Move old boiler or buy new one?

[robmorgan]

Hi all,

We want to move the boiler into the garage. It's a Potterton Prima 80. You can still buy flues for it. Is it worth moving or should we plump for a new condensing one? i.e. are the energy savings likely to outweigh the extra cost?

Thanks,

Rob

 

[petertheplumber12]

Changing a boiler to save energy is not cost effective, it takes at least 10 years to recover the cost in gas bill savings, by which time you would be thinking of getting another boiler, potterton are not the best boilers anymore sad to say but if it works ok then move it, and be prepared to change it when you need a new heat exchanger or something really expensive since it will last longer than most condensing boilers anyway.

 

[easyflow]

If its been good and rliable, worth keeping it and as said will prob last longer and be less hassel than condensing boiler.

 

[ALEC1]

New condensing boilers can do the service and be problem free, but only with the right controls around which they are designed...either indoor or out door compensation, or both

Look at Manufacturers such as Vaillant with the VR470.or Viessmann 200s with the vitotronic 200 bith weather compensation controls. These don't add much to the installation cost, if anything, but both enhance confort and improve reliability. Some manufacturers claim savings of 15%, Several of my clients have cited 20%, and thats from just changing from on-off controls to compensation controls..

 

[robmorgan]

Thanks all - does sound like it makes sense to keep it.

 

[Agile]

Put it this way, I would have to charge about £740 to fit a new boiler and about the same to move the old one.

I can see no point in moving an old boiler unless its going to be done by a cheap non gas reg person who is not UK based.

 

[joe-90]

I can see no point in moving an old boiler unless its going to be done by a cheap non gas reg person who is not UK based.

No shortage of those. Where there's money there's an EE.

 

[Dan Robinson]

If you are paying someone to move the boiler, then the only cost to factor into the buy/keep equation is how long a 15 - 20% fuel saving per year will cover (circa) £900 extra cost of the boiler.

Granted the Prima is a good boiler, but so are many modern condensers.

If your house genuinely needs 24kW of heat then your fuel bills must be in the order of £1000 a years. So the pay back could well be half of what Peter suggests, reducing as fuel bills rise.

Something like the Intergas 18 OV would likely be ample for your house and would last 20 years.

 

[cross thread]

might be wrong but i thought a non condensing could not be refitted in a different part of the property,some energy course i went on a few years ago that i nodded of in

 

[Dan Robinson]

Good point, although it might refer to moving to a NEW part of the building.

Something to check .

 

[sherbert]

New condensing boilers can do the service and be problem free, but only with the right controls around which they are designed...either indoor or out door compensation, or both

Look at Manufacturers such as Vaillant with the VR470.or Viessmann 200s with the vitotronic 200 bith weather compensation controls. These don't add much to the installation cost, if anything, but both enhance confort and improve reliability. Some manufacturers claim savings of 15%, Several of my clients have cited 20%, and thats from just changing from on-off controls to compensation controls..

Are you saying that new boilers will only be problem free with WC fitted??

 

[robmorgan]

Good point, although it might refer to moving to a NEW part of the building.

I've yet to see it in black and white, but seems the consensus is there's no law against moving a boiler to an existing part of the building, though uprating to a more energy efficient boiler is naturally advised.

If your house genuinely needs 24kW of heat then your fuel bills must be in the order of £1000 a years. So the pay back could well be half of what Peter suggests, reducing as fuel bills rise.

I have to agree the 80 does seem a bit of a beast, even for a 4 bed detached. Think an 18kW would be more appropriate then and save us a fair bit on bills, even before you take the improved efficiency of a new boiler into account?

 

[ALEC1]

New condensing boilers can do the service and be problem free, but only with the right controls around which they are designed...either indoor or out door compensation, or both

Look at Manufacturers such as Vaillant with the VR470.or Viessmann 200s with the vitotronic 200 bith weather compensation controls. These don't add much to the installation cost, if anything, but both enhance confort and improve reliability. Some manufacturers claim savings of 15%, Several of my clients have cited 20%, and thats from just changing from on-off controls to compensation controls..

Are you saying that new boilers will only be problem free with WC fitted??

More or less...I think there are real benefits to using boilers as they were designed...

 

[mrgas]

Are you saying that new boilers will only be problem free with WC fitted??

More or less...I think there are real benefits to using boilers as they were designed...

WCnonsense!

 

[robmorgan]

OK - so if I have the boiler moved (which I think I will), what are the chances of being able to salvage the existing flue?

The new location of the boiler would need an extension to reach the external wall, but if I understand correctly, one of these MultiFit jobbies *could* be slotted on to the end of the existing flue:

http://www.plumbase.com/tprod80842/section2495/mfit-flue-extension-he60100-5111074.html

How does this work? Can the existing flue be cut and this slotted on the end? Or will the entire flue need to be removed from the wall unscathed? Can't see that happening as as it's all plastered and pointed in.

If MultiFit is a non-starter, then can anyone confirm if this is the correct flue for a Potterton Prima 80? None of the websites give detailed descriptions:

http://www.pottertonboilerparts.co....=POTTERTON&partno=225189&app=PRIMA+80F+BOILER

Thanks all!