Heater / Boiler Options for Replacement

[hartnellg]

Heater / Boiler Options for Replacement

We are in the process of buying a house to pass onto our children when they are older
At present the house is rented out
As a result we have an annual maintenance and inspection certificate
This is carried out by a national company that does both gas and electrical inspections

Recently we had a boiler problem in our own house and I looked into insurance to cover the boiler(s) for the rented property
I found I could not get insurance because of a number of things, but principally:
1) the boiler(s) are over 15 years old
2) only one boiler/heater would be covered

The heater / boiler is:
Space Heater: Johnson and Starley J15-22 Mk III Warm Air heater (MODAIRFLOW)
Water Heater: Johnson and Starley Janus 3 circulator water heater
- and these are located adjacent to one another

The house was built in 1988 with the above heater/boiler, so they are approaching 20 years old
The property is a two bedroom end terrace
Space heating is provided by the J15-22 Mk III with warm air ducted to each room
Hot water is provided by the Janus 3 to a hot water tank which also has an electric immersion heater as a backup

I do not have any idea about the reliability of these items:
- should I be thinking about replacing them before they fail ?
- what are my options for replacement ?

I would welcome any advice on the options which might be any of:
a) replace the whole system with a single boiler and radiators
b) get a replacement equivalent heater / boiler combination
c) do nothing and get a local plumber to repair when it breaks down

Is it possible to get a single heater / boiler which will heat both the air and water ?

I really don't know where to start looking, so any advice will be welcome

Thanks for reading this and any advice

 

[D_Hailsham]

We are in the process of buying a house

Have you had an independent survey on the boiler/central heating?
Have you signed the contract to purchase the house?

If No to both, get one done asap, then use the info to negotiate a reduction in price.

 

[simond]

The warm air system you have in this property is entirely normal.

Millions were fitted in their heyday and they remain amongst the most efficient forms of heating available.

I commonly have customers tell me that warm air is outdated but I then feel the need to remind them that most of their shopping and working is carried out in new buildings fitted with blown air heating and cooling.

The J&S equipment should be annually serviced by a heating professional. The water heater is an option but is normally fitted within the casing of the warm air heater proper.

Your J&S heater can very easily be replaced when the time comes with a new unit. None of the warm air ductwork normally needs to be touched.

I would have the unit inspected by a local specialist (Johnson & Starley keep a list) and expect it to die sometime in the next 5 years. At this age it is rarely worth changing a big item like a fan or heat exchanger.

Expect the entire replacement cost to be in the region of £2-£2.5K (excluding the hot water cylinder). And stop worrying.

 

[ChrisR]

It does depend how the t were installed though.
Often they were used because they were cheap, and you get a cheap installation with all the outlet grilles ("registers") in the middle of the house which is the worst place for them. If that's the case, they aren't nice to live with at all.
I'm with Simon that Warm Air done properly can be superb, but they're like chalk and cheese.