Advice on Choosing A Replacement Boiler

[Jim A]

Good Morning All: I've finally decided that it's time to have my old Ideal-Standard floor standing boiler replaced - it's been working for the past 36 years with very few problems, but I suspect that it's efficiency is not very good compared with the latest condensing boilers. My present system is gravity hot water and pumped heating, and I would like to replace this with a fully pumped system.
My plumber is reccomending the Worcester/Bosch floor standing boiler, but I've heard mixed reports about their reliability. Does anyone have any comments on this?. What about Potterton - are they any better?. All comments gratefully received.

[stoneyboy]

Jim A,
Get your plumber to sniff the flue gases and tell you what the efficiency is.
A new boiler is unlikely to have a life longer than 10 years so while spares are available for the old one if its efficiency is not too bad I would stick with it.
end

[norwich-plumber]

sorry is this gas or oil
just my opinion do not get a potterton
and why not a wall boiler they are much smaller

[norwich-plumber]

your old boiler will be no more that 40% efficient and you have got gravity hot water so every £100 - £60 goes up the chimney a new boiler will be round about 90% efficient

[Jim A]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Stoneyboy - You're saying exactly what another plumber told me several years ago. Spares are hard to come by, I had a devil of a job getting a replacement boiler stat recently.

Norwich-plumber - It'a gas boiler, and I don't want to muck up the kitchen too much. I think a replacement floor standing boiler would slot in easily in the space occupied by the present one.
According to the data chart inside the boiler, the original efficiency was 74% (81,000BThU in, 60,000BThU out). It sounds like a scaled up kettle as it warms up, so I suppose it's nowhere near that figure now.

Is there a make of boiler that stands out as being more reliable/has a longer life etc. than other makes?

Thanks again

[AdamsHeating]

Hiya mate,

Three to go at:

Vaillant
Broag - Remeha
Worcester Bosch

In that order.

After that you start dropping down the pecking order.... pottertons, alpha, vokera.

Please bear in mind that this is only my opinion based on the boilers i've installed to call back ratio.

AH.

[Jim A]

Thanks AdamsHeating - I'll bear your advice in mind.