Electric heating and hot water system advice

[philpy]

Looking for a bit of advice about electric heating and hot water systems.

I'm looking at replacing the heating system in my house and was recently advised to install a new electric heating and hot water system. Has anybody done this recently? Any recommendations?

Any and all advice (helpful) is greatly appreciated.

Try Burton's. If you buy a boiler they will chuck in a free retro scotland top.

[Scary Bear]

Electric heating is only really viable as a last resort if there is absolutely no way of fitting a gas or oil fired system. Options are fairly limited too as there isn't as big market for them.

I've only fitted one electric boiler after 13 years in trade. I do realise that sometimes its the only option though.

This. Electric heating should be the last resort. Always costs a fortune to run, relative to other fuel sources. You burn gas at power stations to make electricity. So obviously electricity will always be more expensive as long as this is the case.

[tinkerbelle]

Actualy i have never done this but last time when i need to replace electric heating and hot water system, i have called engineers to JCHLondon. They have done very good job.

Does the JC part of the company happen to stand for James Centon by any chance?

[FlyerTon]

Combis are good provided you have decent mains water pressure, if you have low mains water pressure a regular or system boiler is recommended.

The links below are quite handy for picking the correct boiler. The new Worcester Greenstar Cdi Compact boilers that came out last year now have a modulating pump that uses up to 30% less electricity to run than a normal circulating pump

All Combis now have to be condensing and will save several hundred pounds a year in gas costs over the older non condensing combi boilers. A plastic pipe has to be fitted for the condensate but this usually can be routed to an internal waste pipe, to save putting it outside where you have to lagg it to prevent freeze ups in winter.

http://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/homeowner/boilers/find-a-boiler

http://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/cache/file/620/greenstar-gas-boilers-brochure.pdf

[scottsdad]

I changed my storage heaters for a wet electric system about 2 years ago. Overall the bills are down a little bit (maybe 10% less energy use). But the house is colder. No denying that, compared to the old storage heaters.

Hot water comes in, well, hot. No difference there.

[Dee Man]

A wee thought, combis do away with your boiler so no hot water storage. Any lecky faults, power cuts etc and you have no hot water.

Calm down Grandad, it's not Victorian times now. On the very rare occasions there is a power cut I'm sure most folk could get by for a couple of hours without a bath or doing the dishes.

[HEY_SIDNEY]

All Electric systems are much more expensive than standard. Storage heating is most expensive.

Theres lots to look at, not just the size of the house - all about your lifestyle really.. I work for a gas and electric company - probs best not to listen to me haha..

[Hedgecutter]

Bump. Not actually about electric heating but definitely hot water systems and better than starting a brand new thread imo:

I'm currently considering getting my ancient conventional boiler replaced due to every check up guy claiming that it's from the Jacobean Period and horribly inefficient (probably only 50%) to the point they have to rate it X. That said, we've been in the house for 1.5 years and we've never had any boiler bother at all.

Part of me says "if it's not broke, don't fix it" but the other part says "you'll probably need to do this at some point in the future so will save more money on your bills the earlier you get it done". However, folk I know have said things along the lines of "I've only heard bad things about combis" and my past experience in my old flat wasn't great with the thing conking out frequently whilst at work.

I recently got a quote from a British Gas engineer who came around to scout the lot out and for a gas central heated 3 bedroom house with good mains pressure he claimed that getting a new combi-boiler was a "no brainer" and cheaper rather than upgrading the present conventional system to a fully pumped one which would cost £800 more. That said, he did say that combis are more expensive to install but never gave the details.

The quote we got for a new combi boiler system and installation was a top price of £4780 (including removal of tanks from the current conventional system + flushing of pipes) but being jammy with a 25% staff discount on some parts, we can knock that down to £3580. Even then, some folk are saying that even this sounds rather expensive and are asking if BG are just being rip of merchants?

Any thoughts from anyone else here with similar experience at all? Much obliged in advance.

Edited October 28, 2014 by Hedgecutter

[Sergeant Wilson]

Get the stuff. I'll do it for a grand.

[Tom McB]

Bump. Not actually about electric heating but definitely hot water systems and better than starting a brand new thread imo:

I'm currently considering getting my ancient conventional boiler replaced due to every check up guy claiming that it's from the Jacobean Period and horribly inefficient (probably only 50%) to the point they have to rate it X. That said, we've been in the house for 1.5 years and we've never had any boiler bother at all.

Part of me says "if it's not broke, don't fix it" but the other part says "you'll probably need to do this at some point in the future so will save more money on your bills the earlier you get it done". However, folk I know have said things along the lines of "I've only heard bad things about combis" and my past experience in my old flat wasn't great with the thing conking out frequently whilst at work.

I recently got a quote from a British Gas engineer who came around to scout the lot out and for a gas central heated 3 bedroom house with good mains pressure he claimed that getting a new combi-boiler was a "no brainer" and cheaper rather than upgrading the present conventional system to a fully pumped one which would cost £800 more. That said, he did say that combis are more expensive to install but never gave the details.

The quote we got for a new combi boiler system and installation was a top price of £4780 (including removal of tanks from the current conventional system + flushing of pipes) but being jammy with a 25% staff discount on some parts, we can knock that down to £3580. Even then, some folk are saying that even this sounds rather expensive and are asking if BG are just being rip of merchants?

Any thoughts from anyone else here with similar experience at all? Much obliged in advance.

Bottom line mate, don't let them remove you hot water tank. If the boiler goes on the blink you will have no hot water, retain the tank with an electric immersion heater as a backup.

[Hedgecutter]

Bottom line mate, don't let them remove you hot water tank. If the boiler goes on the blink you will have no hot water, retain the tank with an electric immersion heater as a backup.

I'm far from an expert but would it not be the case that as a combi doesn't need a one, the upgraded system wouldn't be connected to the existing tank, making it nothing more than a waste of cupboard space?

[Johnstoun]

I'm far from an expert but would it not be the case that as a combi doesn't need a one, the upgraded system wouldn't be connected to the existing tank, making it nothing more than a waste of cupboard space?

The house I'm in now has both, they are both connected but in my view the immersion and header tank are a waste of space. Our previous house I had the old storage system taken out when I put a combi in. The previous owners also left the immersion switched on 24/7 despite having fitted a combi 18months before.

[Gaz]

Bump. Not actually about electric heating but definitely hot water systems and better than starting a brand new thread imo:

I'm currently considering getting my ancient conventional boiler replaced due to every check up guy claiming that it's from the Jacobean Period and horribly inefficient (probably only 50%) to the point they have to rate it X. That said, we've been in the house for 1.5 years and we've never had any boiler bother at all.

Part of me says "if it's not broke, don't fix it" but the other part says "you'll probably need to do this at some point in the future so will save more money on your bills the earlier you get it done". However, folk I know have said things along the lines of "I've only heard bad things about combis" and my past experience in my old flat wasn't great with the thing conking out frequently whilst at work.

I recently got a quote from a British Gas engineer who came around to scout the lot out and for a gas central heated 3 bedroom house with good mains pressure he claimed that getting a new combi-boiler was a "no brainer" and cheaper rather than upgrading the present conventional system to a fully pumped one which would cost £800 more. That said, he did say that combis are more expensive to install but never gave the details.

The quote we got for a new combi boiler system and installation was a top price of £4780 (including removal of tanks from the current conventional system + flushing of pipes) but being jammy with a 25% staff discount on some parts, we can knock that down to £3580. Even then, some folk are saying that even this sounds rather expensive and are asking if BG are just being rip of merchants?

Any thoughts from anyone else here with similar experience at all? Much obliged in advance.

We had a new boiler installed on Friday last week. The total cost, including the price of the boiler and all other parts and labour, was £1,200.

[Hedgecutter]

We had a new boiler installed on Friday last week. The total cost, including the price of the boiler and all other parts and labour, was £1,200.

You see, that sounds far more reasonable. Do you mind if I ask what type it is and who installed it?

[Wee Bully]

As long as it isn't a Ferrolli, you should be OK. They are a pile of sh***.

We have just replaced ours with a Worcester, and it is like night and day.

[Sergeant Wilson]

As long as it isn't a Ferrolli, you should be OK. They are a pile of sh***.

We have just replaced ours with a Worcester, and it is like night and day.

The Worcester? Mark 1 or 2. That's boiler Ferrari.

[heedthebaa]

We had a new boiler installed on Friday last week. The total cost, including the price of the boiler and all other parts and labour, was £1,200.

it must be a shite or stolen boiler

[CLANCY2KTID]

You can pick up a Potterton Heatmax 28kw (middle of the range, decent boiler with 2yr warranty) with time clock and flue etc for under £700, if you are just changing the boiler and doing away with tanks etc. A reasonable price to supply and fit would be anywhere around £1200-1600.

If GB's price is for a full re-pipe and all new radiators it isn't that overly expensive, although you could easily get cheaper.

If it's just to change your current system to a combi it's a rip off of the highest order and you should laugh aggressively in their face as you slam the door.

[Gaz]

You see, that sounds far more reasonable. Do you mind if I ask what type it is and who installed it?

I will PM you the boy's name.

it must be a shite or stolen boiler

It's a Baxi Duo-Tec 2 28ga boiler, it's worth about £850. Not the most expensive but not a ridiculously cheap piece of shite. Does everything we need it to do.

[CLANCY2KTID]

Baxi Duo-Tec is decent boiler.