Another boiler & water tank question

[theboyfold]

We've just moved into a house and the boiler is from the dark ages, has very little in the way of controls and has to have the heating on at the same time as the water. So we're looking at getting it replaced.

We've just had a quote from British Gas and they have said we need a new water tank (the big metal one, I'm clueless on plumbing!) they have also said the whole system needs to be 'brought up to spec' which means a lot of new pipe work etc etc

How much of this is true, is it possible to even guess with such a shoddy description and the one I've given and without seeing the current system?!

[InfoRetrieval]

Aha you said the magic words "British Gas". Get another opinion from a locally recommended plumber. British Gas quoted my brother 50% more than he eventually paid for his boiler replacement.

[xllifts]

theboyfold said:

We've just moved into a house and the boiler is from the dark ages, has very little in the way of controls and has to have the heating on at the same time as the water. So we're looking at getting it replaced.

We've just had a quote from British Gas and they have said we need a new water tank (the big metal one, I'm clueless on plumbing!) they have also said the whole system needs to be 'brought up to spec' which means a lot of new pipe work etc etc

How much of this is true, is it possible to even guess with such a shoddy description and the one I've given and without seeing the current system?!

Mark are you talking combi boiler or indirect copper tank system?

[theboyfold]

xllifts said:

Mark are you talking combi boiler or indirect copper tank system?

Evenin' mate, it's an indirect copper tank system

[rovermorris999]

If the old boiler is working ok I'd just upgrade the controls and valves to give you more control and save a few thousand. That'll buy a lot of fuel and the old boiler will likely go on for years.

[theboyfold]

rovermorris999 said:

If the old boiler is working ok I'd just upgrade the controls and valves to give you more control and save a few thousand. That'll buy a lot of fuel and the old boiler will likely go on for years.

It's a gas boiler so I can't pre-buy any fuel. However, it's interesting the point about the controls and the like. So we could buy a more advanced control system and replace the boiler in the years to come?

[Rickyy]

Get a quote from a few local installers.

You probably have a gravity hot water/pumped heating setup. You will need to have it converted to fully pumped, this is where the extra pipework, controls and valves come in.

No need to have a new cylinder, but depending on the age and condition of the existing one, it may make sense to have it changed it one go. A new cylinder will have better thermal efficiency and recovery rates.

[theboyfold]

Thanks for that, I seem to remember the guy who checked over the boiler when we moved in said that it's gravity and pumped. He pretty much said everything that you said in terms of new pipework etc.

It's interesting about the tank though, that part was about £1000 with British Gas, there were some other bits listed in that part of the quote, I'm not 100% what though.

I'll try and get a quote from a local plumber.

[Rickyy]

£1000 for a new cylinder is steep, especially considering they will already be there working on the heating system!