Cost of replacing 24 yr old Potterton gas boiler

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elainem

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Would anyone know the cost of replacing a 24 year old Potterton gas boiler with a condensor boiler. Currently the boiler is working perfectly, but the plumber who replaced a part in it last year said it is getting more difficult to locate parts - but I am still reluctant to replace it if it is working well.
 
elainem said:
Would anyone know the cost of replacing a 24 year old Potterton gas boiler with a condensor boiler. Currently the boiler is working perfectly, but the plumber who replaced a part in it last year said it is getting more difficult to locate parts - but I am still reluctant to replace it if it is working well.
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what are your heating bills per year? a new boiler should half whatever they are
 
Would it really halve it? I have a 21 yr old Potterton gas boiler, also working perfectly TG.
I also use the gas for a hob, I got my tank filled recently and it cost practically 1,000 however it was over 13 months since last delivery. I thought that was kind of good value, I have a 2,500 sq ft bungalow. Would consider changing the boiler if I really thought it would halve the bills.
 
let quantify this, what is the efficiency of your existing boiler?

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lets say yours is circa 65% with current models at 95-97% efficiency, add % reduction of efficiency due to age, add any upgrades that are required to a 20+ year old system, maybe that's just the hot water tank and/or heating controls (so if you want the HWT heated, you dont have to heat the Rads etc and vice versa)
its easy to see how you'd save half your running costs by upgrading the boiler, paying for itself in the first few years

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plus there's are grants available

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the next question is, if you're boiler is 20+ years old, what level of general building fabric upgrades are required?

Low CO2 Design Ltd
 
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I'm always weary of the "change your boiler to save money" story. I too have an old Potterston boiler. My gas bills are usually pretty low (I have a small house and not a big heat fan) so my gas bill averages out at about €90 per bill. €10 of this is a standing charge, and I guess another €10 (very min) is used by my gas hob. That means it costs €70 to heat my house for 2 months. Even if a new boiler saved me 30% (which I cant see happening) I would save €126 per year. I would be a long time saving the price of a new boiler at €126 per year!

I think I will let my old boiler limp along for as long as it can. Hopefully I can get a few more years out of it and the new boilers in a few years will be even more efficient and maybe cheaper than they are now.

BTW - the SEAI grants are a joke. The grant is for €560 but only when you use an approved supplier. Most of the approved suppliers will add on €500 for the pleasure of being approved.
 
Right, that's all too complicated for me, I'm not going to shell out to replace radiators etc or do any major work to fabric of house itself. I am happy enough paying average 100 approx p.m. for my heat and hob, it seems reasonable to me when I talk to people who have oil, I know we are probably not comparing like with like as their houses might be in need of upgrading too. I know my house is certainly very draughty from a badly done attic conversion but without incurring massive costs there is not much I can do about it now.

Will keep going until my trusty old Potterton gives up, hopefully not for a while yet. Any of the original fittings in this house that I have replaced have not lasted anything like the length of the originals, they just don't make stuff as good I think. I had a 30 yr old upright freezer that I eventually got rid of because it was icing up due to a door seal fault, new one is less than 3 yrs old and is useless, needs defrosting once a month, ices up worse than the old broken one, service man out 3 times and says it's fine!
 
wbbs said:
Right, that's all too complicated for me, I'm not going to shell out to replace radiators etc
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i never mentioned rads
or do any major work to fabric of house itself. I am happy enough paying average 100 approx p.m. for my heat and hob,
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good for you
I know my house is certainly very draughty from a badly done attic conversion but without incurring massive costs there is not much I can do about it now.
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i suppose you'd have to define 'massive' and how you value comfort of your home where one spends a fare portion of their time
Will keep going until my trusty old Potterton gives up, hopefully not for a while yet. Any of the original fittings in this house that I have replaced have not lasted anything like the length of the originals, they just don't make stuff as good I think. I had a 30 yr old upright freezer that I eventually got rid of because it was icing up due to a door seal fault, new one is less than 3 yrs old and is useless, needs defrosting once a month, ices up worse than the old broken one, service man out 3 times and says it's fine!
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i have to agree that you get what you pay for.

but let me put it another way, do you have a twenty plus year old car and your timing belt is due to be changed, do you change it or wait for it to go? or then again, do you upgrade to a newer model every few years for comfort and to reduce running costs/risk of break down?
if your happy with a draughty house, grand. and willing to wait for the boiler system to go completely fail fare enough. lets hope its during the summer
 
Funny enough I have a 14 year old car which is due a timing belt change and I am holding out until the last minute, if it goes it goes.

It's not about spending the money, it's about not having it to spend!
 
I notice that nobody has given an answer to your original question. There are quite a few variables but the cost to replace boiler only would be in the region of 2000 euros for a good quality boiler.
 
If it were me I would look to get a Veissman condenser boiler,they are pretty much top of the range when it comes to boilers and are bullet proof.

I would think you would get one fitted incl system flush and a magnetec system? etc for €2,000-2,100.I had one fitted a year ago and have the chaps number,very reliable and obliging fella,needless to say I got 3-4 different quotes before I engaged him.

However if its still working there is no need to replace it,when next it gives trouble then you need to work out which is cheaper,repairing or replacing.
 
I am in the business & most of my work is heating control upgrades & gas & oil boiler replacements. Saying that, I think SEAI is slightly exaggerating their figures or not fully explaining their publications.
Firstly, they work their figures from the most basic system & each point added gives a saving. For example adding a timeclock would add say 5%. I don't know a boiler system apart from solid fuel that does not already have a timeclock. Other additions are zone valves, thermostats, TRV's, etc. & each measure adds a saving.
High efficiency gas & oil boilers offer very differing savings.
Whilst a condensing boiler has a return temperature <20C lower than the flow, the boiler is in its most efficient state. This will deliver a saving of 15% over a standard efficiency boiler. If the boiler is over-sized, the system return will rise & eventually take the boiler out of condensing mode. At this stage, the boiler will only achieve a saving of approx 5% over a standard efficiency boiler.
This is for both oil & gas.
Where the gas boiler now wins hands down over an oil boiler & delivers far greater than 15% savings is its ability to modulate. A HE gas boiler will monitor its return temperature, turn down the flame to maintain a flatline demand & operate for longer but using a very small amount of gas. Think of it like boiling a pot of water on a gas ring. Full flame to bring it to boil, then simmer it just below boiling point to maintain the desired temperature but only on low flame, rather than full flame, let it cool a bit, then full flame, and so on.
Added with zone controls a gas boiler will behave exactly to suit the demand required of it at that particular moment, using only the fuel required.
This is where the future lies with system efficiency. Obviously insulation & heat losses come into play but I am talking about the heating system.
 
That's very interesting and especially about the gas boiler. I don't understand the nuts and bolts of the thing obviously but I have always thought my boiler must use less gas to keep the radiators at the temp it does than the oil I had in previous house. There is a dial on the boiler from 1 to 5, I have never turned it past 1.5 or so and at that you couldn't put your hand on a radiator, normally it is at a little less than 1.
 
Your 21 year old gas boiler will certainly only fire on full flame or nothing. The setting on the dial will just make the boiler short cycle more frequently.
At that age, it may also have a permanent pilot light. If it does it is costing you approx €150 per year just to keep the pilot lit!
 
Ok, I get it now, yes it does go off and on the whole time. Must have a look tomorrow, I think there may be a pilot light alright, that's expensive just to keep that lighting! Quite a percentage of the total €1,000 usage for year!
 
If the pilot goes out when the boiler is off, then it is not a permanent pilot so the cost I quoted is not applicable.
Boilers such as the floor mounted Kingfisher have permanent pilots. Luckily most have all now been replaced but they are still out there.
 
Replacing a 24 year old Potterton boiler?

Hi! Everyone, thanks for all your comments/advice. The first quote I got was for e3000 - where I would pay 3000 up front and then claim the e500 grant money back - this seems quite a large amount to me for a boiler change, and I also wondered was this whole grant thing a bit of a scam! The plumber (who has done work for me before) said that zoning the heating system - which he said can be done on my system - would increase the energy efficency of the boiler and add to the BER rating. Is this true? I really don't see the point in putting zoning in on a two bedroomed house with open planc kitchen and living area? Am I correct? This quote was for a Bosch boiler.

The second quote was for e1850, with a Bosch boiler also, but without zoning.

I would welcome any comments/advice re the quotes.
 
You are at nothing with either of them if a full & proper powerflush is not carried out before the new boiler is installed. It is part of manufacturer's warranty conditions. By the sounds of the pricing, it is not included in either.
 
Replacing a 24 year old Potterton boiler

Hi! Shane007, what should the cost be if a Powerflush was done before installation?

I will certainly now make sure it is done.
 
A Powerflush on its own costs about €450 but we would always considerably discount the price if we were also replacing the boiler.
A proper Powerflush will take a day to complete to if they can Powerflush & change the boiler in the same day, something is amiss. It will be a 2 day job in total.
A drain down & refill is not a Powerflush. It is done with a dedicated Powerflushing machine & Powerflushing chemicals. The system should be properly inhibited upon completion also.
Also make sure they can fully commission the boiler with a flue gas analyiser. This is also a regulation & a must but many do have have one. Make sure you get a print out of the analysis.
 
Replacing 24 year old gas boiler?

Hi! Shane007, thanks so much for that advice. It's very clear. I'm pretty sure they were both not going to do the Powerflush. Just one more thing, can you let me know what 'properly inhibited' upon completion means - I understand the rest of the stuff, including the print-out bit?

Thanks.
 
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