Recommendations for a heating system redesign?

[a4c]

Hi all,

Looking for a bit of advice please...

My current central heating & hot water is a conventional set up (ie header tank up in the roof and hot water cylinder in the cupboard) with an Ideal ICOS M3080 boiler about 10 years old which works fine.

The shower is a rubbish electric unit (I imagine due to not enough pressure in the hot water system).

I want the header tank out of the roof space and proper showers (x2) so looking to change a few things around.

Can anyone advise on the benefits and rough cost of either:

a) keeping the existing boiler and converting the system so that I don't need the header tank (hopefully a budget option but will give decent pressure) or

b) chucking the boiler and putting a new combi boiler in (so getting rid of both header tank & hot water cylinder)

(I'm in Hertfordshire if anyone knows a decent plumber looking for work...)

Thanks v much

 

[mickyg]

Getting rid of an Ideal Icos is never a bad thing ! Although it sounds like you may have been one of the lucky ones. I went to one last week that broke down for the first time in 7 years, I nearly had heart failure.
It would be worth checking your flow rate in your house to see what options you have to start out. A poor flow rate may limit your options. If you just want decent pressure for showers, a shower pump would be the obvious solution, but just make sure your hot water cylinder and supply tank are adequately sized especially for 2 showers.
Best thing is to get a few people around for a quote. Where abouts are you based?

 

[a4c]

Getting rid of an Ideal Icos is never a bad thing ! Although it sounds like you may have been one of the lucky ones. I went to one last week that broke down for the first time in 7 years, I nearly had heart failure.
It would be worth checking your flow rate in your house to see what options you have to start out. A poor flow rate may limit your options. If you just want decent pressure for showers, a shower pump would be the obvious solution, but just make sure your hot water cylinder and supply tank are adequately sized especially for 2 showers.
Best thing is to get a few people around for a quote. Where abouts are you based?

Yep, my first thought was to just put a pump in, but I really want to get rid of the tank in the ceiling too (200yo house which isn't liking heavy things in roof)

The house is in Much Hadham, looking do to work in early June...

 

[mickyg]

in which case a combi might be the best option as the pressure in much hadham usually isn't high enough to consider an unvented system especially in the older properties on the high street. Im just in Ware by the way if you want to give me a shout
[email protected]

 

[dcawkwell]

Put in an unvented cylinder provided you have the cold mains flow for it.
That will remove the header tank.
Job done.

You can replace the boiler in the future.
Should it last although icos usually break down as soon as you look at
them. You have been very lucky.

 

[a4c]

Thanks for the replies guys. Will check the flow & be in touch closer to the time.