back boiler to combi boiler

[diy_fun_uk]

i know this kind of question is in the 'how long's a piece of string' bracket, but can any of you guys give me a ballpark in terms of how much it would cost to change from a back boiler to a combi boiler? the back boiler is situated in the lounge and serves the radiators and provides hot water via storage cylinder. i'd want the combi boiler installed in the adjacent kitchen (through the wall basically) and it's a 2 bed flat (reception hall, lounge, 2 bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom) 68m2 gross internal floor area. i wouldn't be looking for any of the existing pipework to be replaced other than as necessary to complete the works. the gas meter is located in the kitchen. it's an upstairs flat built in the 30's, and the flooring is likely joists with wooden floorboards.

so, in short, install a new combi in the kitchen with electronic control and route new piping as required, decommission and remove back boiler. in terms of the combi boiler, not the cheapest and not the most expensive, middle of the road.

rough idea £££ wise? also i'm in scotland if it has any bearing in terms of charges.

 

[Belboz]

AAMOI, Why are you getting rid of the back boiler and cylinder?

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

one Milliooooooooooooooooon Dollaaaaaaaaaaaaaarssss

 

[kidgreen61]

Ballpark figure £3500

 

[diy_fun_uk]

AAMOI, Why are you getting rid of the back boiler and cylinder?

Property i'm maybe buying to let out, back boiler listed as very old on home report although haven't been to view yet so can't comment on make/model. 'If' it is ancient i might take opportunity of place being empty and get new combi installed.

 

[flameport]

Property i'm maybe buying to let out, back boiler listed as very old on home report

Combi boiler + tenants = bad idea.
When it breaks, they will have no hot water or heating. This could be at 4pm on 24 December.

Old doesn't mean useless or dangerous. Properly maintained, the back boiler will outlast any modern combi effort.

 

[Belboz]

Property i'm maybe buying to let out, back boiler listed as very old on home report

Combi boiler + tenants = bad idea.
When it breaks, they will have no hot water or heating. This could be at 4pm on 24 December.

Old doesn't mean useless or dangerous. Properly maintained, the back boiler will outlast any modern combi effort.

Have to agree with the above hence me asking why you are getting rid of it.

Properly maintained and serviced, most back boilers are real workhorses and the biggest issue with combi replacements IS the lack of a backup.

You can guarantee that the time the combi breaks down will be the busiest time of year for combi engineers.

If it was BG who suggested the back boiler was ancient then take that with a pinch of salt. They say anything over a couple of years old is ancient.

If the cylinder and boiler are working fine and well-maintained, I 'd be keeping them.

All the above is just IMHO though.

 

[petit_pablo]

Down sides to back boiler in a tenanted house.
Vents get blocked over, they're inefficient, most tenants want a combi "cos they're better innit!", more of a pita to do a gas safety cert on compared to a modern boiler, the fires are ugly.

Get it changed whilst you can.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Ballpark figure £3500

Agreed.

It may be worth checking for grants with Energy Saving Trust - a few years ago my then landlord got a grant (only a few hundred pounds, but better than nothing) towards doing this in a private rented property.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

thanks all for replies.

no wasn't BG that said 'it's old' i'm only going by the home report at present and won't know make/model until i view property. although knowing these properties i suspect it'll be old/very old.

i take on board what you're saying re: it's a workhorse and, properly maintained, will go on forever. the boiler in my own property is ancient (stelrad ideal mexico) however i get it serviced annually and, touch wood, it keeps on going. if i buy the place, i'm just thinking from the point of view of taking the opportunity of no tenants in to get the work done and, although an expensive way to avoid this, will avoid any 'it's noisy' complaints from tenants.

i have combi's in my other two properties and have them on BG service care so when they go wrong BG is pretty good at sending engineers out quickly and 24/7 if the need arises.

if i go back for second viewing i'll prob arrange for a heating engineer to come out with me to give it the once over and advise me.

thanks again.

 

[OwainDIYer]

The ventilation requirements on open flued appliances are getting stricter and in my experiences gas fitters are getting a lot more cautious about the quality of the builder's opening into which the boiler is fitted; I've known two flats where the boilers after many years service and gas safety certificates have degraded from 'no comment' to 'not current standards' to 'at risk'. All due to poor quality brickwork in the builders opening.

From a rental point of view I understand that two items 'NCS' means the installation is classed 'at risk' which is a failure for a rented property.

Therefore you should not assume that even a current gas safety certificate means it would continue to get passed each year.