I've got a Vaillant ecomax 835/2e which is showing all the signs of impending death. It won't generate anything more than tepid water when a tap is turned on (burner goes initially full then back to part throttle with status code S53) and the diverter and secondary heat exchanger have been replaced. The CH isn't working properly either, sometimes the rads get warm (not hot) but often some of the feed pipes get warm but the rads don't even if I turn the pump up to maximum - it's never been great since I moved in last year though.

It has been suggested (by Vaillant, and by the plumber that replaced the secondary heat exchanger) that this all means the main heat exchanger is clogged up so not able to deliver water fast enough and the boiler goes into part power mode. The price of this part is so expensive that I might as well just spend a bit more and get another boiler. Six years does not seem a reasonable working life for something like this

Anyway, what's a good make to replace it with? Something like the now 25 year old non-combi, non-condensing, non-breaking down Gloworm that I helped my Dad fit at my parents house in the 1980s (good old days when you could work on gas and electrics yourself) would be good.

This is a post I posted a few weeks back, the fault to your boiler appears to be similar to the fault I had with an aging Worcester boiler. Do Vaillant offer a similar service, repair contract to what Worcester offered me?

“About 6 months ago I purchased a property with a Worcester combi boiler installed. When the tenant/s were using the shower, the boiler would stop producing hot water. My regular boiler engineer recommended a possible new heat exchanger and a power flush, but was recommended to try the power flush first.

The power flush failed to correct the problem with the hot water system, the engineer suggested a new heat exchanger costing 700.00 to supply and install, with no guarantee that this might work.

I phoned Worcester direct, it was suggested I take out an annual maintenance contract costing 23.00 per month, this I did @ 10.30 am, at 11.30 a phone call from a Worcester engineer confirmed he would be with me within the hour. By the afternoon of that same day, Worcester had replaced the heat exchanger and another part (possibly second heat exchanger), and the boiler has functioned correctly ever since.”

My Potterton was installed in 1996, it is still producing good HW & CH but has been repaired on many occasions and has needed new parts. I reckon on a couple of more years and that will be it. I hope it lasts until I move! Fortunately I have been able to fix its faults myself, as I type the fan is making horrible noises, the bearings are shot, this will need a strip down soon I expect.

I have had to fix something every year, I now leave the front casing off for easy access and a bowl underneath for when it springs another leak.

My cheapo Ravenheat combi is up to 8 years.

New fan fitted by myself and a very minor leak in the heat exchanger (which fixed itself after a year)

Old boiler lasted 30 years before it rusted away. The Ravenheat is saving about 25% on my Gas bills so will just about pay for itself and fitting after 8 years. Might try a better brand if it dies but they cost twice as much so I'd expect 16 years at least!

Based upon what exactly?

I visit many boilers a week that are over 10 years old and still going strong.

Ours has been in some 10 years now, and is still going strong. Expecting it to die in the next couple of years, not based on anything, just seems the norm. If it doesn't, great. If it does, well we expected it.

Glad you said that. I'm just having a WB 35CDI fitted with a Magnaclean on the return...