My boiler is on its last legs after 25 years of sterling service- its leaking rad watre into the hot water side, which looks to me like the heat exchanger is FUBAR?

Looking to keep the existing rads, and update the boiler and timer

Been warned off modern boilers with stainless heat exchangers; apparently the holes are very small and become clogged with muck from the rads....

any thought or opinions?

after 25 years and if your boiler corroded then the rads will be ready to hole too. I've fitted remote controlled electric wall heaters to the new house, super simple and cheap to run, cost about £100 per heater. Never going back to boilers, way to expensive and complex. Fitted 2 radio control timers/thermostats, one upstairs one down £80 each, completely flexible to what controller does what heater (can be changed in a few seconds).

I also fitted two immerser heated water tanks a small one for the kitchen and bathroom sinks and a bigger one for the bath, keeps costs way down.

No costly pipes, no separate gas/oil bills, no flues or funny smells.



[Edited on 9/1/09 by Mr Whippy]

Sludge is the enemy of new boilers. I usually run Sentinel X800 with the old boiler, then flush thoroughly and X100 inhibitor after the new boiler has gone in.

Removing the sludge can find leaks, but just keep an eye on them.

Look for drips at the joints such as the bleed nipple plug at the top of the rad (drips onto the TRV and lockshield making them look like they are leaking too), undo it, wire brush and refit with PTFE.

If you've got the money go Worcester, if you want good value I'd recommend the new Glow-worm Ultracom's.

Do you mean that heating water is leaking into the hot water supply?

quote:

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Originally posted by geoff shep
Do you mean that heating water is leaking into the hot water supply?

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DO NOT BUY A BAXI>>>>>>

They are the most trouble some things you get. Baxi Antartica`s they are called....

Can’t mind what make the boiler was but it was in the last house but it was hell. 3 whole circuit boards at £370 each in 12 years, terrible heating control either too cold or passing out. Then the radiators started leaking black water at the base, some of them then stopped working and loads of bangs and the sound of bubbles going through the pipes. Vowed never to get a boiler again and hence the electric heaters. I think shops push boilers cos they cost so much to buy and they make the most profit. My sisters house has underfloor heating for a similar sized house and her heating bill was twice mine.

[Edited on 9/1/09 by Mr Whippy]

I agree with not buying a Baxi.
I have a Potterton (I believe made by Baxi)
Since installation in summer 2000, my Potterton has needed:
3 replacement wax capsule diverter valves
2 circuit board repairs (dry joints)
1 repair to the fan
1 remove part of hot water flow restrictor as it swells up and cuts of hot water flow.
The controller seems to have a design fault - If I power up the boiler then let it run immediately, it will cu out. It must be powered on for about 10s before letting it run. This took several days to figure out after installation.

Generally, the design is very poor.

so

DO NOT BUY A POTTERTON>>>>>>

[Edited on 9/1/09 by JonBowden]

Not sure I understand your comment there Mr Whippy.

The reason for installing a water based heating system with a boiler is the cost of electricity.
Electricity costs about 4 times as much per kilowatt-hour as gas.
That pretty much ends the arguement for most people who can get gas.

In an ideal world, i would replace the rads, but there are 13 of them, and i cant afford it.....

my plumber is recomending a german viessmann boiler

thanks for all the input, does anyone have any experience on trapping the sludge- some form of filter?

the rads were power flushed last month (which is when the boiler started playing up....)

Are you sure it's the boiler that's gone? If you have an indirect hot water cylinder, and radiator/CH water is finding its way into the hot water (that comes out of the hot tap) isn't it likely to be the coil inside the hot water tank - maybe you just need a new hot water tank.

to be honest, I'm not sure...

thats what the plumber suggested, but then he woudl say that.

okay, thinking some more about this, is there any way to check/test whether its the water tank or boiler thats goosed?