Are Condensing Boilers Any Good?

[boozercruiser]

I thought some may be interested in this newspaper article........

Please go to...

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1883947#1883947

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=260840&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/bargai...rticle_id=520529&in_page_id=510#ixzz1CWEyGrbk
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[transam]

some of that article or what I read , has been the opinion of many in the industry for years ! ultimaely the general public will pay a heavy price for all this (green ?) technology , house building , cars , ect ,

Condensing boilers ? the technology has been around since at least 1946 ? so it is hardly new , same as the stirling engine used in some chp units , they go back to 1800 & something ?

A boiler produces 2 types of heat , sensible heat & Latent heat , latent comes from a latin word meaning hidden (latarre i think ??) a condensing boiler is able to extract this latent heat , a non condenser cannot !
As for pimlico's veiws , well ? same fella stated how much a plumber can earn in 1 article I read , & that was a load of nonsense ! his views are always good for a laugh ( sometimes ) & IMHO have little if any importance ?

 

[Agile]

'You might get 20 years out of one of the old ones,' Charlie Mullins says, 'but it is more like three to six years out of one of these new ones. In fact, if it goes wrong after four years, you are better off replacing a condensing boiler altogether because of the horrendous cost of the parts.

Thats very likely if you call Pimlico Plumbing as they will suggest the highest profit solution and thats likely to be replacing a boiler.

Ask him which boiler manufacturer agrees with him that their boilers only last 3-6 years!

I have never failed to repair any condensing boiler!

Tony

 

[slapper]

Boilers today should be classed as a White appliance,and should fall into the catergory as Fridges,Washing Machines etc, cos they will have the same lifespan if not less.

 

[boozercruiser]

Boilers today should be classed as a White appliance,and should fall into the catergory as Fridges,Washing Machines etc, cos they will have the same lifespan if not less.

As a novice customer of Heating Boilers....I have always worked on the assumption that they last between 15 and 20 years. Perhaps no more?

 

[mysteryman]

Yes they will - if they are quality boilers installed properly.

 

[manortim]

Yes they will - if they are quality boilers installed properly.

true. personally i think ideal mexico's and kingerfishers are the best boilers and certainly the best for the enviroment, when you consider the fact they'll probably need no parts over a 30 yr life span.

a modern condensing boiler even the best ones need money chucking at them every few years. more to go wrong.

i went to a job recently, 3yr old worcester cdi, previously to that they had a working ideal mexico that ran faultlessly for 30 odd years all be it a few thermocouples, serviced apparently about every 5 years ish. in 3 yrs since having new boiler its had 7 visits by heating engineers for various faults, 5 of them were nothing major, 2 required parts.

thats progress! but it does save them about 75quid a year on gas! so, if they live for another 20 yrs, they may break even.

 

[manortim]

'You might get 20 years out of one of the old ones,' Charlie Mullins says, 'but it is more like three to six years out of one of these new ones. In fact, if it goes wrong after four years, you are better off replacing a condensing boiler altogether because of the horrendous cost of the parts.

I have never failed to repair any condensing boiler!

Tony

at what cost though?

i've scrapped alpha's, glow worms and vokera's because the customer simply didn't want to throw money at a boiler, they'd had previous guys chuck parts at it at huge cost, then it failed again, tried someone different (me) and they simply want rid, replaced with a viessmann and 5 yr warranty.

 

[Corgigrouch]

at what cost though?

i've scrapped alpha's, glow worms and vokera's because the customer simply didn't want to throw money at a boiler, they'd had previous guys chuck parts at it at huge cost, then it failed again, tried someone different (me) and they simply want rid, replaced with a viessmann and 5 yr warranty.

Now is that the fault of the boiler or is it the fault of the guy fixing the boiler not being up to the job?

The problem with folk is that they read news papers and think that what is written is factual.... The purpose of a news paper these days is to entertain and titilate, NOT to inform.

 

[boozercruiser]

at what cost though?

i've scrapped alpha's, glow worms and vokera's because the customer simply didn't want to throw money at a boiler, they'd had previous guys chuck parts at it at huge cost, then it failed again, tried someone different (me) and they simply want rid, replaced with a viessmann and 5 yr warranty.

Now is that the fault of the boiler or is it the fault of the guy fixing the boiler not being up to the job?

The problem with folk is that they read news papers and think that what is written is factual.... The purpose of a news paper these days is to entertain and titilate, NOT to inform.

Possibly that might be the case with The Sun, Star and Daily Mirror rags.....but I think your comments are just a little hard in respect of The Times, Guardian...even the Mail and Express.

I feel very informed.....provided I have some pinches of salt handy while reading them

 

[transam]

It might be true ?? to say that the majoriyt of faults that occur with the modern day boilers is the electronics ( may be ? ) perhaps we are all fortunate that the same manu's that supply/make boiler electronics do not have anything to do with the electronics in our T,V's ect ?

The Honeywell T.V or the Bertelli & Partners CD player !

 

[Corgigrouch]

Possibly that might be the case with The Sun, Star and Daily Mirror rags.....but I think your comments are just a little hard in respect of The Times, Guardian...even the Mail and Express.

I feel very informed.....provided I have some pinches of salt handy while reading them

I read The Times when on holiday but it is still a comic, it does however work well to keep folk with nylon football shirts away from me.... The other papers aren't even soft, strong or very long.... Many of the misinformed people in this country get their misinformation fron their daily rag.... How sure were we all that the World cup was in the bag? or that there is a paedophile on every corner?.... All total nonsense generated by newspaper men who are more interested in advertising revenue than facts.... Lets face it no one would read a paper that actually told the truth as it is dull....

The fact is that far too many installers fitted steamers without stopping to think that the condensate might freeze, happy that fitting to the regs would remove the need for them to use their common sense...

 

[boozercruiser]

Possibly that might be the case with The Sun, Star and Daily Mirror rags.....but I think your comments are just a little hard in respect of The Times, Guardian...even the Mail and Express.

I feel very informed.....provided I have some pinches of salt handy while reading them

I read The Times when on holiday but it is still a comic, it does however work well to keep folk with nylon football shirts away from me.... The other papers aren't even soft, strong or very long.... Many of the misinformed people in this country get their misinformation fron their daily rag.... How sure were we all that the World cup was in the bag? or that there is a paedophile on every corner?.... All total nonsense generated by newspaper men who are more interested in advertising revenue than facts.... Lets face it no one would read a paper that actually told the truth as it is dull....

The fact is that far too many installers fitted steamers without stopping to think that the condensate might freeze, happy that fitting to the regs would remove the need for them to use their common sense...

Everything you say here sounds about right to me.

And who am I to ague? Me being a layman...like. .... On steamers.

BUT....I am learning a little fast in respect of my very problomatic Worcester 18/25 which has given me no end of trouble since installed just over two years ago.

Read about my other post about my Pipe to understand a little of my beef!

 

[Nige F]

The prerogative of the mi££ionaire - Say WTF you like

 

[mysteryman]

I put in good a quality condensing combi for our eldest son and one for us over two years ago, and one for our eldest daughter just over one year ago. None of them has given any trouble.