I think it is time I changed this boiler

[Razi]

At last I have decided to change our Vaillant TURBOmax 242e. I had its diverter valve changed in January at the cost of £180 but the new valve lasted less then a month. The boiler itself is exactly ten years old now and I am reluctant to spend more money on it. We bought the house 3 years ago and the boiler was always shaky with no service records and no signs of any maintenance. With the warm days upon us, it becomes more and more difficult to have even a shower as the whole house becomes hot when heating has to be turned on in order for us to get hot water.

I am thinking of getting a Worcester Bosch 28i boiler fitted. Ours is a 3 bedroom end terrace house with old aluminum double glazing which is far from good. There are three large (double) radiators and five small radiators including the towel rail in the only bathroom that we have. Will a Bosch 28i Condensing boiler be enough for us?

 

[EliteHeat]

The WB will give you a tiny bit more hot water than you previously had. So, if you were happy with your hot water delivery before (when you could get it) then your choice is fine.

Personally, I would go for a Vaillant 831 or 837 if you have both decent water and gas supplies.

 

[Agile]

I would have thought that if it really was a new valve fitted then you should have called back whoever fitted it for you.

They should last at least 5 years !!!

Its still a lot cheaper to repair the old boiler and there are still a lot of them in use and most people see them as still quite repairable.

Tony

 

[EliteHeat]

Don't listen to Agile, he fixes boilers for a living! you were right all along, replace the old clunker.

I have absolutely no vested interest in this whatsoever. Incidentally, I install boilers and service the London area

 

[BlueLightning]

Hi Razi,

IMHO the Worcester Bosch product is better than Vaillant...you can get a 10 year warranty on the primary heat exchanger.

Worcester Bosch have a boiler Greenstar 30Si which might suit you better than the 28i Junior you mentioned. It has the same output to central heating but a 30kW output to hot water. This gives a flow of 12.3 l/min, but this can be increased by reducing the temperature rise from the cold main by less than 35deg. You'll find this useful in summer and the cold main is warmer and you probably won't need a 35deg rise which would tend to make the water too hot. The boiler has a contron on it to allow you to do this, but the 28i Junior hasn't.

More info here: http://www.worcesterbosch.co.uk/index.php?fuseaction=product.home&con_id=125934

If you need a bigger output then the Worcester Bosch Greenstar 37CDi is excellent but quite pricey.

Another boiler well worth considering is the Broag Remeha Avanta Plus 28c or 35c. These boilers are well manufactured with stainless steel heat exchangers and are very good value
http://www.avantaplus.com/
I've got a 35c myself and it's brilliant.

The installer from the London area probably installs Vaillant boilers, hence his recommendation I'm a heating consultant in Lancashire, so I won't be wanting to sell or install anything for you.[/code]

 

[simond]

For what it's worth, we have found the failure rate within our 3-5 yr warranty period as being higher with the Bosch, at the moment. Its a good product but the Vaillant has been more reliable in our installed base.

 

[Soggy_weetabix]

As a service engineer I totally agree with Tony.

I give 12 months warranty on parts I change as I know Ive repaired the fault.

That is a good boiler worth repairing.

Anyone who wants to sell you a new boiler on that basis is an installer and looking for work.

David

 

[EliteHeat]

Anyone who wants to sell you a new boiler on that basis is an installer and looking for work.

David

Does the word irony mean anything to you?

 

[corgiman]

Anyone who wants to sell you a new boiler on that basis is an installer and looking for work.

David

Does the word irony mean anything to you?

Oh Oh I know Heat

Its what the lovely Mrs CM uses to press my shirties

 

[Rob]

Anyone who wants to sell you a new boiler on that basis is an installer and looking for work.

David

Does the word irony mean anything to you?

Oh Oh I know Heat

Its what the lovely Mrs CM uses to press my shirties

lol

p.s repair the boiler

 

[corgiman]

I concur

 

[ACOperson]

As an installation engineer who used to only service/repair boilers I'd probably agree with Mike here. The Vaillant is probably perfectly repairable and of course a decent boiler, but no-one can give a 12 month warranty on the whole boiler if they have only replaced one single part of it.

How gutted will this guy be if he pays £200-£500 on a diverter valve change (London rates including VAT and parts & depending on who you go with), and then 6 months later the fan goes? It would be nothing to do with the engineer who replaced the diverter, but he might feel aggrieved to pay another £300-£500 in the same year.

I know this is all if's and but's, but it is a perfectly feasable situation.

I'd change for a Vaillant or Worcester, Broag, Atag or Viessmann get a well reccommended installer who will give a minimum of 2 years warranty on the installation and then sit back and enjoy my neater, quieter and cheaper to run new boiler!

 

[Agile]

How many fans have you ever changed on one of those Paul?

He does not have to pay Reactfast repair rates to change the fan either.

There are many like us who would be charging about £160 to replace the fan. However I have never needed to replace one so its not a commonly failing part on that model ( unlike many Worcester fans! ).

Yes, I have changed quite a few diverter valves but never a fan!

Tony

 

[Razi]

So should I change the diverter valve (again!) but they'll have to drain the system and at least put inhibitor. The radiators are around five years old, pipework is older and may need power flush. I can see the costs of repairs spiraling upwards. If with a power flush (which is between £250-£290), and changed diverter valve, the repair costs around £400, is it still worth repairing it?

Thanks for all the replies. Helpful as usual. You guys are great!

 

[Razi]

I have been quoted £1870 for the following:

*
WORCESTER BOSCH GREENSTAR 30cdi
*
STANDARD FLUE
*
HONEYWELL CM67 WIRELESS PROGRAMABLE ROOMSTAT
*
POWER FLUSH FOR ENTIRE SYSTEM
*
INHIBITOR TREATMENT
*
DELIVERY
*
INSTALLATION BY CORGI REGISTERED ENGINEERS
*
BUILDING REGS NOTIFICATIONS
*
2 ANNUAL SERVICES

(Apologies for the caps but this is a copy and paste from the original quotation). The engineer is willing to fit 5 thermostatic valves on the radiators for extra £70. Are they worth the money?

Thanks in advance.