Replacing my back boiler/central heating system

NoNameNoNumber

NoNameNoNumber

NoNameNoNumber

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Evening gents,

Got the keys to our first house a little while ago and while we don't need to move in immediately we've decided to knock it about abit...

All of the plaster is off the walls and all of the ceilings are down, now seems like the perfect time (if any) to look into replacing the CH system

Currently we have:
Glo-worm Capricorn 246 gas fire front and back boiler in the kitchen/diner.
Hot water cylinder in an upstairs bedroom cupboard- no immersion heater and no thermostat.
Head tanks in the attic

It is very very old but tbh it works well, despite this I really would like to replace it with something like one of these

It's a 3 bed semi with just two of us living in there.

Few major niggles though..

I've had two quotes and both have suggested just to bolt a combi onto the existing pipe work but I've heard horror stories with combis putting a more pressure in the system?!

If I were to replace the pipe work should I go with copper or plastic?

How would a warranty stand if I fitted the boiler myself and found a friendly plumber just to connect up the gas line?

Any thoughts or advice?

Thanks in advance :)
 
Copper.

You can run all the copper from the radiators back to the boiler, then let your plumber connect them to the boiler.

Many years ago I replaced a back boiler with Valliant 824, had it all finished & working Christmas eve, came back at midnight, place flooded, ceiling down.
Traced the leak back to some old copper pipe I left in, & a old Tee had fractured clean in two, never again will I use old copper again, new boiler, new copper now.

EDIT: Vaillant EcoTec Plus 831 superb choice, highly recommended.
 
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Just run all of the pipe work around the house and get a plumber to fit the boiler?

Is soldering the joints as simple as I'm imagining?

As I'm removing the original BB, what do I do with the old gas line?

Essentially, this is my first attempt at housey work. I just don't want to bite off more than I can chew but I would seem myself to be pretty capable :)
 
Ah cool thanks for that :)

What should I be expecting? I've just rigged up a little 0-10bar.g pressure gauge for testing out my supply in the morning. At work we've always had around 6bar on the town main but I can't say I've ever measured a domestic main.
 
Yes.

Also have a look at zoning your heating system, ground floor & first floor, can save I think at least 15% in gas.

Pointless heating bedrooms during the day time when unused.
 
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NoNameNoNumber said:
Will the vailiant linked to above do that?
Click to expand...

The boiler will take the VCR470f wireless weather compensating programmer can control 2 zones, think the relay is built in, just need a second room stat VR81/2, where as the 350F programmer, needs a VR66 module & a room stat to do two zones.


EDIT: You need to talk to your plumber about a suitable pair of valves for zoning.
 
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Using the Valliant VCR470F they reckon you can make gas savings approaching 20%.



More awake now, I think you will need the Valliant VR 61/4 – Two Zone Wiring Centre to use the VCR470f with multi zones, I would need to look at VCR470f manual to confirm this.

VR81/2 info.

http://www.archiexpo.com/prod/vaillant/room-thermostats-heating-782-1118993.html

VR61/4

http://www.mrcentralheating.co.uk/vaillant-vr61-4-wiring-centre

VCR470F

http://www.directheatingsupplies.co...Compensator-Wireless--VRC470f-0020108137.aspx

EDIT: Just had a quick look at instructions, you do need the VR61/4 for multi zones.

And please read the manuals, especially the VCR470f,so many options & features, difficult to remember them all, please double check my advice, products are up dated, VR81,VR61 are two that have been revised.

Also talk to your plumber about suitable pair of valves for zoning.

Been a few years since I used the VCR470F, so I'm a bit rusty.
 
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You're a star, I'll give Sylvia a call again at Mr central heating and ask her to create some kind of package that incorporates the 470F, the VR81/2 and the VR61/4

I'll let you know what she comes back with :)
 
Nightglow- They have suggested I have a look at the Heatline range... they are part of the Vailant group and share a lot of the same parts as the Vailants but as they haven't ploughed millions into branding and packaging they are much cheaper.Also the warranty and spares is dealt with solely by Vailant...

I guess I need to find out whether This would work with the aforementioned Vailant control system (VCR470F)
 
NoNameNoNumber said:
Nightglow- They have suggested I have a look at the Heatline range... they are part of the Vailant group and share a lot of the same parts as the Vailants but as they haven't ploughed millions into branding and packaging they are much cheaper.Also the warranty and spares is dealt with solely by Vailant...

I guess I need to find out whether This would work with the aforementioned Vailant control system (VCR470F)
Click to expand...

Cheaper is not always the best option.

Not that familiar with the Heatline range, always used Valliant.
Only a 2 year warranty, compared with 7 years warrant for the Valliant 831.

Suggest you drop an email to Valliant & ask them, but I'm pretty sure it isn't, as it has a analogue timer.

This confirms it, no options for other timers.

http://www.plumbnation.co.uk/site/heatline/
 
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Currently hav a HeatLine C24 boiler, absolute garbage. It's being replaced shortly with a Worcester Bosch.
The HeatLine is cheap to buy, prone to faults, spares are expensive. I would rather coat my manhood with honey and stick in a wasps' nest than buy another HeatLine boiler...
 
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