valves, one for CH, one for HW. When CH or HW is called, by the relevant stat, the valve opens. To avoid risk of pump and boiler being dead-headed due to a valve failing closed, the pump and boiler are switched by a microswitch in each valve, switch closed when valve fully open, rather than direct from the stats. This makes the wiring a bit more complicated. If both CH and HW are called, both circuits get flow.

W and Y-plan both use a 3-port diverter valve. W-plan is either CH or HW, not both, and HW has preference. Y-plan has a mid-position valve so both circuits at once can get flow. Body of the valve is the same, just different actuators. Because of the valve design it's impossible for both ports to be closed at once, so the pump and boiler are powered directly via the stats. I've always had W-plan and never found HW preference a problem, even with 5 people in the house and plenty of baths happening. W-plan valve is simpler and maybe more reliable.

Also if you ever go in for weather compensation, where in effect the boiler control-stat setting is reduced when outside temperature is higher, to improve economy (more condensation) this is only in CH mode. As the reduced control-stat setting might be below the cylinder stat setting, it clearly wouldn't do the job, so it reverts to normal control-stat setting in HW mode, and the system works in either/or mode, making a mid-position valve superfluous.

Personally I prefer a heat-only boiler to a combi, for one thing HW cylinder with immersion means you still have HW if there's a problem with the boiler. And with the various items being separate it could be easier to diagnose and fix any problem. Installing a combi likely to mean more upheaval than my suggestion.

fixitflav said:

I would consider keeping the existing boiler for the time being, and modding the system downstream of the pump. Convert to S-plan (2 motorised valves) or W or Y-plan (3-port diverter valve), and a conventional strap-on cylinder stat.
From your pics that doesn't look too hard from a plumbing viewpoint. There'd be some wiring mods, but can't tell how easy it would be running cables round your house.

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Apologies for the delay, thanks for the useful info

If i were to keep the existing system, the upgrades you mention are these something I could do myself?