Any Views on Vaillant ecoTEC Plus combination boiler

[Benny5]

While I was leisurely considering fitting a Burglar Alarm with help from the ‘Alarms, CCTV & Telephone Forum’ I now find myself on this form having been overtaken by events. My 26 year old Baxi CH/HW boiler has failed for the first time.

I have had my local Independent Gas Engineer call (he has serviced this and my gas fire for many years) and he has identified a failed Gas Valve. The part is still available but the cost of replacing it and he suggest a new thermocouple and annual service at the same will cost £350ish. He did say that parts may be available cheaper on eBay but he would be reluctant to fit them.

Given the age of this Unit I am reluctant to spend this amount, who knows, perhaps the whole thing could last for years but then the likelihood of further component failures (Boiler, Pump, Zone Valves) must be high.

So I have asked him to quote for a replacement. He said he fits most types but suggested the Vaillant ecoTEC Plus combination boiler would suit my requirements best and it currently carries a 10 year guarantee. He said he has fitted lots of them without any problems. Incidentally, the cost is circa £2500, boiler location will have to change due to size constraint, also, new 22mm gas pipe run required to new location.

Any opinions on the proposed choice of replacement would be welcomed.

 

[polesapart]

Your installer is correct in highlighting the need for a gas pipe upgrade, and this speaks well of his standards

IMO the price quoted is fair.

 

[Agile]

You don't state your boiler model.

If current boiler is a heat only with cylinder then I would; recommend a replacement similar style boiler for about £1500 or less.

If it is currently a combi, then for a combi replacement I would say that you should be able to get it cheaper. But using a known installer is often better.

If I knew your boiler model then I could comment on the question of repairing it. But I would also need to know your annual gas bill too.

Most gas valves I replace come to well under £300.

Tony

 

[Benny5]

You don't state your boiler model.

If current boiler is a heat only with cylinder then I would; recommend a replacement similar style boiler for about £1500 or less.

If it is currently a combi, then for a combi replacement I would say that you should be able to get it cheaper. But using a known installer is often better.

If I knew your boiler model then I could comment on the question of repairing it. But I would also need to know your annual gas bill too.

Most gas valves I replace come to well under £300.

Tony

Thanks you for your input Tony.

The boiler is a Baxi Solo 50RS supplying HW & CH, indirect system. My annual Gas usage is typically 12500kW.

The guy I use lives a few streets away, looks after most of the neighbours systems. I called him last night and on his way to another job today popped in to look at my system problem.

Regards,

Benny.

 

[Phill Peck]

You don't state your boiler model.

If current boiler is a heat only with cylinder then I would; recommend a replacement similar style boiler for about £1500 or less.

If it is currently a combi, then for a combi replacement I would say that you should be able to get it cheaper. But using a known installer is often better.

If I knew your boiler model then I could comment on the question of repairing it. But I would also need to know your annual gas bill too.

Most gas valves I replace come to well under £300.

Tony

 

[Agile]

OK you have a heat only boiler and a cylinder.

That can give you up to 30 litres per minute of hot water! A 28 kW combi about 11 li/min.

Your current boiler is a fairly old one but simple and fairly reliable although the PCBs and fan will fail every 10 years or so and cost about £130 each plus fitting.

A modern condensing boiler will save about 25% on the gas bill. Your gas bill will be about £625 pa and so would give a saving of about £160 pa.

Modifications are required to convert a simple installation like yours and will then result in a much reduced hot water flow rate.

I always recommend a cylinder storage system be retained as it gives so much better hot water performance.

To simply replace the boiler with a new heat only would be close to £1500. But that will only give you an 11% return on the capital cost. Fitting a combi would reduce the hot water performance and reduce the saving to about 6% so even worse.

So my advice would be to either repair the Solo or replace with a heat only.

Your Solo is pretty reliable and could go on for several years, but even at £350 would still be a better deal for a few years although ultimately it will need replacing.

I do hope he has correctly diagnosed the gas valve as at fault. Did he say exactly what he thinks has failed on it?

Tony

 

[Dan Robinson]

 

[Boilerman2]

Pistols at Dawn?? wow this is a real attack

 

[Dan Robinson]

Top man though Tony is, I do wonder at his statistics and installation ideas.


That's all. Nothing nasty intended.

 

[matz]

we fitted a new Valiant ecotec to an existing system and have had circulation issues supposedly caused by heat exchanger partially blocking up as a result presumably of the system not being cleaned properly prior to install. The heating engineer (not the one that installed Valiant) on last visit told me he fits Worcester and has never had an issue whereas he has heard plenty of stories re. valiant exchangers blocking apparently due to very thin pipes in the exchanger struggling to cope with any system that hasnt been completely and properly flushed through. Certainly if I was fitting a new boiler in the future I'd be looking closely at this aspect to see if true or not! perhaps the pro guys here could comment?

 

[Phill Peck]

Tony
I can never say you don't know what your talking about because u are clearly a good engineer. You know a lot about fixing boiler but maybe you should stick to that.
But sometimes the things you say do no one any favours.
Can you imagine being this guys engineer? He's gonna get a call on Monday saying a guy on Internet says I shouldn't have a combi and I if I do it should be cheaper, but I should just swap the boiler at that should be just £1500.
But also are you sure you know exactly what the fault is cos tony the internet man says he can fix it for less....

 

[Phill Peck]

we fitted a new Valiant ecotec to an existing system and have had circulation issues supposedly caused by heat exchanger partially blocking up as a result presumably of the system not being cleaned properly prior to install. The heating engineer (not the one that installed Valiant) on last visit told me he fits Worcester and has never had an issue whereas he has heard plenty of stories re. valiant exchangers blocking apparently due to very thin pipes in the exchanger struggling to cope with any system that hasnt been completely and properly flushed through. Certainly if I was fitting a new boiler in the future I'd be looking closely at this aspect to see if true or not! perhaps the pro guys here could comment?

Vast majority of heat exchangers on modern boilers will have thin waterways. Not all but most.
Clean the system and fit a descent filter as in a spirotech not a cheap plastic pod and should avoid any problems

 

[Agile]

he has heard plenty of stories re. valiant exchangers blocking apparently due to very thin pipes in the exchanger struggling to cope with any system that hasnt been completely and properly flushed through. Certainly if I was fitting a new boiler in the future I'd be looking closely at this aspect to see if true or not! perhaps the pro guys here could comment?

I think that you are missing the point!

ALL boilers should be fitted on a TOTALLY clean system.

That's both common sense as well as in the installation instructions.

If you must fit a boiler on a dirty system then an Intergas is about the best model to choose.

Tony

 

[matz]

no I'm not missing any point, I realise any new boiler must be fitted to a clean system but with the best will in the world I cannot stand over an installer and try and second guess what he's doing when he's cleaning the system out and make sure he's doing it properly. Therefore I have to trust that he's doing the right thing given I am paying the going rate and the firm is established and has a relatively sound reputation. If I can choose a boiler that is more forgiving to a system that hasnt been cleaned quite as good as it should be then I'd prefer that as I'll more likely get a system that works 100% rather than one that doesnt!

 

[Boilerman2]

I've just Quoted someone to replace a PCB on an ecotec because that is what they have been "told" is the fault I have quoted on the basis that the work will be paid for on completion regardless of the outcome because we have not been asked to carry out a diagnosis - so far no response!