Advise needed for combination boiler install

[deguerre]

Hi,
I wondered if someone would mind giving me some advise on having a combination boiler installed. I am far too trusting of people for my own good so I think it would be best for me to get some impartial advise and knowledge from a place like this, before I get any quotes done. That way I am less likely to get ripped off by a sharp salesman taking me for the mug I am!

The situation is as follows:
I have a flat that I rent out, I've have had no end of problems with the current system, mainly due to sludge I'm told. My tenant moves out soon so I'd like to have the whole lot torn out & a new system put in, new boiler, pipes, radiators the lot.

I want a boiler that is of good quality and is reliable. I'd rather pay more now for something decent that works than be paying out hand over fist in the future for something thats not up to the job. I'd also like one that plumbers are happy to work on if it does go wrong - my friend had a fairly new Ideal boiler, the first 2 people he called to look at it said they wouldn't touch it, I don't want that to happen!

I like the idea of having a combination boiler installed as it will free up some cupboard space. The flat is one bedroom, it has 3 radiators and 1 towel rail. Currently it has a boiler and hot water tank installed on very small pipes. There is a bath, so I'd like the boiler to have strong enough flow to fill it easily. Also the current shower is a New Team 1000 will this be compatible or do i need a new one?

Any advise on this matter would be greatly appreciated, thank you very much, Will

 

[gas4you]

Look at the Broag 28C or maybe the 35C.

Don't know anything about your shower though.

 

[fatplumber]

in my experience the Worcester ijuniors have been very reliable in let properties. Compact and easy to fit.

 

[JohnD]

you say you have had problems caused by sludge.

before spending thousands of pounds on a new boiler and CH system, have you considered addressing the sludge problem? A Magnaclean costs only about £100 and can be fitted in an hour, and simple chemical cleaners such as X400 cost only £15. You also need to allow for a few hours DIY work draining, refilling, and switching the pump on, and bailing out the old mud from the F&E tank (if you have one). The Magnaclean will capture circulating black sediment that has been loosened by the chemical, and will continue working permanently, needing only to be emptied from time to time. I dealt with my old mum's system like that, and got cupfuls of sludge out. It is now working well. It was installed in 1970 and had been somewhat neglected.

A professional would probably offer you a Power Flush for £500-£100 ish instead, but of course he's got to make a living.

On refill, be sure to use a good-quality inhibitor such as X100

 

[glasgowgas]

every installer on here will give you a different make/model
for all genuine reasons.

every installer on here will re post and tell you that somebodies suggestion is rubbish/that boiler is rubbish etc

as you are a landlord i can understand that you are looking for a combi and system that will not give you call backs from tenants.

a 24 kw combi will provide adequate heating and should run a bath in
6-7mins.
higher output boilers will give a higher hot water flow rate,but you will be paying more

a properly installed new combi/pipes/rads/trvs and boiler controls
eg a roomstat and trvs is the minimum requirement for providing an interlock when heating is not required, but fitting a weather compensation device will keep a condensing boiler in condense mode longer keeping it nice and clean inside

have a look at threads on this forum and you will see the usual boiler suspects popping up again and again (WB Vaillant)

you will also see the same names popping up defending them and blaming your installer!

personally i have been fitting Vokera boilers ( not exclusively) for 3 years 6months with a 3.8% failure rate within the warranty period.

 

[bengasman]

You forgot one major aspect needed to get the advice you are looking for: ballpark figure for the entire job including removal of pipes, tank, cylinder, boiler, and rads.
Combi boilers alone range from £400 to £2000, and that is just the box with goodies

 

[deguerre]

thanks for the advise

JohnD, thanks but I have had both a chemical flush and a powerflush done, neither made much difference, some radiator just would get hot at all, the pipes are very small.

What difference would I get from a 24kW or 35kW boiler?

Any advise on weather my shower would be compatible?

 

[Fluffster]

You should not powerflush a micro bore system which it sounds like you have.
Pete

 

[glasgowgas]

What difference would I get from a 24kW or 35kW boiler?

err 11kw!


you say you have 4 heat emittors in total, a 24 kw combi will be more than adequate to heat these rads.

if you get a 35kw combi you will have appox 27kw of heating power not being used ( but you have spent xx amount more for a 35 than a 24!!)

a 35 kw combi will no doubt give you a higher hot water flow rate,but as you have stated you have a bath and a shower a hot tap in bathroom sink and a hot tap in the kitchen, no combi can supply more than 2 taps at one time ( there are exceptions but your initial outlay for these boilers would be lost on any tenant)

eg a 24kw gives roughly 9 litres per minute flow rate
a 28kw gives roughly 11-12 litres per minute flow rate
a 35kw gives roughly 14 litres per minute flow rate

 

[JohnD]

if it is microbore (pipes like a pencil) I think you would have got better results with a sludge-loosening chemical plus a Magnaclean to trap the black particles as they flow round in the circulating water. If you have never seen one in action you probably won't believe what a lot of sludge they trap.

It would have saved you hundreds of pounds too


These photo shows 15ml of sludge being removed 2 weeks after the initial clean. I got cupfuls of sludge out initially, then it reduces as the system becomes more and more clean. It only needs checking a couple of times a year now. The system was installed in 1970 and was very dirty before my work.

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I am just a householder but can do simple plumbing

http://www.adeysolutions.co.uk/subprofessional.asp?id=246

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDgegChsLvc