Old Ideal Mexico Floor Standing Boiler - any info

[Deborandum]

Hi there,

I am hoping that one of you lovely folk can help me with some general i formation and advice regarding an old Ideal Mexico floor standing boiler please.

We are interested in purchasing a house and in the old fireplace space in the kitchen is one of the boilers. Judging by the font used on the writing on the boiler is must be late 80s/early 90s.

The house is a large detached 4 bedroom house built 1870 so requires a good lots of heat to be pumped around. I am assuming the boiler does work as the house doe not show any immediate signs of it being broken.

If you are able to give me some pointers of what to look out for or how to know if it’s worth replacing I’d be most grateful.

Thanks

 

[flameport]

If it works, there is no point in replacing it.

Age isn't clear either - Ideal Mexico floor standing boilers can still be purchased new. Whether they are the exact one you have is another matter.

 

[ianmcd]

great boilers with very little to go wrong, downside if you take out a maintenance contract with a large company they will tell you every yeaar that you need a new boiler which is *******s

 

[jeff the gasman]

Good basic old boiler. Don’t listen to salesmen. If it was mine I’d keep it going.
If they say it’s crap, get a new one. Not the boiler. Gas man

 

[FiremanT]

Hi there,

I am hoping that one of you lovely folk can help me with some general i formation and advice regarding an old Ideal Mexico floor standing boiler please.

We are interested in purchasing a house and in the old fireplace space in the kitchen is one of the boilers. Judging by the font used on the writing on the boiler is must be late 80s/early 90s.

The house is a large detached 4 bedroom house built 1870 so requires a good lots of heat to be pumped around. I am assuming the boiler does work as the house doe not show any immediate signs of it being broken.

If you are able to give me some pointers of what to look out for or how to know if it’s worth replacing I’d be most grateful.

Thanks

Can you supply model details or photo with front cover removed?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Keep the boiler and update the controls.

 

[Deborandum]

Hi

Can you supply model details or photo with front cover removed?

Sadly not, as it’s in a property I am looking to purchase so I am not able to get full access as yet.

 

[JackK]

Good basic old boiler. Don’t listen to salesmen. If it was mine I’d keep it going.
If they say it’s crap, get a new one. Not the boiler. Gas man

I have an ideal mexico 2 bed 125 - It is 30 years old and never serviced and works - If I get a bonus at Christmas I will have it changed. Its old and if it breaks down no one can repair them.

I dont event think people want to touch it given my experience trying to get a magnaclean fitted on it - I asked two engineers and they both said change the boiler

@Jeff : I value your input - Would you still try and keep this boiler or get a condesending heat only one

 

[fixitflav]

condesending

Misspelt - should be condescending

 

[jeff the gasman]

Good boiler. Keep it!
Better than the crap we fit now!
They can be mended. Unlikely to break!

 

[JackK]

Good boiler. Keep it!
Better than the crap we fit now!
They can be mended. Unlikely to break!

Is there any more specific information as to why you like this boiler? Its old and difficult to find engineers to work on them

I quite fancy a viessman or valiant if I had the money knowing that things will be easily repairable

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Is there any more specific information as to why you like this boiler? Its old and difficult to find engineers to work on them

The old fiddles play the best tunes. The Mexico and most boilers of the same sort of era were simple, and virtually bombproof, with few things to go wrong. Few modern boilers will give anywhere near the service those old lumps can. Get it serviced, it could well give you plenty more service yet.

Be aware, the cost of a new Boiler and fitting will far exceed any gas savings you are likely to make, and may not even cover the cost of installation before it needs replacing once again.

 

[JackK]

The old fiddles play the best tunes. The Mexico and most boilers of the same sort of era were simple, and virtually bombproof, with few things to go wrong. Few modern boilers will give anywhere near the service those old lumps can. Get it serviced, it could well give you plenty more service yet.

Be aware, the cost of a new Boiler and fitting will far exceed any gas savings you are likely to make, and may not even cover the cost of installation before it needs replacing once again.

Pray do tell why they do not get sold on ebay for vast money - No engineer wants to work on them - The ****ty engineers want to replace it with a combi. The better ones want to pull up all teh floorboards and repipe the whole. The best engineer talk about valiant heat only boiler and adding a motorised valve

 

[roguetrader]

Keep the Mexico.
Find someone who will give it some TLC.

 

[JackK]

Keep the Mexico.
Find someone who will give it some TLC.

Is there any maintenance that can be done to the boiler to ensure it remains reliable? It looks old, rusty heat exchanger and not very suitable but I could be well wrong here