Life expectancy of a condensing boiler

[dornfield]

Hi,

we're currently getting quotes for a replacement boiler system, and we are told by one of the potential installers that the life expectancy of a condensing boiler is only a mere 7 years. This seems a bit on the shy side!!! Other installers have not mentioned this, or made any comment on life expectancy.

The boiler under consideration is a Worcester 40KW and the tank is an unvented 220l Range, which needs to supply three bathrooms. We live in a very hard water region of the UK, so we intend to put in an 'at source' water softener.

Will we really only get seven years use out of the system? If the current expense becomes a recurring one, my dreams of a Ferrari might never be realised!!

Thanks for any sage comments.

Dornfield

 

[corgiman]

7 years is what they say

Forget finding a boiler that will last 30 plus years ( like a thorn apollo, potty profile/netaheat and kingfisher) they dont exist no more.

So a boiler is not for life its just for xmas

buy a porsche instead of a ferrari.

 

[ChrisR]

I expect they'll be repairable for say double that, but it might get like the broom that's had 3 new heads and 2 new handles...

 

[mehran]

What you need for a long lasting boiler is 3 things in my option

Cheap spare parts
Easy to work on
A engineer that knows the boiler and is willing to fix it

Or you keep you eye out for your boiler on flybay and pick up old broken ones. Have a garage full of boilers so when it does go you will have the bits you need

 

[dornfield]

Cripes. Modern boilers last barely longer than a couple of hamsters by the sounds of it. I suppose if all are faced with the same Blade Runner curse, we have to just wear it.

Thanks for your advice. My wife would probably frown on a garage full of old boiler bit, however!

Dornfield

 

[Agile]

The life of boilers in current manufacture is really unknown!

But a good guide can be found by looking at condensing boilers made 10-15 years ago.

There are a few models which are little seen now. Trisave, Ideal Minimiser, Vaillant 636 (?). They were not very long lived.

Then there was the GlowWorm Heatsave condensing boiler. Not really a very good design but they seem surprisingly resillient even without any regular servicing.

Current models should last a lot longer but there are some concerns about those with alloy heat exchangers and most would expect the ones with stainless steel heat exchangers to last much longer.

The Band B Biasi shows no signs of any significant weak points and the Viessmann has a most wonderful stainless heat exchanger even if some of the other parts are a little questionable.

The many makes with the Gianoni heat exchanger seem to be proving quite reliable although the HE is almost impossible to clean if it gets blocked.

Tony

 

[htgeng]

The many makes with the Gianoni heat exchanger seem to be proving quite reliable although the HE is almost impossible to clean if it gets blocked.

Tony

Don't almost all the side firing burner boilers have this unit? Im thinking, Vaillant, Glowworm to name two. I read the scathing article on gasnews about this problem. Very interesting reading. Viessmann have a single loop HE which avoids the blockage problem, but is not so easy to purge air from.

I'd suggest the OP looks at Viessmann or Atag boilers. They have a life expectancy of more like 15-20 years.

 

[htgeng]

PS, he might think twice about buying a sports car now that the darling chancellor is putting annual road tax on them up to almost a grand!

 

[mehran]

any boiler can last 20 years if you keep fixing it last 20 years with out breaking down? is another story

 

[Doctor Drivel]

Hi,

we're currently getting quotes for a replacement boiler system, and we are told by one of the potential installers that the life expectancy of a condensing boiler is only a mere 7 years.

He is an idiot!!

The boiler under consideration is a Worcester 40KW

A decent boiler. Look at Viessmann, Atmos, Atag

and the tank is an unvented 220l Range, which needs to supply three bathrooms.

 

[Corgigrouch]

Drivel forgot to mention that anything other than a heat bank will explode....

 

[Doctor Drivel]

Drivel forgot to mention that anything other than a heat bank will explode....

If you say so.

Get to know how things work and their advantages.

 

[Corgigrouch]

Drivel forgot to mention that anything other than a heat bank will explode....

If you say so.

Get to know how things work and their advantages.

No.... You are the one who says so

Failsafe - When open vented, the system is failsafe and cannot explode.


Oops silly me.. I knew you'd get it in somewhere

 

[doitall]

I doubt there's a modern boiler around thats done 7years without wanting parts.

Or 7 seven days in Drivels hands

 

[Doctor Drivel]

I doubt there's a modern boiler around thats done 7years without wanting parts.

I know many that are 10 years old and never had a part installed.