I need an engineer.....

Pete

Well-Known Forum User
Obviously a lot of taleneted engineering types on here. So, must be thread for engineering advice.
I'll start. Got an old (20 years) oil fired central heating boiler that sits in an alcove in the house with the the flue going through the roof)and it's a bit fecked. Got someone in to look at getting a new one, tells me what I need is is an external boiler, run pipes under the floor yadaya. My old boiler is not a condensing boiler if you fit a new one it's legally required to be a condensing boiler. There was me thinking pull out the old one fire in a new one job done. Thoughts?
 

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
I don't understand what you mean by an 'external boiler'?

Anyway I had a new condensing boiler about 2 years ago and it's a lot more efficient than my old (1991) boiler, so go with it.
 

Pete

Well-Known Forum User
Thanks for the replies. 'External' as in outside the house, he seemed quite keen on situating it outside, I think because it was easier drainage wise and also if located indoors the existing flue would be NG and need to be replaced which he intimated would be expensive.
 

uk66fastback

Club Member
Having a boiler outside the house seems a bit extreme to say the least. These boilers are way smaller nowadays than they used to be. Is this guy GAS SAFE or whatever they all it nowadays ... ? Or OIL SAFE (is there such as thing) if it is oil-fired?
 

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
Thanks for the replies. 'External' as in outside the house, he seemed quite keen on situating it outside, I think because it was easier drainage wise and also if located indoors the existing flue would be NG and need to be replaced which he intimated would be expensive.

So where? My boiler has electronics in it.
 

Paul_S

Club Member
My in-laws have an external oil burning boiler. It's in a grey metal box (about waist height), a little like the comms cabinets you see in the street but deeper.
 

Pete

Well-Known Forum User
As an example.
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He has all the reqd qualifications and seemed a very clued up guy. I was a bit taken aback when he informed me there was more to it than disconnect a few pipes, remove old boiler. fit new boiler ,reconnect pipes. I'll need to ask a few more questions I suppose.
 

toopy

Club Member
I was a bit taken aback when he informed me there was more to it than disconnect a few pipes, remove old boiler. fit new boiler ,reconnect pipes. I'll need to ask a few more questions I suppose.

It depends, if its a like for like replacement, it should be that simple. If your changing to a combi boiler, then yes, a lot more pipe work involved, add the condensing aspect and it needs to drain the 'condensate' somewhere, its slightly acidic, so iirc its not supposed to go straight into the drain, but needs to be neutralised first.
And Im no gas engineer, just experience from renovating a couple of properties in the past :)
 

Pete

Well-Known Forum User
Just to round this off. Not got a quote for the new boiler yet. However as a background to my situation, I'd had various problems with my existing 20 year old non-condensing boiler locking out, also some problems with water accumulated in the oil tank and oil line filters blocked. had all of the probs checked and rectified and the boiler worked OK ish. It still occasionaly locked out and if the temp control on the boiler was turned up it locked out a lot. Pressing the re-set button would get it going again but eventually the reset switch gave up and therefore couldn't get it going again, that was back in April, no rush, great summer . Had a look around the net for a new reset switch but didn't see one available so thouught time to get a new boiler anyway. So, while waitng on quote pulled the reset switch off, got the manufacturesrs part number, contacted the manufacturer , new switch arrived today, £50, fitted, boiler working fine now, yeah, no locking out at any temp setting.
Also did a bit of reading up on boiler type subjects interesting stuff. All sort of regs as you can image regarding the installation of condensing boilers. British gas had to issue instuctions on how to defrost the condensate pipes on them as they had 60000 call outs during the cold snap last year. Who would've thought that an unlagged plastic pipe with water in it would freeze up!
 
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Pete

Well-Known Forum User
upload_2018-11-2_22-35-9.jpeg

Came across lots of other pics of 'installations', ffs.
upgrade21.jpg
 
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status

Well-Known Forum User
Wot make boiler have you,We have oil central heating and log burners,our boiler is an Italian make,Cant think wot name but sometimes you are told that they can’t get spares anymore which is total bull
 

Pete

Well-Known Forum User
Trying to do the search function on here re exhausts. Not that easy. Came upon this. Resolved. Did a bit more poking about, got a new sensor for existing boiler, plugged it in, done, end of. Not sure Greta would be that pleased, hey, hoy.
 
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