Help! Refurb or replace old boiler!

[CK2 Helen]

Hi we have just bought a house and are doing it up right through ... the boiler is quite old the surveyor reported the following:

Heating
Central heating is provided by a Glow worm floor standing boiler in the hall cupboard.
The system was not operating at the time of inspection and no comment can be made on its effectiveness.
The boiler is an old unit and will therefore, require more frequent repair than a modern one. There may also be difficulty in obtaining spares.
The central heating pipes are laid within the concrete floor and unless these are properly protected against corrosion, they may suffer early failure and leak. Whilst no obvious signs of damp were found, regular checks of the pipework should be made.
The radiators are also dated which may affect the efficiency of the system.
Hot water is provided by an Elson tank located on the first floor. This will be an expensive form of providing hot water and you may wish to consider upgrading this.In view of our findings we recommend that you arrange for a local plumbing and heating contractor to carry out full operational tests in order to advise you of the efficiency of domestic plumbing and heating systems together with an assessment of the costs and any repairs, modifications or improvements. [/i]

Based on this we had a corgi registered man come in and he said to save money etc we could just refurbish the current boiler for around £200 ... obviously a lot cheaper than putting in a combi - however we are worried it is a false economy??

Can anyone advise if this is a sensible option and safe etc?! Any advice at all would be greatly welcomed!

Thanks

Helen

 

[twgas]

if rest of house is having makeover then a new boiler now would make sense to me, whether you have a combi or heat only and keep hot water tank is your decision

 

[CK2 Helen]

thanks for the advice!

Would it be safe for it to be refurb - its just we cant really afford to do up rest of house and the boiler that's the big problem!! So its new boiler and finish house in a year or finish house all off and refurb!!!!!!


Thanks,

 

[twgas]

cant comment on safety of your boiler as havent seen it, to test seals, flue, ventilation etc.

 

[Agile]

My advice would be to repair old boiler for the moment and replace it in a year or two, should be about £84 max to check and replace thermocouple and free up pump.!

BUT do replace the hot water cylinder if it cannot be heated by the boiler. Heating water electricially is VERY expensive!

It will probably need a new cylinder and some pipework but make sure you get an immersioin heater fitted to the new one to give hot water while the new boiler is being fitted.

Tony

 

[CK2 Helen]

thanks for the advice that's really helpful!

 

[tonybhoy]

Never fails to amaze me when people spend thousands of pounds doing up a house ,neglect the plumbing/heating/system/boiler then expect it to work for years and to be kept going for peanuts.

I would read that surveyor's report again very carefully If I were you otherwise in a years time all of that money you will be spending on doing your gaff up will be wasted cause you will have to rip the house apart to fit a new heating system.

I was fitting Elson tanks over 25 years ago and they were crap then with hardly any hot water from them to fill a bath so God only knows what an old one is like is these days.

Heating pipes buried under concrete in the house,seriously?

Bite the bullet and spend the money on yer heating system now not next year or the year after or after that.

I've known people move house rather than face the prospect of having to renew a heating system.

God only knows why but there's 'nowt as queer as folk'.

 

[Agile]

In a few years time they will be saying they cannot change the old radiators because the house has all been redecorated!!!

I agree, people will spend over £300,000 on buying the house and then say they cannot afford a new boiler and then drive off in their 4X4 !!!

Tony

 

[CK2 Helen]

Well my house didnt cost any where near 300k, i'm a first time buyer trying to get on the property ladder! I certainly dont have an expensive 4x4 either!!

I just want a nice house in an ok area for what i can afford that's all!

I'm not trying to cut corners at all, i was just wanting some advice as to whether it was acceptable to refurb the boiler! One corgi person has said they will give me certificate and guarantee the parts and that so thinking about that quite seriously.

Thanks for your advice though.

 

[sooey]

I agree with tonybhoy, there's no sense in spending all your money decorating now, only to mess it up when you have a new system installed (which will be sooner rather than later by the sound of it). Or are you going to be yet another one of those people who gets the house beautiful and then expects all new pipework, rads etc. etc. to be installed without any disruption to your cream coloured carpets and laminate floors. Sort the heating out first, at least you'll be nice and warm while you're saving for everything else.

 

[tonybhoy]

In a few years time they will be saying they cannot change the old radiators because the house has all been redecorated!!!

I agree, people will spend over £300,000 on buying the house and then say they cannot afford a new boiler and then drive off in their 4X4 !!!

Tony

Yep,I've seen people spend thousands on a new kitchen built round and old Ideal E type that you can't get near to change a thermocouple cause it is inside a kitchen cupboard without it's casing then they ask you 'is it safe?'and 'how long will it last?'

 

[tonybhoy]

I agree with tonybhoy, there's no sense in spending all your money decorating now, only to mess it up when you have a new system installed (which will be sooner rather than later by the sound of it). Or are you going to be yet another one of those people who gets the house beautiful and then expects all new pipework, rads etc. etc. to be installed without any disruption to your cream coloured carpets and laminate floors. Sort the heating out first, at least you'll be nice and warm while you're saving for everything else.

Better still move a 60 year old in

 

[Agile]

Better still move a 60 year old in

Try Rent a Granny !

Tony

 

[twgas]

Try Rent a Granny !

Tony

think you can get a good price from "granny-o-gram"

 

[tonybhoy]

Better still move a 60 year old in

Try Rent a Granny !

Tony

Linky?