On Sat, 17 Jun 2006 18:09:45 +0100, Andrew Mawson wrote:

Advert on the telly advocating spending £800 on a new condensing
boiler which would potentially save 'up to £100 a year'. Am I cynical
in thinking 8 years is probably too long to expect it to last so
infact it's a non optimum solution?


I've not read what others have posted so I'm probably reinventing the
wheel here.

1) My own condensing boiler is now a significant part of the way to 8
years old. So are a few others I have installed. none are looking to much
worse for wear.

2) The life expectancy of the boiler will depend of several factors.
a) How it's used (not too little).
b) How well it's serviced (not too much nor too little).
c) How well it was made to begin with.
d) How well the system it is part of works (so the good boiler is not
blamed for system faults).
e) How well it works for the user so they don't want to get rid of it.

Whilst it is true that some of the traditional cast iron boilers were nigh
on indestructible, IF they were correctly installed and IF they were never
abused.... They were also inefficient and within a dozen years will have
wasted their entire installed cost.

Boilers are replaced for a variety of reasons.
The low end non-condensing combis were the only ones that got replaced
after a few years. High spares costs (often associated with low
initial cost boilers) are significant. Poor system performance leading to
general dissatisfaction is a big factor, it is harder to get someone to
pay to repair a boiler they 'hate'.

The £100 a year is an achievable saving on a typical house when
considering the worst case to the best case upgrade.

Since condensing boilers are intended to handle the corrosive flue gases
there is no reason why these boilers should rot away. I suspect the likely
reasons for the current generation of boilers to fail maybe things like.

1) Difficulty getting spares after say 20 years.
2) The technology is made obselete by something else (? CHP, ? fuel
cells?, affordable and practical renewables?)



--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html
Gas Fitting Standards Docs he http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFittingStandards

"Ed Sirett" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 17 Jun 2006 18:09:45 +0100, Andrew Mawson wrote:

Advert on the telly advocating spending £800 on a new condensing
boiler which would potentially save 'up to £100 a year'. Am I cynical
in thinking 8 years is probably too long to expect it to last so
infact it's a non optimum solution?

I've not read what others have posted so I'm probably reinventing the
wheel here.

1) My own condensing boiler is now a significant part of the way to 8
years old. So are a few others I have installed. none are looking to much
worse for wear.

2) The life expectancy of the boiler will depend of several factors.
a) How it's used (not too little).
b) How well it's serviced (not too much nor too little).

Excessive cycling can curtial a boilers life, espceiall the fan motor and
all other controls including any external pump. I have seen many fitted to
thermal stores which have two anti-cycle stats and always has full flow
through them, just last and last. The boiler is operating at ideal
conditions with one long efficvient burn. One of the reasons for installing
a thermal store/heat bank.

In message ews.net,
Doctor Drivel writes

"Ed Sirett" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 17 Jun 2006 18:09:45 +0100, Andrew Mawson wrote:

Advert on the telly advocating spending £800 on a new condensing
boiler which would potentially save 'up to £100 a year'. Am I cynical
in thinking 8 years is probably too long to expect it to last so
infact it's a non optimum solution?

I've not read what others have posted so I'm probably reinventing the
wheel here.

1) My own condensing boiler is now a significant part of the way to 8
years old. So are a few others I have installed. none are looking to much
worse for wear.

2) The life expectancy of the boiler will depend of several factors.
a) How it's used (not too little).
b) How well it's serviced (not too much nor too little).

Excessive cycling can curtial a boilers life, espceiall the fan motor

Would you like to a) spell it correctly
and b) justify your statement

--
geoff

"raden" wrote in message
...
In message ews.net,
Doctor Drivel writes

"Ed Sirett" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 17 Jun 2006 18:09:45 +0100, Andrew Mawson wrote:

Advert on the telly advocating spending £800 on a new condensing
boiler which would potentially save 'up to £100 a year'. Am I cynical
in thinking 8 years is probably too long to expect it to last so
infact it's a non optimum solution?

I've not read what others have posted so I'm probably reinventing the
wheel here.

1) My own condensing boiler is now a significant part of the way to 8
years old. So are a few others I have installed. none are looking to
much
worse for wear.

2) The life expectancy of the boiler will depend of several factors.
a) How it's used (not too little).
b) How well it's serviced (not too much nor too little).

Excessive cycling can curtial a boilers life, espceiall the fan motor

Would you like to a) spell it correctly
and b) justify your statement

Now Maxie.

In message ews.net,
Doctor Drivel writes


2) The life expectancy of the boiler will depend of several factors.
a) How it's used (not too little).
b) How well it's serviced (not too much nor too little).

Excessive cycling can curtial a boilers life, espceiall the fan motor

Would you like to a) spell it correctly
and b) justify your statement

Now Maxie.

b) justify your statement


--
geoff

In message .uk, Ed
Sirett writes

Since condensing boilers are intended to handle the corrosive flue gases
there is no reason why these boilers should rot away.

E.g. Glowworm Energysaver - the fan fins rot away

I suspect the likely
reasons for the current generation of boilers to fail maybe things like.

1) Difficulty getting spares after say 20 years.
2) The technology is made obselete by something else (? CHP, ? fuel
cells?, affordable and practical renewables?)




--
geoff

"raden" wrote in message
...
In message .uk, Ed
Sirett writes

Since condensing boilers are intended to handle the corrosive flue gases
there is no reason why these boilers should rot away.

E.g. Glowworm Energysaver - the fan fins rot away

A crap design Maxie. Only have pre-mix burners which uses the air/gas mixing
fan as the flue fan too, and on the cold side in air not flue gasses.