We need a new boiler - where to start
Discussion
We have a Ideal Mexico Super 3 in the house since built in 2000 and Im aware its a big inefficient thing with no room thermo and it has to be on for hot water, its also in the middle of the house so its also illegal under current regs.
I am wary of being ripped off on something I know nothing about, we will need a wall mounted boiler fitting and the pipework extending and I suppose I start with a BG quote and an indy
Anything to consider? we have a megaflow cylinder as well if it makes any odds.
I hate buying stuff I know nothing about
I am wary of being ripped off on something I know nothing about, we will need a wall mounted boiler fitting and the pipework extending and I suppose I start with a BG quote and an indy
Anything to consider? we have a megaflow cylinder as well if it makes any odds.
I hate buying stuff I know nothing about
What do you mean by it has to be on for hot water? Is it a combi, or a regular boiler with a cylinder?
Also, why does it being in the middle of the house make it illegal? My Nan's is and was moved there a couple of years ago. Moving it will significantly add to the cost
Is it actually broken? Why do you want to replace it? The payback period is long.
Also, why does it being in the middle of the house make it illegal? My Nan's is and was moved there a couple of years ago. Moving it will significantly add to the cost
Is it actually broken? Why do you want to replace it? The payback period is long.
I guess it is an open flue version of the Mexico, if it doesn't meet current standards. If the flue & ventilation is ok it shouldn't be a problem to retain until something serious fails, there are thousands still fitted & working safely. An update to the control system would possible be beneficial.
When changing to a modern boiler open flues are to be avoided in domestic installations as modern room sealed boilers are safer & more efficient. The downside is that they are more complex and suffer more breakdowns overall.
When changing to a modern boiler open flues are to be avoided in domestic installations as modern room sealed boilers are safer & more efficient. The downside is that they are more complex and suffer more breakdowns overall.
Edited by forest07 on Friday 28th November 14:24
Pheo said:
What do you mean by it has to be on for hot water? Is it a combi, or a regular boiler with a cylinder?
Also, why does it being in the middle of the house make it illegal? My Nan's is and was moved there a couple of years ago. Moving it will significantly add to the cost
Is it actually broken? Why do you want to replace it? The payback period is long.
Reg with cylinder but we empty the cyl and end up needing to use the boiler again, if the megaflow can be used to heat water up I have no idea how to use that.Also, why does it being in the middle of the house make it illegal? My Nan's is and was moved there a couple of years ago. Moving it will significantly add to the cost
Is it actually broken? Why do you want to replace it? The payback period is long.
Being in the middle of the house the flue comes up through the middle of the house - I am told this is illegal ? I want to replace it because I am told its very very inefficient and we can save £500+ a year
DSLiverpool said:
Reg with cylinder but we empty the cyl and end up needing to use the boiler again, if the megaflow can be used to heat water up I have no idea how to use that.
Being in the middle of the house the flue comes up through the middle of the house - I am told this is illegal ? I want to replace it because I am told its very very inefficient and we can save £500+ a year
The installation is not illegal it just doent meet current standards. £500 is a big saving I would want to see some calculation of how this would be achieved.. Maybe you have a larger than average home. Being in the middle of the house the flue comes up through the middle of the house - I am told this is illegal ? I want to replace it because I am told its very very inefficient and we can save £500+ a year
Be wary of sales talk
forest07 said:
DSLiverpool said:
Reg with cylinder but we empty the cyl and end up needing to use the boiler again, if the megaflow can be used to heat water up I have no idea how to use that.
Being in the middle of the house the flue comes up through the middle of the house - I am told this is illegal ? I want to replace it because I am told its very very inefficient and we can save £500+ a year
The installation is not illegal it just doent meet current standards. £500 is a big saving I would want to see some calculation of how this would be achieved.. Maybe you have a larger than average home. Being in the middle of the house the flue comes up through the middle of the house - I am told this is illegal ? I want to replace it because I am told its very very inefficient and we can save £500+ a year
Be wary of sales talk
It maybe a gravity system that you have. With the type of boiler you have you need a room & cylinder thermostats as A priority.
The Mexico will be around 75% efficient, modern boilers can be above 90%. But installation dependant on boiler size and & new position & additional controls is likely to be in excess of £2500.
The Mexico will be around 75% efficient, modern boilers can be above 90%. But installation dependant on boiler size and & new position & additional controls is likely to be in excess of £2500.
seconded, and beware there are loads of cowboys out there who will take you for a ride...
My folks 20 year old boiler stopped working. Along came a plumber - ooo it's obselete, no parts available for these anymore, 2 grand for a new boiler.
I got the symptoms and ten minutes of googling later had diagnosed the faulty part from the manufacturers online guide, located the nearest locally available part (gas control valve, 50 quid) and got the old boy moving to go buy it. Next day a different plumber fitted it for 80 quid, job jobbed and a big two fingers to the t
t who was fishing for a big, unnecessary condemn and replace...
My folks 20 year old boiler stopped working. Along came a plumber - ooo it's obselete, no parts available for these anymore, 2 grand for a new boiler.
I got the symptoms and ten minutes of googling later had diagnosed the faulty part from the manufacturers online guide, located the nearest locally available part (gas control valve, 50 quid) and got the old boy moving to go buy it. Next day a different plumber fitted it for 80 quid, job jobbed and a big two fingers to the t
t who was fishing for a big, unnecessary condemn and replace...Food for thought, maybe a bloody good service would help, when I say illegal - I mean the chimney (?) flue goes up in the middle of the house through our bedroom (we have 3 detectors in our bedroom and 3 more in the utility room - if it leaks we will know) - whenever anyone comes round to work on it they put an unsafe label on it and want to shut it off !!!
DSLiverpool said:
Food for thought, maybe a bloody good service would help, when I say illegal - I mean the chimney (?) flue goes up in the middle of the house through our bedroom (we have 3 detectors in our bedroom and 3 more in the utility room - if it leaks we will know) - whenever anyone comes round to work on it they put an unsafe label on it and want to shut it off !!!
I think that only applies to room sealed boilers, and yours probably isn't.The ideal mexico super 3 is a very decent boiler and will last for years and years, and is very unlikely to go wrong as there is bugger all in it.
If its on a megaflow it wont be a gravity set up it must be fully pumped and the system wont be sealed as this is not compatible with a super 3 as no limit stat.
It is however a bit of a lump of a boiler and if your replacing it because its in the way then fair enough, but dont expect the new boiler to be anywhere near as reliable as they just are not.
New boilers monitor everything system pressure, fan speed, flow and return differentials and such if it does not like a reading it will lock out in some way or the other, they are also very very sensitive to any debris in the system at all so fit filters.
good luck
ss
If its on a megaflow it wont be a gravity set up it must be fully pumped and the system wont be sealed as this is not compatible with a super 3 as no limit stat.
It is however a bit of a lump of a boiler and if your replacing it because its in the way then fair enough, but dont expect the new boiler to be anywhere near as reliable as they just are not.
New boilers monitor everything system pressure, fan speed, flow and return differentials and such if it does not like a reading it will lock out in some way or the other, they are also very very sensitive to any debris in the system at all so fit filters.
good luck
ss
As already said, keep it if it's still going, and add a cylinder stat and a proper programmer/timer for the hot water side of it, and a programmable room stat for the rads.
Fitting thermostatic rad valves probably won't save much in gas, but they'll have to do those when they fit a plastic replacement modern boiler...
Fitting thermostatic rad valves probably won't save much in gas, but they'll have to do those when they fit a plastic replacement modern boiler...
DSLiverpool said:
It works perfectly to be honest I just wanted to use less gas, the missus turns the boiler on when she needs hot water - is the megaflow not an immersion heater or can it be made into one ?
Megaflo is just a pressurised hot water cylinder. Are you sure that's what you've got - they would be fairly unusual in a 1990 house? Keeping it hot should be neither here nor there in the great scheme of things. I'd have thought it must have its own thermostat otherwise it could boil? And its water would be stinking hot (although maybe there's a mixer on the outlet?) It should also be well insulated. Normally you'd have the boiler programmer set to have the hot water heated all the time there are people in the house, except during the night.
Not having a room thermostat means the boiler will keep cycling even when the house is up to temp, which is obviously wasteful. But siting a room thermostat can be tricky especially in a bigger house, and you might get moaned at as some parts of the house are cold.
My daughter's house just had a new Worcester Bosch boiler and their Wave controller which can have weather compensation enabled. I can't quite get my head around if it's a great idea, but if enabled, it runs the pump all the time (can go off at night) but varies the flow temp according to the outside temp, keeping the house comfortable all the time.
Some weather comp systems don't have an inside thermostat - it becomes redundant. Effectively that's what you've got now - you probably turn the boiler 'stat down when it's warm and up when it's cold. The advantage of a modern boiler is it's not on/off - the burner modulates down to a low level and keeps things ticking over.
Edited by Sheepshanks on Friday 28th November 21:13
Stick a decent controller on it which allows you to control the hot water (look at the thread on here). Personally I would try a Tado. Then you can have it fire up and replace the hot water as needed on a schedule,
Replacing the boiler won't magically mean there is alwYs hot water, unless you go for a combi - and then there's a bunch of other potential problems
Replacing the boiler won't magically mean there is alwYs hot water, unless you go for a combi - and then there's a bunch of other potential problems
Pheo said:
Stick a decent controller on it which allows you to control the hot water (look at the thread on here). Personally I would try a Tado. Then you can have it fire up and replace the hot water as needed on a schedule,
Replacing the boiler won't magically mean there is alwYs hot water, unless you go for a combi - and then there's a bunch of other potential problems
This. Tell the salesman to eff off. The clue is in his job title. If the flue is going up through the property much of the heat from the flue gas is taken up by the fabric of the property thus nullifying much of the 'inefficiency' of an old boiler. It'll keep going for donkey's years, generic parts will keep it going. If it's working, keep it. If it's not, repair it unless it's the heat exchanger when you probably won't be able to get the part. Replacing the boiler won't magically mean there is alwYs hot water, unless you go for a combi - and then there's a bunch of other potential problems
So much b
ks spouted about the 'savings' to be made from changing to a modern boiler.
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