Boiler opinions

[Paul Barker]

OK more perspective, seems like a slightly strange plea, but I can say that non of us generate work for ourselves, we'd like to do as little as possible, wouldn't anyone? We have in mind you are reading the menu from right to left.

Of course built in 1998 is no recommendation, give me my Edwardian house over your 1998 house any day. Builders today couldn't afford to build to the standards our forebares used. I go to as many em,ergency plumbing leaks
from new builds as I do from Victorian plumbing which has lasted 100 years or more. The thin walled copper we use today won't last that long.

Some things have improved like wiring and getting rid of led, but overall house building has desended in quality since 1900's.

 

[Bendo]

Oh trust me, no way I'd live in a modern house, the creaks they make and the wafer thin plasterboard walls would drive me mad.

The house was an old couples and after they died it stood empty for a good few years. Like lots of old peoples houses, nothing had been spend on it so pretty much everything needed ripping out and starting again.

Maybe some pics of the pipes would help, although I doubt it?

Took some pics, http://www.ben-scott.com/boiler/ guess they don't really show anything of the quality of the pipes though

 

[Agile]

This is a rather vague discussion!

All I can say is that I could renovate almost any popular boiler for not much over £250.

Having said that, it would be better value to get a modern condensing boiler with the rising gas prices.

You only seem to have two installers each quoting for only two models. There are lots of boilers available, Ariston, Baxi, Biasi, Chaufoteux.....

If the heating has worked OK then I dont see that any pipework changes are essential but then we have not seen it.

Ther are upmarket models, Viessmann is often quoted as one of the best! However the quality of the installation is a major factor. I saw one last wednesday which had worked for three weeks before exploding, all because it was incorrectly fitted by the maintenance man to save on a CORGI installer.

Tony Glazier

 

[Bendo]

In the end we went for the Ariston. Fairly impressed with it so far, had it for about 2 months. Particulally like it's "comfort" feature where it stores hot water ready for when it's needed, great for running a bath at full speed instead of having to turn on the tap a piddly bit like with the old boiler.

 

[anjme]

I get frustrated by other engineers comments "bang them on the wall" .
Whilst I agree it would be favourable for me to fault find on all the various combis I fit I am honest enough to admit I do not have enough knowledge to efficiently fault find. Lets be honest having read most of the manufactuturers installation and fault finding many times it could be at least one or two parts that are required to conclude just one faulty part. I have witnessed a Heat team engineer on a job fit a circuit board only to find it made no difference until he fitted another part. The "used" circuit board got put back in the box to be used on another job! I do not visit enough combis to be able to do this so I would have been out of pocket £100.00.

 

[Agile]

I am amused that you finally chose the first make I listed! My list was only the beginning of an alphabetical list.

Actually I forgot to start with Alpha, well they are forgettable boilers aren't they? So to put the record right, Alpha. Ariston, Baxi, Biasi, Chaufoteaux......

I dont fully understand what Anjme is saying but at least he is honest enough to accept that he does not have all the skills to fault find on modern combi boilers.

I dont agree that two parts are required to get a boiler fixed. I diagnose the real fault and fit the one part that has failed but then I specialise in boiler fault diagnosis and with a no fix-no fee guarantee and a fixed charge I have got to get it right first time and in a very short time. I also carry spares with a view to getting 98% of boilers working again on the first visit.

Tony

 

[Oledog1]

Hi can someone help me I've started to Have a new boiler fitted and have come home to find that for some reason I've got a 22mm pipe running the full length of my house on the outside of it can someone please tell me why this is cause the old gas pipe is still there but it is 15mm can this be reconnected to the new boiler I have had the like for like boiler fitted ?

 

[Terry lambert]

The installer should have consulted you on the pipe route.

As to whether the old 15 mm pipe would be sufficient. You could connect to that and then carry out working pressure tests, but I wouldn't have thought the engineer would have run the 22 mm pipe for his health, he has probably calculated that that is the required size

You can't under gas the boiler

You should really have started another thread

 

[Agile]

Its because its needed to provide an adequate supply of gas!

But its very rude and disrespectful of the installer not to advise you about it in advance!

Of course thats assuming you are the owner and paying them?

Tony