Gas boilers

[Bazzer]

How does everyone get on with combi boilers ?...Ive heard so many people rue the fact they'd changed to one, mum and a close friend included, they take an eternity to deliver sufficient hot water particually if you like a bath.

Filling the bath isn't a problem, although my wife and daughter are the ones having baths and the combi is bigger than strictly we need for the size of the house. As I understand it, there can be a problem if you want a bath while wanting the house warming, because the boiler has a given output, so it warms your house, or warms your water, or both house and water get warmed, but shared between the boiler output.

 

[RoadRider400]

How does everyone get on with combi boilers ?...Ive heard so many people rue the fact they'd changed to one, mum and a close friend included, they take an eternity to deliver sufficient hot water particually if you like a bath.

Takes about 20 seconds for the water to get hot in my case.
Not a massive inconvenience. Certainly prefer it to the prehistoric Thorn boiler that it replaced.

 

[tony111]

Some combi's have the option of an economy setting for hot water. The boiler fires up when a hot tap is opened and after giving itself some safety checks over a few seconds, it will start delivering hot water. This slight delay uses up to a couple of litres before the gas ignites. If the economy setting is disabled, the hot water is pre heated and stored so starts delivering hot water as soon as the tap is turned on.

 

[fossyant]

Really happy with our Baxi Solo 30 - it's been in the house 24 years since the house was built. It's only ever had a small circuit board replaced. Only issues I've had was the ignition taking a few more clicks than it should, I sorted that with electrical cleaner on the ignition and 'ground' (also hoovered out the burners). The fan occasionally get's squeely - not a bearing issue but the electromagnet 'catching', so a dop of chain lube in just the right spot sorts it out.

As for bleeding the system, it's been done a few times, usually when we've had a leak, bleed the lot, then refill wih added anti-corrosion and anti-kettling solutions.

 

[Levo-Lon]

You lot have jinxed my sister... She phoned me to say that a boiler in one of her rental properties has 'popped', spraying water all over its insides and blowing its circuit boards. She checked and it is 6 months out of warranty. She has been quoted £1,200 to have it fixed!

And yes - she does have it gas safety checked and 'serviced' every year, the last time being a couple of months ago. (I'd be asking why the engineer didn't spot the impending failure, but maybe there isn't any sign until (say) the pipe splits.)

Insurance claim i guess, could just be a seal on the plate heat exchanger failed or or simply an olive leaked.
I used to constantly replace stuff on my old Halstead boiler, most things failed ever 2-4 years.
The PRV failed every time i need to pressure down.. But that was only a fiver a time but pretty crap part.

 

[ColinJ]

Insurance claim i guess, could just be a seal on the plate heat exchanger failed or or simply an olive leaked.
I used to constantly replace stuff on my old Halstead boiler, most things failed ever 2-4 years.
The PRV failed every time i need to pressure down.. But that was only a fiver a time but pretty crap part.

I forgot to ask her about insurance... I assume that the boiler wasn't covered or she wouldn't have sounded so fed up about it!

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Where the boiler is sited will make negligible difference to the flow rate and a marginal difference to how long it takes to fill a bath. Flow rate is dependent on the boiler wattage, mains water pressure and to a lesser degree the hight it has to travel from ground level.

Where the boiler is sited in terms of pipe distance WILL have a significant impact on how long it takes for the water to become hot when emerging from the tap.

I was referring to the time it takes to get the first hot water

 

[ColinJ]

You lot have jinxed my sister... She phoned me to say that a boiler in one of her rental properties has 'popped', spraying water all over its insides and blowing its circuit boards. She checked and it is 6 months out of warranty. She has been quoted £1,200 to have it fixed!

Insurance claim i guess, could just be a seal on the plate heat exchanger failed or or simply an olive leaked.

I forgot to ask her about insurance... I assume that the boiler wasn't covered or she wouldn't have sounded so fed up about it!

I spoke to my sister again today. The total bill was £1,350! Apparently, there was "an unexplained hole" in the boiler... I can't quite see how her tenant could have 'accidentally' put a hole through a combi-boiler unless somebody was using a gun, crossbow, chainsaw, grenade launcher (whatever) inside the property!

She said she would look into an insurance claim, but unless the tenant comes up with an explanation for an 'accident' causing the damage I can't see the insurance company coughing up.

 

[Drago]

It all depends where the boiler is sited compared with where you are drawing water, but yes it does take a while to fill a bath

Just fine. It probably helps that mine is directly above the bathroom ceiling, so the pipework is minimised, but really it's fine. Delivers hot water in seconds.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I spoke to my sister again today. The total bill was £1,350! Apparently, there was "an unexplained hole" in the boiler...up.

Pictures or we can't get the full CC investigation CSI team involved

 

[classic33]

I spoke to my sister again today. The total bill was £1,350! Apparently, there was "an unexplained hole" in the boiler... I can't quite see how her tenant could have 'accidentally' put a hole through a combi-boiler unless somebody was using a gun, crossbow, chainsaw, grenade launcher (whatever) inside the property!

Unexplained doesn't always mean accidental.

Which way was it formed, inwards or outwards?

 

[ColinJ]

Pictures or we can't get the full CC investigation CSI team involved

Unexplained doesn't always mean accidental.

Which way was it formed, inwards or outwards?

I am certainly curious to know more. Sis had the boiler fitted when she bought the house and is 'somewhat peeved'*** that it only lasted a few months beyond the warranty period. I'll see if I can find out more when she visits this weekend.

I imagine that boilerman has disposed of the evidence by now but there may be photos.




*** polite understatement!

 

[shirokazan]

Sis...is 'somewhat peeved'*** /QUOTE]

Pah! So, it's cost her the equivalent of about 1 or 2 month's rent. I never feel sorry for landlords - sell the property and I dare say there will be a handsome capital gain (which will have minimal CG tax given the obscene allowances they can wangle).

Disgusted of Bedfordshire.

 

[ColinJ]

Pah! So, it's cost her the equivalent of about 1 or 2 month's rent. I never feel sorry for landlords - sell the property and I dare say there will be a handsome capital gain (which will have minimal CG tax given the obscene allowances they can wangle).

Disgusted of Bedfordshire.

It is about 3 month's rent up here. That is 3 month's rent, not 3 month's profit. (There is a significant mortgage to pay and she had to pay 25% deposit out of her savings, which had been earning interest up until that point.) If you factor in the thousands of pounds she spent doing the property up before the tenants moved in, I doubt that she is in profit yet.

The tax situation for landlords has been changing. I don't know exactly what has happened but she said that a lot of things that used to be deductible no longer are.

The couple who moved in had wanted to buy the property themselves but couldn't get a mortgage for it. This way, they get to live in the property of their dreams despite that. They have an understanding with my sister that when she eventually comes to sell the property they will be offered it first at a price below what she could get on the open market. Hopefully they will be able to get a mortgage then.

Any profit that is eventually made on these properties is going towards deposits on houses for her children, who (like her tenants) cannot afford to buy their own places.

I know several people who say that they would never buy their own property so they rely on private landlords since the government/councils started selling off social housing and didn't replace much of it.

Not every landlord is a money-grabbing capitalist pig!

 

[Levo-Lon]

It is about 3 month's rent up here. That is 3 month's rent, not 3 month's profit. (There is a significant mortgage to pay and she had to pay 25% deposit out of her savings, which had been earning interest up until that point.) If you factor in the thousands of pounds she spent doing the property up before the tenants moved in, I doubt that she is in profit yet.

The tax situation for landlords has been changing. I don't know exactly what has happened but she said that a lot of things that used to be deductible no longer are.

The couple who moved in had wanted to buy the property themselves but couldn't get a mortgage for it. This way, they get to live in the property of their dreams despite that. They have an understanding with my sister that when she eventually comes to sell the property they will be offered it first at a price below what she could get on the open market. Hopefully they will be able to get a mortgage then.

Any profit that is eventually made on these properties is going towards deposits on houses for her children, who (like her tenants) cannot afford to buy their own places.

I know several people who say that they would never buy their own property so they rely on private landlords since the government/councils started selling off social housing and didn't replace much of it.

Not every landlord is a money-grabbing capitalist pig!

I'm surprised you replied to that @ColinJ