System or conventional Boiler ?

[FrankTrent]

I have had 2 quotes to replace my boiler and one pipe CH.
B Gas have quoted for a W Bosch 18Ri Regular boiler. The other quote is for a w Bosch 24ISystem Boiler. At present I have an old conventional heating system, pumped to the rads and gravity to the HW tank and expansion tanks etc in loft. Space is not a problem.
Should I favour the conventional or System boiler and which should cost more ?
Impartial advice pleasewould be appreciated. Thanks..

 

[bengasman]

Open vent is more prone to corrosion and gunking up, as well as airlocks. Although in theory it shouldn't make any difference, I find sealed systems responding faster.
To be able to convert to a sealed system, your pipes need to be in good order, and if they are not, the leaks will manifest themselves quicker under pressure.

 

[doitall]

An heat only boiler is the most reliable, but you still have to buy the pump etc, so the price will be roughly the same.

BG will be at least a grand more than an independent, and possibly near 2k.

 

[doitall]

Open vent is more prone to corrosion and gunking up, as well as airlocks. Although in theory it shouldn't make any difference, I find sealed systems responding faster.
To be able to convert to a sealed system, your pipes need to be in good order, and if they are not, the leaks will manifest themselves quicker under pressure.

That applies to a system boiler as well as a heat only boiler.

The difference is a system boiler usually has manufacturer specific parts built in, at twice the cost of a generic part, pump and diverter valves for example.

 

[FrankTrent]

B Gas are £1,500 more but I must say their quote looked v professional and was instant (after dragging in 2 laptops, printer, mains tester etc). He started by saying ' our quote will be the highest, but we are the best'. Also suggested I change all the rads. Pipes are all to be renewed so they should be OK with increased pressure of a system boiler but I think perhaps the heat only boiler will be cheaper replacements when (inevitably), it all breaks.

 

[Matt 87]

As mentioned before if your pipework is up to it then go for a sealed system BUT get a heat only boiler. So you will have expansion vessel, pump, motorised valves all separate from the boiler, much easier to work on in future.

 

[Matt 87]

Tell them you want them to quote for an S plan system, Honeywell motorised valves, Grundfos Alpha 2 pump, if you can afford new rads then you might as well go for it if yours are quite old, don't fit cheapy TRV's again Honeywell or Danfoss ones, make sure they fit an automatic bypass, and wire it in an LWC1 or Danfoss wiring centre.

Fit a Honeywell CM927 room stat or similar from Siemens, basically don't fit cheap crap (no I dont work for Honeywell, its just their stuff is of a decent quality!)

Also do you not know of any local independent heating engineers that you could use, ones that may have been recommended by friends or colleagues. BG WILL rip u off and their installers are from what I have witnessed awful, unlike a lot of their service engineers.

 

[doitall]

BG are the best, must be the laugh of the century, a large percentage is sub'd out, so you end up with pot luck as to how good a job you get.

You would be far better getting an recommended installer, (there may even be one on here in your area).