Is Condensing gas boiler risky with 16 year old pipes

[cronley]

I am replacing 16 year old natural gas boiler (non combi) & non condensing. The house is 16 years old - so pipework is same age. I am also going for non combi with new boiler. My preference for new boiler is Condensing non combi. The Bord Gas approved installer is advising against Condensing boiler. He says Condensing non combi will put extra pressure on pipework - may cause leaks & risk redoing all pipework.
Is he right about this, or is he only trying to avoid a bit of extra work with the new Condensing boiler.
I imagine existing pipework is copper or qualplex.

 

[Gautama]

I'm planning something similar.
The Bord Gais affiliated engineer said there would be no problem.
Would cost €2,600 to supply and fit.
Went to a different Bord Gais affiliated shop, they reckon €2,200, will be getting them to visit soon...

 

[f1_jb]

I am replacing 16 year old natural gas boiler (non combi) & non condensing. The house is 16 years old - so pipework is same age. I am also going for non combi with new boiler. My preference for new boiler is Condensing non combi. The Bord Gas approved installer is advising against Condensing boiler. He says Condensing non combi will put extra pressure on pipework - may cause leaks & risk redoing all pipework.
Is he right about this, or is he only trying to avoid a bit of extra work with the new Condensing boiler.
I imagine existing pipework is copper or qualplex.

I will never understand why some plumbers are afraid of new technology so much, there is no difference at all in the way a Condensing boiler puts so called "Extra Pressure" on old pipes.

For years I have been listening to all the excuses for not using condensing boilers as far back 11 years ago when I installed one of the 1st Potterton Surprima boilers that was sold in the country when a supplier put me off telling me I would have to change all my piping and rads for the condensing boiler I was looking to install at the time.

I have in the last year installed a Condensing boiler on 16 year old pipe work with 16 year old rads and because I have always treated the water in the system from day one it's as clean now as it was when I first installed the system. Heating systems should always be flushed when new and an inhibitor added to the water but in the past plumbers where too lazy to do so and still to this day they won't unless you ask them and you would need to nearly oversee them doing it because they will add the inhibitor but not flush it first.

 

[gary71]

If your system is a open system with a tank in the loft and you change this to a closed (sealed) system with a filling loop, it is possible that you may have problems with leaks, as you are filling the system to a higher pressure than it is now, the issue is the extra pressure and not the type of boiler you use.