what is wrong with combi boilers ?

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Yep we are all rip off merchants no argument there, NOW, YOU WORK FOR ???????? AND DO WHAT ???????

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Yep went into B&Q yesterday for two 40W bulbs, £2.98 what a fackkin cheating bagofshite ripoff, just so some asshhole woman can sail round the world for her own glorification, anyway went to Newey & Erey and bought 14 bulbs the same for £6.00, now where were we, oh yea plumbers ripping off, carry on !!!!!!!

 

[masona]

* Plumbers are a thiefs and dont believe a word of what they say.

Have you met them all then

 

[WabbitPoo]

Anyway, back to the point......

I had a combi fitted two years ago and, like many solutions, there are good and bad points about them. Yes, hot water on demand, but in my case it takes an age to reach the taps upstairs (its quite a big place). That said, I like not having a tank of hot water just doing nothing for much of the day.

It DID go wrong, though (just after the warranty ran out - what a shocker). New PCB plus callout etc etc. Pricey. Still, sh1t happens.

 

[AnEngineer]

Hello Everyone - This is an interesting topic - especially as it seems I may have to replace my Myson Apollo (see post on pilot light) may have an unrepairable gas valve.

So - I was hoping to replace the boiler next year (new extension) but may need to do this earlier. Question is - I did fancy a combi - but which one?

My Myson is 60,000 BTU and not enough for the current size of my house (I think the builder got a job lot for the whole estate!) - room stat at 20 deg and the boiler never shuts down! 18 deg - then ok!

I wish to calculate the size of the radiators I need per room - is there a good web site for this?

At the moment I have 17 radiators and 3 bathrooms. Not great bath users as we mostly use electric showers. Current system is pumped primary and CH with honeywell valves on stats.

I can see that combi's are not well received in general - but which combi would anyone recommend from a reliability and spares availability point of view. Also for the bath/washer/Dishwasher etc..which combi would be able to cope with the demands of a home that uses a lot of hot water - mostly washer/dishwasher daily.

I had wanted to get rid of the hot water storage tank - can I put this in the loft? - but really was thinking of a condensing combi from an efficiency/running costs point of view. I'm not against the tried and tested non combi boiler - I'm only interested in a good efficient solution.



By the way - I see Biasi 32 KW gas combi boiler cheap on ebay - I always think "you get what you pay for" and so am suspicious of these - but then again - do you always get the best the higher you pay - not in my experience either - what we all want is value for money be it a service or a purchase and hopfully something that is honestly recommended.

Any good advice is appreciated.

Kind Regards

 

[kevplumb]

heat loss calc here

 

[ChrisR]

The Barlo heat loss thing is OK apart from skylights I think!
For a detached old house start at 50 watts per cubic metre - unlikely to be too little.

The Biasis are pretty typical of current Ariston / Baxi / Potterton/ halstead / ideal mini(exactly the same) / alpha etc boilers. Lots of the bits look like they come from the same factories - in Italy. Zillions of them (mostly as Ideal 24 and 28kW models) have gone in now and they seem to be over the early niggles. Cheap in B&Q aren't they?

 

[AnEngineer]

Thanks guy's and thanks ChrisR for the tip on B+Q - It seems these days all white goods are made in Italy as are many machines used in industry.

I tend to feel - unless someone says steer well clear of a certain make - or this one has a great track record - then the rest are all much the same.
I rate my Myson as ok - its had its weak point - thermocouple - but apart from that 17 years working fine until last few weeks! I'd buy another.

So on that point is the Biasi a good deal - decent unit for a good price?

Its good to hear they are all rebadged sort of units - then maybe the bugs get sorted quickly as ChrisR cites, and they are well know and easy to service (easy in that the fault is well known) and parts should hopefully be plentiful and cheaper. So based on ChrisR feedback - I'm tempted for a B+Q Biasi 110000 Compact Combi Boiler @ £449 - what a deal!

Is there any problem in getting an oversized boiler - say this one at 110, even if I only need 96000 say! Not done the calcs yet!

Any comments on choice above - or should I go for the Ravenheat model...or...?


Will call back tomorrow for any comments - been back and forth here whilst I try and sort my Myson pilot problem. It runs for a few hours - then stops - I have noticed today that pilot is tending to go out now.

Looks like I need a new boiler!

Thanks again for everyone's help and comments - discussion groups are great for helping people with advice ....its appreciated.

Cheers

Kind Regards

 

[ChrisR]

Don't even walk near the Ravenheat.

110k will give you better hot water but only if you have good mains pressure and flow. You probaby won't need all that for heating.

The big model is newer so less tested than the smaller ones (28kW, eg)

Don't blame your old boiler for the thermocouple - it's probably a Universal from a shed - which we buy for a quid. There are better ones, which outlast boilers.

 

[oilman]

OK tomsov, what do YOU do for a living and how much do you get paid? What size house do you live in? What age car do you run? Do you have an annual holiday, and where?

I bet you say that's not relevant. Well let me be the judge of that, just answer the questions then we will be able to compare. Just so you know, I charge quite a bit to those who can afford it, they help pay for the jobs that some people really can't afford to have done, where £50 is a real worry.

I'm not as big a thief as you are an rsole.

 

[AnEngineer]

Thanks ChrisR - a quid! blimy I thought I was paying a bit over the odds as most shops only keep universal @ £4 which is no good for Myson - so I always go to one shop that sells the correct thermocouple. I expect the shop to make a profit - but £9 profit! - I've bought 2 in 3 months - so £18 profit! Wish the manufacturing company I work for made such huge profits!

Anyhow - it prompts me...can it be two crap thermocouples..I was begining to think maybe it was a poor batch or new (cheaper & poorer) supplier to the shop I buy from. Of course - no way I can tell.

First one lasted 3 months - this one days, then the problem started, at first lasting a day or so - now today its been off and on all day - but now running for a couple of hours so far.

Its an Interpart UP5083, Cat No 6021155, GC No 397723

Any suggestions on maybe trying (if it could be the thermocouple) a better type - if so - which and where do I buy?

Thanks again.

Kind Regards

 

[croydoncorgi]

Thermocouples are sometimes a bit like Jessica Rabbit - not bad, just badly drawn (ie. blamed unjustly). If one really does last only a few months - then it was rubbish to start with. Or the pilot flame was too big and burned the tip off. Or the coil in the gas valve is flaky so the thermocouple cannot provide enough millivolts to hold the valve open. Or the overheat thermostat is flaky and has gone high-resistance (or shorting-out, depending on the type) which has the same effect of killing the pilot flame as a dodgy thermcouple. etc., etc..

You get the picture.

 

[ollski]

As my boiler example, My cost at...say...£30/hour was £3.20 for parts and no more than £30 for less than one hour fitting, so £33.20+VAT please from me. Ask a plumber (like I asked three) and expect £185, £162+VAT, and £Wont Touch It.
Rip Off Britain. Ass holes the lot and dont deny it.

Has it occured to you that those 3 put in high prices because you came accross as a complete d!ckhead and none of them wanted to work for you? ...there's nothing makes my quote rise faster than getting a load of that attitude.

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

So when is tosspot, I mean tomsov, actually going to answer the question on who he works for and what he does and how much he rips people off for, funny he hasn't replied, I cant stand these sort of ****kers, it's ok for them to rip people off selling cars or working in insurance or stock and shares but nobody else is allowed to make any profit only to make ends meet, I notice that such as Sainsburys or say Lloyds or HSBC ect are never happy to "just break even" after expenses, they have to make milions or they are just not happy, why is it that plumbers and other tradesmen are expected to work for peanuts and not allowed any profit, fakkin sick of the whole industry and miseable tight fisted twwats whingeing about the cost of stuff, we shop around for car/house/health/ insurance/banking/shopping/travel and still get ripped off whatever quote we get, why should the building trade be any different, just look at the new car or 4x4 next to you in the queue of traffic, how many and how much did they rip people off for with there inflated wages
or the company thety work for, how many antique dealers have ripped off countless old ladys with furniture etc to get there money, ah yes but thats respectable because they wear a suit and tie and Micheal Arssache hosts it on TV with his INFLATED wage packet, go fack yourself tomsov.

 

[FlashHard]

If tomsov thinks it's bad now he is in for a very big shock after April!

If Corgi want to make more money out of gas work (without even getting their hands dirty), so do I and plenty of it!

Did tomsov pay for the three quotes that he got? If he didn't then those RGI's where the victims.

If Corgi's CSI & GWN has done anything good it is that it made me realise that from now on I will no longer willingly be the victim of Corgi or the general public. In the past when people have phoned up with a sob story I have fallen for it hook, line and sinker because I mistakenly thought I was providing a service and shouldn't profiteer from it.

I have now seen the light thanks to Corgi and this government and will endeavour to get all that I deserve and some extra to cover the hassle.

Reading between the lines it seems tomsov used the knowledge that the 3 RGI's provided for free to do the job himself. He is the rip off merchant here!