Why is life so cruel
Discussion
Hi All
Well the boiler just went to heaven, My mate says as the boiler is 35 years old I should change the radiators as well (going onto a presurised system). he also said I should change the cylinder for a un vented stainless steel one, (not having a comby as we don't like them). So all in all it just comes to the same amount I have for my painting and upholstery fund, why is life so cruel,it could have waited until the weather was warmer so I could have got my car done.
Alan
Well the boiler just went to heaven, My mate says as the boiler is 35 years old I should change the radiators as well (going onto a presurised system). he also said I should change the cylinder for a un vented stainless steel one, (not having a comby as we don't like them). So all in all it just comes to the same amount I have for my painting and upholstery fund, why is life so cruel,it could have waited until the weather was warmer so I could have got my car done.
Alan
Alan,
S
ummer is almost upon us, you won't need heating until next winter, so don't go wasting your paint & upholstery budget on central heating you won't need for the next 8 months.
Just tell your missus to put on a couple of extra layers if it gets a bit chilly, and go down to the pub for a warm up.
It's all about getting your priorities right.
HTH
Glen.
PS, If you need a little cash, Barry says do you want to sell your S roof?
S
ummer is almost upon us, you won't need heating until next winter, so don't go wasting your paint & upholstery budget on central heating you won't need for the next 8 months.
Just tell your missus to put on a couple of extra layers if it gets a bit chilly, and go down to the pub for a warm up.
It's all about getting your priorities right.
HTH
Glen.
PS, If you need a little cash, Barry says do you want to sell your S roof?
Ditto Alan! I think we may need to cry on each others shoulders! Just paid for the hood and started saving for paint. Changed a radiator last week, caused an air lock in the hot water system. While sorting that the investigation revealed a leak in the old and trusted Baxi, a faulty diverter valve and a bad bodge in some piping. New boiler and ancillaries and a big chunk of piping to rip out, necessitating ripping out shower enclosure to get under it....********..
Ah well, as Glen says, I have 8 months to do it in, between trips out in the S, hopefully with the new hood doing absolutely nothing folded down!!!
Next year I will have the funds....but 'next year' has been coming for a good few years now!
Ah well, as Glen says, I have 8 months to do it in, between trips out in the S, hopefully with the new hood doing absolutely nothing folded down!!!
Next year I will have the funds....but 'next year' has been coming for a good few years now!
Tough luck Alan, just when you were so close
PhilH73 said:
....just make sure you have a 22mm cold main in to the property or you may need to boost it for flow rate.
Why not stick with the old fashioned gravity fed and pumped system and use the old rads (so long as there are nbo leaks)? you might find that once they have been flushed through and supplied by a new boiler they will be fine. And check you have a 22mm supply going from the main to the cold water tank in the loft. I went to a lot of trouble to find 22mm un-restricted bath taps and connectors only to find I can fill the bath quicker than the cold water tank can be re-filled through the 15mm supply from the stop-cock. Doooh...... Must have saved the builder all of £15 that one.v8s4me said:
Why not stick with the old fashioned gravity fed and pumped system and use the old rads (so long as there are nbo leaks)? you might find that once they have been flushed through and supplied by a new boiler they will be fine. And check you have a 22mm supply going from the main to the cold water tank in the loft. I went to a lot of trouble to find 22mm un-restricted bath taps and connectors only to find I can fill the bath quicker than the cold water tank can be re-filled through the 15mm supply from the stop-cock. Doooh...... Must have saved the builder all of £15 that one.
Like Joe says above. Gravity fed pumped system, none of this combi pressurised fan assisted electronic bo!!ox. The tales of woe I have heard from so many people that their system has shut down because some little control board has packed up somewhere, if only the boiler people could ascertain which of the numerous boards is the faulty one.My partner spent thousands on a German system, and in the eight years she has had it has spent nearly the same amount again in servicing and failed parts. It is mounted in the loft and she has to run the water downstairs for ages before it is hot enough to use, as she is on a water meter it doesn't represent the cost saving she thought it might.
Friends have a 2 year old combi, spends more time in help mode and it's just when you need hot water, Gone for a Worcester with built in pump and diverter valve, Albian cylinder, new Stelrad rads and a RF control kit,
Come 6th we will see what to do with the Pensions, we left them last year to see what options would be but it looks like it's been just a con to get Tax in and rip us off.
Alan
Come 6th we will see what to do with the Pensions, we left them last year to see what options would be but it looks like it's been just a con to get Tax in and rip us off.
Alan
Hi Alan
Sorry to hear about your dilemma.
I had the same problem a couple or 3 years ago in my last house. I had a Baxi which in theory last forever with the cast iron heat exchanger....however spent £600 on parts keeping it going and wish I had just swapped it out of a new one. God knows what it would have cost If I paid for the repairs as well.
My solution was to buy one off eBay for £40, strip it down and rebuild it (just like a car). I then fitted it and tested for leaks and for the running performance as per the installation manual (easily downloaded) using a manometer which can easily make.
Guess I got lucky with the one off eBay but to make sure it was all ok I got a gas safety check done for about £40. So it can be done quite cheaply. Don't suppose it's particularly legal but I am only a sparky and don't know about the Gas regs!
Your mate is probably right about the choice though. My parents put in a combi and the sludge from the old rads chocked the heat exchanger for the hot water so not a good replacement.
Can't see why you can't just replace the boiler though with a HE heat only unit type. This basically usually means that the pump is somewhere else along with the 3 way or 2 two way valves. Therefore they are cheaper normally around £500 new if you shop around than an all in one. Also similar to install.
The only thing I am not sure about is weather you can buy one for a non pressurised system these days although you can still buy a vented tank for a couple of hundred quid so guess that's not the end of the world either.
On the plus side I found I saved about £300 a year at least heating the house as a 95% efficient condensing boiler compared to an 80% efficiant one can be a bonus.
Strangely I found most of the info and how to fix my old Baxi boiler on Piston heads.
Just let us know if you have any other thoughts as I have done my research here!
Cheers Greg
Sorry to hear about your dilemma.
I had the same problem a couple or 3 years ago in my last house. I had a Baxi which in theory last forever with the cast iron heat exchanger....however spent £600 on parts keeping it going and wish I had just swapped it out of a new one. God knows what it would have cost If I paid for the repairs as well.
My solution was to buy one off eBay for £40, strip it down and rebuild it (just like a car). I then fitted it and tested for leaks and for the running performance as per the installation manual (easily downloaded) using a manometer which can easily make.
Guess I got lucky with the one off eBay but to make sure it was all ok I got a gas safety check done for about £40. So it can be done quite cheaply. Don't suppose it's particularly legal but I am only a sparky and don't know about the Gas regs!
Your mate is probably right about the choice though. My parents put in a combi and the sludge from the old rads chocked the heat exchanger for the hot water so not a good replacement.
Can't see why you can't just replace the boiler though with a HE heat only unit type. This basically usually means that the pump is somewhere else along with the 3 way or 2 two way valves. Therefore they are cheaper normally around £500 new if you shop around than an all in one. Also similar to install.
The only thing I am not sure about is weather you can buy one for a non pressurised system these days although you can still buy a vented tank for a couple of hundred quid so guess that's not the end of the world either.
On the plus side I found I saved about £300 a year at least heating the house as a 95% efficient condensing boiler compared to an 80% efficiant one can be a bonus.
Strangely I found most of the info and how to fix my old Baxi boiler on Piston heads.
Just let us know if you have any other thoughts as I have done my research here!
Cheers Greg
Life sure is cruel ! My daily hack decided to throw the cambelt tensioner pulley, replacement engine fitted . My liftshare for work smashed his car up with me in it, back and neck problems now 
, just to top it all off, my Chim` was hit by a young lady, she kindly reversed into it 
I must be due a slice of lucky cake. On the plus side, my courtesy car is a Mercedes 350 Coupe on a 14 plate, what a machine. I`m hoping to get the Chim` back this weekend, at least I can get out and about in a proper car 
My S is coming along nicely, hope to get her finished soon.
. My liftshare for work smashed his car up with me in it, back and neck problems now , just to top it all off, my Chim` was hit by a young lady, she kindly reversed into it I must be due a slice of lucky cake. On the plus side, my courtesy car is a Mercedes 350 Coupe on a 14 plate, what a machine. I`m hoping to get the Chim` back this weekend, at least I can get out and about in a proper car My S is coming along nicely, hope to get her finished soon.Buzzlt said:
..... I am only a sparky and don't know about the Gas regs!
Nor me but I know it's not a good idea to mix sparks with gas .What a fantastic forum! Not only can you find out how to fix your 'S' you can also get help on fixing your gas boiler as well I like the idea of buying an old boiler for spares.
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