New central heating

[Polecat]

Well it looks like i’ve got to bite the bullet & fork out for a new or part new heating system.
After a number of years of nagging from the missus about the ugly old gas fire & back boiler, I’m looking at a new combi boiler, pipe work & a few new replacement radiators, it’s taken a couple of niggling breakdowns to come to the decision, boiler stat being a bit iffy & the 3 port valve is on its way out, but the final straw was the hot water booster pump started leaking & brought a large chunk of the dining room ceiling down.
Any recommendations regarding boilers from you guys? I was looking at Worcester Bosch, but know little about boilers, regarding their reliability, & what about smart features e.g. Nest, Hive, Drayton, & the likes.
I hope I can get a system as reliable as this one as it’s lasted 30 years or more without major problems.

 

[V8Druid]

Well it looks like i’ve got to bite the bullet & fork out for a new or part new heating system.
After a number of years of nagging from the missus about the ugly old gas fire & back boiler, I’m looking at a new combi boiler, pipe work & a few new replacement radiators, it’s taken a couple of niggling breakdowns to come to the decision, boiler stat being a bit iffy & the 3 port valve is on its way out, but the final straw was the hot water booster pump started leaking & brought a large chunk of the dining room ceiling down.
Any recommendations regarding boilers from you guys? I was looking at Worcester Bosch, but know little about boilers, regarding their reliability, & what about smart features e.g. Nest, Hive, Drayton, & the likes.
I hope I can get a system as reliable as this one as it’s lasted 30 years or more without major problems.

step daughter had a new outdoor Worcester Bosch oil combi two years ago and was faultless .. wasn't cheap but way better than the old Danesmoor it replaced, that I'd kept alive for decades.
You're in luck here too - got several fonts of knowledge in the shape of plumbers/central heating engineers in our ranks and I'm sure they'll set you straight - in fact I will GUARANTEE it

 

[Polecat]

step daughter had a new outdoor Worcester Bosch oil combi two years ago and was faultless .. wasn't cheap but way better than the old Danesmoor it replaced, that I'd kept alive for decades.
You're in luck here too - got several fonts of knowledge in the shape of plumbers/central heating engineers in our ranks and I'm sure they'll set you straight - in fact I will GUARANTEE it

Yep, I thought there are one or two plumbers / heating engineers on here, I’ll wait with bated breath

 

[Polecat]

She’s (wifey) is on about a bloody log burner now, to replace the gas fire & back boiler, I’m not convinced this is the best option.

 

[Regy53]

Get that as well. Love the fire in my house

 

[Stroppymonkey]

She’s (wifey) is on about a bloody log burner now, to replace the gas fire & back boiler, I’m not convinced this is the best option.

Log burner fine and lovely if it’s a dry unit . Having one with a back boiler is a stupid idea

 

[Stroppymonkey]

Well it looks like i’ve got to bite the bullet & fork out for a new or part new heating system.
After a number of years of nagging from the missus about the ugly old gas fire & back boiler, I’m looking at a new combi boiler, pipe work & a few new replacement radiators, it’s taken a couple of niggling breakdowns to come to the decision, boiler stat being a bit iffy & the 3 port valve is on its way out, but the final straw was the hot water booster pump started leaking & brought a large chunk of the dining room ceiling down.
Any recommendations regarding boilers from you guys? I was looking at Worcester Bosch, but know little about boilers, regarding their reliability, & what about smart features e.g. Nest, Hive, Drayton, & the likes.
I hope I can get a system as reliable as this one as it’s lasted 30 years or more without major problems.

Firstly .. nothing we fit nowadays will last 30 years!

My advice would be to likely go for a WB 4000 system boiler and high recovery mains pressure hot water cylinder on PDHW with WB easy controls and wired weather compensation for best efficiency. Add smart TRVs if you are feeling fancy.
Decent 10 year manufacturers guarantee on boiler and filter and controls then.
Do NOT fit a Hive or Nest.. they won’t talk to the boiler properly and won’t give you best efficiency.

Of course lots depends on your individual set up and incoming mains pressure and flow rate.
If your chosen install engineer doesn’t understand weather compensation/load compensation and PDHW then don’t use them

 

[V8Druid]

She’s (wifey) is on about a bloody log burner now, to replace the gas fire & back boiler, I’m not convinced this is the best option.

better get her a chainsaw and axe/splitting mawl too then .. jus' tell her it's good exercise ....... and cheaper than gym membership

 

[bobthebuilder]

My plumber is a Worcester Bosch man ,and we have fitted lots ,one thing have a wired in stat ,not rf ,pain in the arse
Also the Worcester Bosch back up we have found excellent,
I also believe and the plumber above will correct me if I am wrong,all new systems need to be heat pump ready

 

[V8Druid]

My plumber is a Worcester Bosch man ,and we have fitted lots ,one thing have a wired in stat ,not rf ,pain in the arse
Also the Worcester Bosch back up we have found excellent,
I also believe and the plumber above will correct me if I am wrong,all new systems need to be heat pump ready

why not fit the receiver indoors Bob .... our remote stat is excellent and can have it anywhere in the house.

and what the hell is that????

 

[Stroppymonkey]

My plumber is a Worcester Bosch man ,and we have fitted lots ,one thing have a wired in stat ,not rf ,pain in the arse
Also the Worcester Bosch back up we have found excellent,
I also believe and the plumber above will correct me if I am wrong,all new systems need to be heat pump ready

OP doesn’t want a new system , needs an old one upgrading , so the 55c flow temp reg will not apply.
Disagree about wired stat, you need an open therm control that ‘talks’ to the boiler to make it work most efficiently. Use WB controls with a WB boiler and if installed by WB accredited installer and registered you will get 10-12 years guarantee on the part.
You simply cannot beat WB for product support on gas boilers.

 

[Monkeybusiness]

Of course lots depends on your individual set up and incoming mains pressure and flow rate.
If your chosen install engineer doesn’t understand weather compensation/load compensation and PDHW then don’t use them

Thread hijack (sorry…).
Do any of you plumbers have any experience of pressure/flow boosters? A bloke on site somewhere was talking about a setup with the incoming supply being held in a 700l accumulator tank (I guess pressurised) which then gives a much greater flow at a set pressure (upto 6 or 7 bar istr). I’m considering something along those lines as we struggle to run 2 (or potentially more) decent showers at the same time (no problems with hot water supply etc, the issue is flow). I’d love a pointer to a recommended manufacturer if anyone here has any experience.

 

[Polecat]

Firstly .. nothing we fit nowadays will last 30 years!

My advice would be to likely go for a WB 4000 system boiler and high recovery mains pressure hot water cylinder on PDHW with WB easy controls and wired weather compensation for best efficiency. Add smart TRVs if you are feeling fancy.
Decent 10 year manufacturers guarantee on boiler and filter and controls then.
Do NOT fit a Hive or Nest.. they won’t talk to the boiler properly and won’t give you best efficiency.

Of course lots depends on your individual set up and incoming mains pressure and flow rate.
If your chosen install engineer doesn’t understand weather compensation/load compensation and PDHW then don’t use them

Well maybe last 20 years then
I don’t think I will last another 30 years anyway🫤
Pipework is all copper, so no point in ripping that out to fit exactly the same, just needs rerouting in places, it’s just the radiators in some of the rooms, they are 30 plus years old, so do I replace or keep em, the system has always been filled with fernox corrosion inhibitor so maybe they are ok.
I will have look a little deeper into the smart gear, your not a fan of Hive or Nest then Stroppy?
is it just compatibility issues with WB, I looked at Tado smart gear but ruled that out when I found you had to have a subscription to use some of the smart features.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

Well maybe last 20 years then
I don’t think I will last another 30 years anyway🫤
Pipework is all copper, so no point in ripping that out to fit exactly the same, just needs rerouting in places, it’s just the radiators in some of the rooms, they are 30 plus years old, so do I replace or keep em, the system has always been filled with fernox corrosion inhibitor so maybe they are ok.
I will have look a little deeper into the smart gear, your not a fan of Hive or Nest then Stroppy?
is it just compatibility issues with WB, I looked at Tado smart gear but ruled that out when I found you had to have a subscription to use some of the smart features.

Nest is discontinued in UK. Hive is basically a British Gas product. If that’s what you want then you are much better off with a Honeywell T6R-HW as it’s way better than a Hive .

As I’ve said before , if you go for a manufacturers control it will ‘talk’ to the boiler and be FAR more fuel efficient, plus carry a 10-12 year warranty on the part which is an amazing deal.

Vailant also great boilers, but WB are ahead on warranty support IMHO

 

[Stroppymonkey]

Thread hijack (sorry…).
Do any of you plumbers have any experience of pressure/flow boosters? A bloke on site somewhere was talking about a setup with the incoming supply being held in a 700l accumulator tank (I guess pressurised) which then gives a much greater flow at a set pressure (upto 6 or 7 bar istr). I’m considering something along those lines as we struggle to run 2 (or potentially more) decent showers at the same time (no problems with hot water supply etc, the issue is flow). I’d love a pointer to a recommended manufacturer if anyone here has any experience.

Yes we fit them as well
Maybe we need a separate hearing and plumbing thread

If you have good static pressure but poor flow (often the case round here , small pipes over a long distance)…. Then often an accumulator will sort the issue out for you , it just uses a large air filled balloon in a steel case to provide a ‘battery’ for the water pressure to build up when you are not using any, then gives you a reserve to use.

450 Litre Accumulator - GWS Water Accumulator Vessels 450 Litre

The GCB challenger 450 litre accumulator, An ideal solution for water boosting ensuring consistant pressure and efficient water supply.

www.anglianpumping.com

If you have static pressure and low flow rate then you need a store of water and a pump. Lots of ways to skin this cat.
My personal favourite is a PowerTank. They come in all shapes and sizes with variable speed or fixed speed or twin pumps. If it’s going IN the house then get a bunded one . Almost silent in use as they have a submersible pump.

Powertank BUNDED - Variable Speed - 250 or 650ltr

Increases Pressure & Flow Designed for commercial use. PERFORMANCE RANGE Output approx 80 l/min @ 3 Bar Tank Size: 250 & 650L

pumpexpress.co.uk