Seems a lot of people agree with my claim that Condensing
combi boilers have a very short life etc.

http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876


http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html

On Sat, 18 Oct 2014 10:50:46 +0100
Bod wrote:

Seems a lot of people agree with my claim that Condensing
combi boilers have a very short life etc.

http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876


http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html




I know that the guy that comes to service my boiler said that I should
hang on to it as long as possible, as the new combis tended to be
troublesome, in his experience.

--
Davey.

On 18/10/2014 11:48, Davey wrote:
On Sat, 18 Oct 2014 10:50:46 +0100
Bod wrote:

Seems a lot of people agree with my claim that Condensing
combi boilers have a very short life etc.

http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876


http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html




I know that the guy that comes to service my boiler said that I should
hang on to it as long as possible, as the new combis tended to be
troublesome, in his experience.

Yup, I have had plenty of first hand experience because before I retired
I was a Plumber who installed CH as well.

I know that the guy that comes to service my boiler said that I should
hang on to it as long as possible, as the new combis tended to be
troublesome, in his experience.

+1
My old New World back boiler is at least 36 years old. Serviced every year.
Still going strong. Parts will no longer be available but I will hang on to
it until it gives up the ghost.

On Sat, 18 Oct 2014 15:09:00 +0100, "Nick"
wrote:


I know that the guy that comes to service my boiler said that I should
hang on to it as long as possible, as the new combis tended to be
troublesome, in his experience.

+1
My old New World back boiler is at least 36 years old. Serviced every year.
Still going strong. Parts will no longer be available but I will hang on to
it until it gives up the ghost.


Likewise with our Ideal Mexico Super 100 floor standing boiler which
is now a good 30 years old. It's had the gas control valve replaced
once and the thermocouple twice.

In view of the **** poor life and reliability of the condensing
boilers (even of the "High Quality" units), it makes the use of an old
car engine and a 10KVA generator head look a rather tempting
replacement sometime over the next decade or two.
--
J B Good

In article ,
Johny B Good wrote:
Likewise with our Ideal Mexico Super 100 floor standing boiler which
is now a good 30 years old. It's had the gas control valve replaced
once and the thermocouple twice.

That's a 65% efficient boiler - so low it's not even on the current
ratings scale. It's also around 30 kW, so if used anywhere near that
constantly will produce pretty hefty gas bills.

In view of the **** poor life and reliability of the condensing
boilers (even of the "High Quality" units), it makes the use of an old
car engine and a 10KVA generator head look a rather tempting
replacement sometime over the next decade or two.

As I said my Viessmann has already saved its replacement costs over the
previous Potterton Kingfisher RS80 which is similar to your Mexico.

--
*I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 17:33:09 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
Johny B Good wrote:
Likewise with our Ideal Mexico Super 100 floor standing boiler which
is now a good 30 years old. It's had the gas control valve replaced
once and the thermocouple twice.

That's a 65% efficient boiler - so low it's not even on the current
ratings scale. It's also around 30 kW, so if used anywhere near that
constantly will produce pretty hefty gas bills.

According to the performance data tables, it works out at just north
of 79% efficiency. I don't know from where you plucked that "65%"
figure but it would appear to be significantly wrong.

In view of the **** poor life and reliability of the condensing
boilers (even of the "High Quality" units), it makes the use of an old
car engine and a 10KVA generator head look a rather tempting
replacement sometime over the next decade or two.

As I said my Viessmann has already saved its replacement costs over the
previous Potterton Kingfisher RS80 which is similar to your Mexico.

Or possibly worse than my 'Mexico' if that was the source of your
"65% efficiency" figure.
--
J B Good

On 18/10/14 10:50, Bod wrote:
Seems a lot of people agree with my claim that Condensing
combi boilers have a very short life etc.

http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876


http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html




Any saving are grossly over-stated, plus with a cast-iron kettle type
boiler, you don't have the inconvenience of breakdowns and replacements.

"Andy Cap" wrote in message
...
On 18/10/14 10:50, Bod wrote:
Seems a lot of people agree with my claim that Condensing
combi boilers have a very short life etc.

http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876


http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html




Any saving are grossly over-stated, plus with a cast-iron kettle type
boiler, you don't have the inconvenience of breakdowns and replacements.


http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp

is taking the **** as it has the same gas bill for on old boiler and a
condensing boiler

http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876

**** me look at the pillock posting in that 2098 thread - hacksaws and
platic pipe anyone:-)

http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html

so install the condensate so that it cannot freeze.

--
Adam

On 18/10/2014 10:50, Bod wrote:
Seems a lot of people agree with my claim that Condensing
combi boilers have a very short life etc.

http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876


http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html



My issue is more with COMBI than with CONDENSING, with the proviso of
course that the drain is properly installed so that it does not freeze.

I suspect that one issue is that for installers (to whom time is money
of course) it is *so* easy to stick the pipe out through the wall like a
vent pipe, compared to routing it inside and into a normal drain.

On 18/10/2014 12:42, newshound wrote:
On 18/10/2014 10:50, Bod wrote:
Seems a lot of people agree with my claim that Condensing
combi boilers have a very short life etc.

http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876


http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html



My issue is more with COMBI than with CONDENSING, with the proviso of
course that the drain is properly installed so that it does not freeze.

I suspect that one issue is that for installers (to whom time is money
of course) it is *so* easy to stick the pipe out through the wall like a
vent pipe, compared to routing it inside and into a normal drain.

I think I have commented in the past on the worst bit of "pro" gas
fitting I have seen, decided that this was an acceptable way to do a
condensate drain:

http://www.internode.co.uk/temp/boiler2.jpg

The copper pipe just ran down the wall and emptied onto the path
outside. The "join" on the inside was made by wrapping the copper pipe
end with insulating tape and stuffing the flexi pipe over the end. Still
it probably would not have frozen since most of the water drained onto
the worktop before it got outside!


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Bod formulated on Saturday :
Seems a lot of people agree with my claim that Condensing
combi boilers have a very short life etc.

http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876


http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html

Our old Baxi Bermuda back boiler had got very bad kettling problems and
was noisy as hell - had to turn the telly up so loud that we got
complaints from the neighbours!!

Replaced it with an Alpha CD32C condensing combi about 8 years ago and
it's worked perfectly (and quietly) ever since.



---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

Our old Baxi Bermuda back boiler had got very bad kettling problems and
was noisy as hell - had to turn the telly up so loud that we got
complaints from the neighbours!!

Am I wrong in thinking that kettling problems would be more to do with
matters other than the boiler?

On 18/10/2014 15:14, Nick wrote:
Our old Baxi Bermuda back boiler had got very bad kettling problems and
was noisy as hell - had to turn the telly up so loud that we got
complaints from the neighbours!!

Am I wrong in thinking that kettling problems would be more to do with
matters other than the boiler?


More than likely to be a furred up heat exchanger or pipes, possibly
trapped air.

on 18/10/2014, Nick supposed :
Our old Baxi Bermuda back boiler had got very bad kettling problems and
was noisy as hell - had to turn the telly up so loud that we got complaints
from the neighbours!!

Am I wrong in thinking that kettling problems would be more to do with
matters other than the boiler?

The heat exchanger was fairly badly corroded internally and there were
other things wrong too. All in all, it was considered beyond economic
repair, hence the change to a condensing combi. The upside was that we
could then have a new, modern gas fire and we could also get rid of the
hot water cylinder and make better use of the airing cupboard, so not
all doom and gloom.



---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

On 18/10/2014 16:15, Dave Preston wrote:
on 18/10/2014, Nick supposed :
Our old Baxi Bermuda back boiler had got very bad kettling problems and
was noisy as hell - had to turn the telly up so loud that we got
complaints from the neighbours!!

Am I wrong in thinking that kettling problems would be more to do with
matters other than the boiler?

The heat exchanger was fairly badly corroded internally and there were
other things wrong too. All in all, it was considered beyond economic
repair, hence the change to a condensing combi. The upside was that we
could then have a new, modern gas fire and we could also get rid of the
hot water cylinder and make better use of the airing cupboard, so not
all doom and gloom.



It is going to depend a bit on the available space. We regularly use a
small holiday cottage where the combi seems to cope fine. In our larger
house there is a convenient bit of "dead" loft space for the cylinder,
and I am much happier with that as our source of DHW (flow rate +
temperature).

In article ,
"Nick" writes:

Our old Baxi Bermuda back boiler had got very bad kettling problems and
was noisy as hell - had to turn the telly up so loud that we got
complaints from the neighbours!!

Am I wrong in thinking that kettling problems would be more to do with
matters other than the boiler?

Normally caused by a layer of debris preventing free flow of water
against the inside surface of the heat exchanger, so you get lots of
pockets of super-heated water boiling and condensing. Can also be caused
by other faults, such as lack of water flow in low water capacity boilers.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On Sat, 18 Oct 2014 15:14:07 +0100, "Nick"
wrote:


Our old Baxi Bermuda back boiler had got very bad kettling problems and
was noisy as hell - had to turn the telly up so loud that we got
complaints from the neighbours!!

Am I wrong in thinking that kettling problems would be more to do with
matters other than the boiler?


One of the contributory causes for 'kettling' being a lack of water
'head'. The higher the water pressure in the boiler, the higher the
heat input you can get away with before 'kettling' occurs (IOW, the
system will be more forgiving of all the other conditions which
contribute to 'kettling').

When we had our floor standing Ideal Mexico Super 100 boiler
installed some 30 years ago, I chose the basement location with this
factor in mind. The other factors in this choice being that the
slightly greater heat leakage from the longer run of the main flow and
return plumbing (and the boiler itself) would contribute some useful
winter heat into the basement and provide an element of 'underfloor'
heating to the room above, as well as save space in the rest of the
house and keep what modest boiler noise there was out of earshot.

Even the "Waste Heat" going up the 40 foot's worth of flue liner
would make some useful contribution to the fabric of this old 3 story
late Victorian property so I doubt the improved efficiency of a
condensing boiler would be anywhere near as large as the rather
boastful claims so often made for these boilers.
--
J B Good

On 18/10/2014 13:36, Dave Preston wrote:
Bod formulated on Saturday :
Seems a lot of people agree with my claim that Condensing
combi boilers have a very short life etc.

http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876


http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html

Our old Baxi Bermuda back boiler had got very bad kettling problems and
was noisy as hell - had to turn the telly up so loud that we got
complaints from the neighbours!!

Replaced it with an Alpha CD32C condensing combi about 8 years ago and
it's worked perfectly (and quietly) ever since.



---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus
protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

The combi (non condensing) I installed 10 years ago is still working but
is getting a bit temperamental when using the hot water. CH still
works a treat though. Looks like I'm gonna need to renew something soon.

In article ,
Bod wrote:
Seems a lot of people agree with my claim that Condensing
combi boilers have a very short life etc.

http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876


http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html


Seems you were very silly changing from a storage system to a combi, then.
Didn't you read up about things before doing so?

--
*Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 18/10/2014 14:10, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Bod wrote:
Seems a lot of people agree with my claim that Condensing
combi boilers have a very short life etc.

http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876


http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html


Seems you were very silly changing from a storage system to a combi, then.
Didn't you read up about things before doing so?

I am a plumber and heating engineer (retired).
The combi was installed instead because the tanks/cyl etc took up too
much space. I removed the cupboard that housed the tanks.

In article ,
Bod wrote:
On 18/10/2014 14:10, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Bod wrote:
Seems a lot of people agree with my claim that Condensing
combi boilers have a very short life etc.

http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876


http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html


Seems you were very silly changing from a storage system to a combi,
then. Didn't you read up about things before doing so?

I am a plumber and heating engineer (retired).
The combi was installed instead because the tanks/cyl etc took up too
much space. I removed the cupboard that housed the tanks.

So surely you knew that combis had a less than perfect reliability
reputation? I'm not saying they all have - but it has been a generally
held view for ages.

--
Small asylum seeker wanted as mud flap, must be flexible and willing to travel

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 18/10/2014 14:10, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Bod wrote:
Seems a lot of people agree with my claim that Condensing
combi boilers have a very short life etc.

http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876


http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html


Seems you were very silly changing from a storage system to a combi, then.
Didn't you read up about things before doing so?

I don't subscribe to this "all combis are evil" philosophy. I know there
was a time it was fun to tease dribble and his insistence that combis
are the only solution to every problem, but he has vanished now ;-)

Sometimes it the sensible way to go. Modern combis can be quite
civilised if you pick one with enough power to do a resonable flow rate
on the hot water.

At my last place I went from a relatively poorly implemented tank based
system to a 35kW combi, and the performance for baths was nearly as
good, and better for most other things. It the circumstances it was a
decent enough solution since all the tank space was being lost, and I
also needed a sealed system for rads on the second floor (i.e. nowhere
higher to stick a header tank)


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 18/10/2014 10:50, Bod wrote:
Seems a lot of people agree with my claim that Condensing
combi boilers have a very short life etc.

http://www.hertsheating.co.uk/eco-he...our-boiler.asp


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=127876


http://bishophill.squarespace.com/bl...g-boilers.html


I love the opening line "a new condensing boiler can cost you as little
as £1700"
(is that some form of street value)
Baxi Duotec 28he Boiler and flue £588 + vat (7yr warranty)
Worcester 28ij Junior boiler and Flue £811 +vat

In article ,
rick wrote:
I love the opening line "a new condensing boiler can cost you as little
as £1700"
(is that some form of street value)
Baxi Duotec 28he Boiler and flue £588 + vat (7yr warranty)
Worcester 28ij Junior boiler and Flue £811 +vat

I'd guess they mean including fitting?

--
*Of course I'm against sin; I'm against anything that I'm too old to enjoy.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.