Depends what's wrong with it; may be quite a simple repair. You can't decide until you know the cost of repair.
New boilers are a few thousand quid but should be a bit more efficient.

 

I repaired our Bosch combi a few times and it lasted 27 years or so. The bloke who repaired it was amazing, a fellow fisherman, best example being when he replaced the expansion vessel on it for a trout I had in the fridge. He hated his job and jacked it in a couple of years ago, I bought a new boiler at that point, an Ideal Logic.
If you do replace it you can save a lot of money by removing the old boiler yourself, hanging the new one on the wall and fitting the appropriate flue. Get a price beforehand from a heating engineer to reconnect the pipes, check the installation and arrange the warranty, it takes less than a morning. You should get change from £200 for that and Screwfix/Plumbfix are good price-wise for the boiler and generally local if there's an issue.

 

that would not work up where we are, you would be left with an ornament on the wall and no heating, and screwfix are good for many things the price of boilers and accessories is not one of them

 

Pressure up/down, assuming you are having to top it up, is indicative of air trapped in the system or more likely, a failed expansion vessel.
As the heating comes up to temperature, the lack of expansion will increase pressure to levels that allows the water to discharge from the pressure relief. this will be fine for as long as the heating stays at operating temperature, but once it cools down the static system pressure will have fallen.
An easy way to catch it, is to identify the pressure relief pipe outside, and fit some means of catching any discharge. Just looking at the pipe may not reveal it, as when it discharges it will come out with some gusto, and being hot, any remnants will evaporate pretty quickly.
another quick check is to see what’s there on the air side of the vessel. This will be a shrader valve ( like a car tyre ). If you dab the pin and nothing happens you’ve lost air pressure. If you dab it and water comes out, the internal membrane is compromised.
Ideally there should be 0.8-1 bar pressure on the air side, you can check this with a car tyre pressure gauge.

 

20 years from our first boiler, new one has a remote thermostat option Our Combi Boiler Range

 

Get a new one.

I spent four figures over a 14 month period keeping my one going. Constant hassle so just went and got a new one.

Best thing I ever did. Sleep easy at night knowing there aren't any sudden break downs in the middle of winter.

Once these things get to a certain age they ste better replaced

 

It could be worth checking with your local council if they have any offers/grants on for old boiler replacements

 

I’m in the plumbing and heating business. Yes, it sounds like you do have a problem with the expansion vessel and probably also need a new pressure relief valve and automatic air vent. If you want to PM me we can arrange to have a chat and maybe I can help you further.

 

Had a boiler that did that,it turned out to be a failed pressure tank in it. New boiler was just over 2k installed. Now have no problems and a slightly lower gas consumption

 

Thanks all...

I've decided to bite the bullet and just have a new boiler - "happy wife, happy life" and all that, it's just not worth the worry , lack of hot water or grief from the boss.

Plus it was also leaking slightly on the underside of the boiler and has been for around 10 months ( I just caught the drips in a take away tray 🤣)....and at 12 years it's done ok. I'm not throwing money at something this old as chances are it would need to be replaced in a year or 2 anyway.

 

Ive just replaced my old boiler after 19 years of troublesome events. I went with a new Baxi one, I worked for them for ten years and my engineer advised me to have one.
It comes with a proper 10 year parts and labour guarantee alls good so far, it’s more efficient and a lot quieter.
S.

 

You've made the right decision Rob. I spent the first twelve years or so of my working life as an apprentice, then qualified, then advanced plumbing and heating engineer. A modern boiler is typically expected to last 12-15 years. As soon as mine achieve this and become problematic, its out with old and in with the new. You wouldn't keep throwing money at an old wreck of a car.

 

You wouldn't keep throwing money at an old wreck of a car.

Quite right, you'd go out and buy a much newer one... then lose exactly the same amount of money each year in depreciation, rather than spending it on replacement parts and labour! I'm afraid that where cars are concerned, they have us shafted!

 

christ yere lucky ,new boilers,and tecnicians ,over here you couldnt afford to put the thing on these days with the price of running it ,were in a council house rented and pay an additional fee of a few quid a week to pay for our boiler to be serviced once a year ,lately its playing up 14-15 yrs old now but serviced ,the thing is the repair man says its cheaper to replace the unit than repair it as parts arent there anymore ,are we living in a disposable age that when things break we just dispose rather than repair ,we had a bad week with our white goods the washing machine door wouldnt close faulty latch but luckily it was under guarantee and repaired in a couple of dys by bosch for free ,a month before its expeted date of expirery
now the dryer has packed in no guarntee again its cheaper to buy a new one than pay an engineer to call out with a call charge plus the price of the parts

 

christ yere lucky ,new boilers,and tecnicians ,over here you couldnt afford to put the thing on these days with the price of running it ,were in a council house rented and pay an additional fee of a few quid a week to pay for our boiler to be serviced once a year ,lately its playing up 14-15 yrs old now but serviced ,the thing is the repair man says its cheaper to replace the unit than repair it as parts arent there anymore ,are we living in a disposable age that when things break we just dispose rather than repair ,we had a bad week with our white goods the washing machine door wouldnt close faulty latch but luckily it was under guarantee and repaired in a couple of dys by bosch for free ,a month before its expeted date of expirery
now the dryer has packed in no guarntee again its cheaper to buy a new one than pay an engineer to call out with a call charge plus the price of the parts

Our boiler is, apparently, 35 years old although I gather that the burner was replaced about 10 years ago. If I look at how the pipes run through the place uninsulated, I would need some convincing to install a newer more efficient one.

 

Crikey I am getting a little concerned my oil fired boiler is still going strong (according to my service engineer), its 20 years old

 

Mine is just a year older than yours !. If it ai'nt broke don't fix it !

 

Why have they not invented mouse proof insulation. In my own house and every house I work on new or old the wee buggers make a mockery of pipe insulation. It's like they look at it and say 'thanks lads that's mighty kind of you bringing that stuff in for us'.

 

I was complaining to a work colleague about something small and furry in the attic - he looked at me and said "Try a pine martin" they loath attic insulation and you'll find meters of it on the grass every morning"

 

The ban only applies to new build after 2025 pre 2025 houses can still replace old with a new one

 

Sorry, but that's incorrect, read the article I linked to above; and if you don't believe that, read this one from the estate agent's trade publication: Beware the boiler ban - The Negotiator

I think it's time rural off-grid home owners who use oil or LPG started screaming at their MPs to get parity with mains gas users, who won't face a similar ban on replacement heating boilers until 2035! How is that possibly fair?

 

It is confusing. As far as I can see and from what I have heard glueman is correct at the moment.

UK Gas Boiler Ban - Everything You Need to Know

 

It is confusing. As far as I can see and from what I have heard glueman is correct at the moment.

UK Gas Boiler Ban - Everything You Need to Know

Unfortunately, it seems Glueman has come unstuck:

MPs to hear plan to get rural households to run heating on vegetable oil | Energy | The Guardian

Oil boiler ban would be a vote loser, says EUA (phamnews.co.uk)

Proposed 2026 oil boiler ban will cost homeowners £13k (pbctoday.co.uk)

‘About to get real': Households face £13,000 bill to replace boilers in new green plan | Personal Finance | Finance | Express.co.uk

Government urged to delay boiler ban by nine years - Energy Live News

Is that enough evidence that there is indeed a plan to ban the replacement of existing oil and LPG-fired boilers in 2026?

PS Glad you got your boiler issue sorted Rob, and it's nice to know I'm not alone in living a 'simple life'.

 

Estate Agents and truth should not be used in the same sentence. It must be against some Human Rights Act.
I had to deal with a well known national estate agents when we had issues with the house my son rented out. Found the Estate agent had not completed any background checks on tenant, and the tenant was corrupt and trashed the property and stole anything and everything that could be unscrewed. The tenants left the property locked and all the heating on and all the windows open. It was torrential rain and the estate agent would not enter the property to secure it.
I entered with a spare set of keys. Estate agents lowest of the low in my opinion. Property cost thousands to repair and the Estate agent would not release the tenants deposit. A nice way for the Company to inflate its profits.

Sorry for the rant I detest them

 

Estate Agents and truth should not be used in the same sentence. It must be against some Human Rights Act.
I had to deal with a well known national estate agents when we had issues with the house my son rented out. Found the Estate agent had not completed any background checks on tenant, and the tenant was corrupt and trashed the property and stole anything and everything that could be unscrewed. The tenants left the property locked and all the heating on and all the windows open. It was torrential rain and the estate agent would not enter the property to secure it.
I entered with a spare set of keys. Estate agents lowest of the low in my opinion. Property cost thousands to repair and the Estate agent would not release the tenants deposit. A nice way for the Company to inflate its profits.

Sorry for the rant I detest them

A neighbour is selling her house and there's a few photos showing the garden to the rear and mentioning how nice the large garden and lawns are.

I took it as a compliment as they're my allotments

 

Small world but I have an Ideal Logic Combi 30, commissioned December 2011. I did as said above and bought the boiler myself, installed it, connected all the pipes but not the gas, then got a gas safe plumber to hook up the gas, commission and certify. Took a long time to find one in London and cost me £500... for the plumber. One even told me i had illegally installed the boiler by connecting the water pipes and flue. Charlatan Muppet.

Anyhoo i got the boiler cheap because my uncle is a part time director at Ideal. The man in the shop was aghast at how little i was paying.

Next point of note is the boiler is designed for easy maintenance. Replacing a relief valve, expansion tank and other bits likely to cause pressure and burner fluctuation should be a couple of hundred quid plus labour.

If you've baught the bullet and ordered a new boiler, too late; your plumber will be a happy man. If I were you though I wouldn't discount simple repairs before replacing the whole thing.

Have you noted the error codes on the display?

I wouldn't scrap a car because the mot failed on thermostat and tyres. That could be what you're doing.

Throwaway society as said.

 

I wouldn't scrap a car because the mot failed on thermostat and tyres. That could be what you're doing.

Throwaway society as said.

I agree, our oil boiler is about 20 years old, a Worcrester Greenstar, it's had a couple of repairs but works really well. I'm lucky as the gas engineer is less than a mile up the valley from me and drinks at the local he's a good bloke and I trust him. I'd never replace a boiler at the first sign of trouble, if they're serviced and repaired they can save you a lot of money and help save the planet .

If only mobile phones and tablets were so simple to repair, once the battery goes it's really difficult to prise the case apart and replacement batteries for, say, Samsung are non existent, it suits the manufacturers to make such wasteful products and no one else.

 

P.s. if you have gone all in can i have your old one for spares?

 

Hi Ed-t

I appreciate your perspective, and I discussed a repair with the wife based on a few comments above as we really don't have a clue ! - it's now 12 years old, realistically how much life has it got left in it ?? I'm not willing to spend £300-400 on repairs when it's 'may' only last another 2 or 3 years .....I don't want to throw good money after bad, when effectively I see the repair cost as a discount off a new one🤣🤣 and prices will only go up.

Plus most importantly I have to keep my wife happy.......she doesn't want the worry of fluctuating pressure, leaks in a boiler, the possibly of no hot water or central heating... and nor do I to be perfectly honest.

I (we) looked at it this way, we both work full time, we don't go out for meals or drinks regularly, we don't 'waste' money on things like Sky TV or the latest Mobile Phone, Take-aways etc...in truth we live a very boring and conservative lifestyle by most people's standards......our priorities are family & doing things together which equates to a nice house, fishing and cooking.....not that I have to justify our decision 🤣🤣

As for the planet and our disposable society....( this will cause hackles to rise) any changes I or anyone in the UK makes will have a negligible effect on a world problem. China, USA, India, USSR are the biggest offenders to global warming....get them to make huge changes and I will too, until that time I'm not remotely interested... (yes its selfish and childish)

So a new boiler ( Logic + ) is being installed today....9.00am👍👍. Unfortunately the old one is being scrapped...I've already said they can do what they want with it...

 

You'll have peace of mind knowing its new and with a warrantee and it'll stop you getting earache

Thats priceless

 

My old boiler was scrapped when the expansion tank started to leak it was not repaired as parts were difficult to get and it wasn't the first time. Now have a Worcester Bosch with a good warranty

 

All I want is a simple life, hassle free 🤣......That must mean I've now officially turned into an 'old git'.

I think this weekend will involve a trip to Thornton on Saturday followed by a glass or two of red wine.

Sunday a morning walk around Elinor followed by us cooking a venison roast Sunday

 

Owt for a quiet life, from one Old Git to another 😁😁

 

In my experience, older boilers can be a headache, so it’s worth considering a replacement if the problems continue. So, if repairs keep happening or are expensive, it might be better to get a new boiler.
If you need more help or another opinion, try contacting a West Ashley SC HVAC repair professional. They can give you solid advice and reliable service for your heating issues. This way, you can make an informed decision on whether to repair or replace your boiler.

 

But why??

 

But why??

Worcester???
Heat Pump Manufacturers???
Super Mario???