Replacing immersion cylinder with Condensing boiler, is it possible?

[Fionageko]

Hi All,

I’m Fiona and new here. I’m in the process of buying a house which has an immersion cylinder for hot water and a separate boiler for gch. The cylinder has been declared as damaged by the vendor (apparently whilst moving their stuff out) since I live alone I would prefer to just have a combi boiler for my hot water and central heating and do away with a cylinder. Is this possible and what sort of work will it entail?

The current set up is a gas boiler for central heating only fitted in the kitchen and an electric immersion cylinder in the airing cupboard upstairs.

Many Thanks guys!

 

[Agile]

It would be unusual to have a gas boiler and a cylinder without a heating coil.

I would never recommend replacing a cylinder by a combi boiler.

If the cylinder really is damaged and not repairable then my recommendation would always be to replace the cylinder with a new one heated by the existing boiler.

That would typically be a third of the cost of replacing the boiler and give all the advantages of having a cylinder.

 

[Madrab]

The current set up is a gas boiler for central heating only fitted in the kitchen and an electric immersion cylinder in the airing cupboard upstairs.

As suggested - that would be very very unusual.

I would also question how they managed to damage the cylinder just by 'moving their stuff out' - not as easy as that to damage a cylinder.

Can you give us a pic or 2 of the cylinder and anything connected to it ( pipes/cables etc)?

Ideally you'd get a recommended heating engineer in to take a good look, just so you know where you stand.

 

[Fionageko]

It would be unusual to have a gas boiler and a cylinder without a heating coil.

I would never recommend replacing a cylinder by a combi boiler.

If the cylinder really is damaged and not repairable then my recommendation would always be to replace the cylinder with a new one heated by the existing boiler.

That would typically be a third of the cost of replacing the boiler and give all the advantages of having a cylinder.

Thank you. I have not seen the damage, but the estate agent informed me and the cylinder was removed at the vendors cost. I would actually prefer to have a combi boiler as it suits my needs better than a cylinder, but I wonder if this is possible and how much work it involves?

 

[Murdochcat]

Surely fitting a new hot tank is the cheapest solution AND if you ever add PV you could then use a divertor to get free hot water

 

[Burnerman]

You can have a condensing combi fitted - but of course you would need quotes as we haven't seen the layout.
I've just had this done with my ancient oil system.....two days from old one out to new system in and commissioned. If the new boiler goes where the old one was, there may not be too much upheaval.
Advantages? Bye bye hot water cylinder (mine was knackered anyway) and likewise the tanks in the loft and the associated pipe work....mine was open vented which belongs in the past now.
My shower pressure is brilliant - and can almost knock me over.
Disadvantages? If the electric or the boiler fails you get neither heating or hot water. With your existing system you retain a certain volume of stored hot water.
A combi will need a long time to fill a bath, by and large and don't expect to run a shower and a hot tap at the same time - especially in winter when the incoming water is so cold!
The installer will need to find a way of draining away the condensate.

Professionals on here (which I am certainly not) may question reliability of a combi.

John

 

[Mottie]

Thank you. I have not seen the damage, but the estate agent informed me and the cylinder was removed at the vendors cost.

If you bought a house with a cylinder and it’s no longer there, you should demand that the cylinder is replaced (not just removed) by the vendor or money to cover all costs of fitting one. They had no right to remove anything after the sale was agreed. If it was damaged, they should have replaced it. They are taking you for a fool.

 

[Elkato531]

Without getting into the debate about which type of system is better, converting a traditional open vented system to a combi is perfectly possible and is a bread and butter job for most heating installers. You have clearly looked at the pros and cons as they apply to your personal requirements.
You will need to get estimates for the work and have the potential installers measure water pressure and flow rate as these are critical for good combi performance. They should also cast their eyes over the current heating system, radiators, valves and controls to make sure they meet current standards. As a very rough ball park you should probably expect somewhere between £3-5K but a lot depends on the particular installation and boiler/materials choices and area of the country.
Mottie is correct though, you expected to be buying a property with a working hot water system and if there isn't one, you should really be compensated.

 

[Fionageko]

Without getting into the debate about which type of system is better, converting a traditional open vented system to a combi is perfectly possible and is a bread and butter job for most heating installers. You have clearly looked at the pros and cons as they apply to your personal requirements.
You will need to get estimates for the work and have the potential installers measure water pressure and flow rate as these are critical for good combi performance. They should also cast their eyes over the current heating system, radiators, valves and controls to make sure they meet current standards. As a very rough ball park you should probably expect somewhere between £3-5K but a lot depends on the particular installation and boiler/materials choices and area of the country.
Mottie is correct though, you expected to be buying a property with a working hot water system and if there isn't one, you should really be compensated.

Really appreciate this post. Thank you

 

[Fionageko]

If you bought a house with a cylinder and it’s no longer there, you should demand that the cylinder is replaced (not just removed) by the vendor or money to cover all costs of fitting one. They had no right to remove anything after the sale was agreed. If it was damaged, they should have replaced it. They are taking you for a fool.

They have taken £2.5k off the asking price as recompense. The agent informed me that the removal of the cylinder was necessary as an emergency measure following the damage it sustained…

 

[muggles]

They have taken £2.5k off the asking price as recompense. The agent informed me that the removal of the cylinder was necessary as an emergency measure following the damage it sustained…

That's fairly decent, and yes in most cases it would be perfectly possible to have a combi boiler instead. Obviously can't see the existing setup so on that basis required works would be...

Reconfigure pipework in airing cupboard & remove loft tanks.
Flush out central heating system.
Take hot & cold from nearest location (probably kitchen sink) to supply new combi boiler
Find a route for the condensate, hopefully back to the kitchen sink waste
Potentially upgrade the gas supply from the meter to the boiler
New boiler, new flue, new controls to comply with Boiler Plus regulations. Should have a system filter and (if appropriate for your area) scale reduction measures installed.

 

[ChrisJP]

mine was open vented which belongs in the past now.

There is nothing wrong with open vented CH and domestic CW&HW systems, and in some ways they are superior to closed pressurised systems. Closed systems put more pressure on radiators and their fittings, potentially leading to leaks, and the elimination of the pipes and tanks associated with open vented systems means there is no backup supply of either hot or cold water. So you're entirely dependent on water mains pressure being maintained.
Having a HW cylinder with both a heating coil within it and an immersion heater also means you have a back up for hot water if the boiler fails
I don't think any of this "belongs in the past".

 

[Agile]

Replacing the cylinder with a new one to be heated by the existing boiler would be the cheapest option and could easily be less than £1000 and would give a better hot water performance as well as an electric backup if the gas supply or boiler failed.

With the current world political situation and the possible effect on gas supplies I do not think we can assume there may not be gas supply cuts in the future.

 

[Fionageko]

Replacing the cylinder with a new one to be heated by the existing boiler would be the cheapest option and could easily be less than £1000 and would give a better hot water performance as well as an electric backup if the gas supply or boiler failed.

With the current world political situation and the possible effect on gas supplies I do not think we can assume there may not be gas supply cuts in the future.

Valid points. But with respect I’ve repeatedly said I prefer a combi boiler. I am cabin crew so away from home for consecutive periods and live alone. When I return home I like a soak in the bath and need to hand wash a fair amount of clothes, I find I run out of hot water and have to wait for the cylinder to refill/heat up. I find this really inconvenient hence my preference for a combi.

 

[Mottie]

I prefer a combi boiler.

Well, you’ll need to get your water pressure and flow rate tested before you even consider replacing your heat only boiler with a combi boiler. If okay, you’ll need to get a heating engineer round to carry out a survey to see what’s needed. What boiler do you currently have?