Afy Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 Well it seems that boiler and water heater need to be changed. We have 8 radiators in the house, and a 3000L Oil tank (which is thankfully in good shape). Currently we have a boiler that doesnt seem to work, and an electric water heater. I have read the sticky and am leaning towards a 30KW boiler, with the mixed cycle water heater. Now what are decent brands? And where can I get indicative costs for the heaters? Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 Have you checked that the valve which splits the output between hotwater and central heating is set up the right way and have you checked the fuel filter ? Also that the pipes to the radiators are not totally furred up ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 [quote user="Afy"]Well it seems that boiler and water heater need to be changed. We have 8 radiators in the house, and a 3000L Oil tank (which is thankfully in good shape). Currently we have a boiler that doesnt seem to work, and an electric water heater. I have read the sticky and am leaning towards a 30KW boiler, with the mixed cycle water heater. Now what are decent brands? And where can I get indicative costs for the heaters? Thank you[/quote]Have some friends with precisely the same sort of problem. Now works well.First port of call with an old boiler is normally the Bruleur which is the fuel atomiser/injector. These new cost E250 -280.Most old boilers do not have esoteric electronic controls and thus most components can be changed/upgraded.After all, a boiler is simply a cast iron or fabricated heat jacket which acts as the heat exchanger. Apart from corrosion, not much goes wrong here.Perhaps ask a Chaufagiste to check and report, before ripping it out and fitting new.Good idea also to check out the pipework as already suggested: insert sludge cleaner then drain and flush and insert corrosion inhibiter/antifreeze.BTW when you do change your system I would personally check out the comparative cost of oil and cheap rate electricity for water heating: bi-fuel Ballons and the extra cost for a mixed system boiler are significant, whilst night rate water heating is very cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afy Posted September 30, 2006 Author Share Posted September 30, 2006 The boiler is 30 years old and a Chaufagiste did check it out and reccomend changing it. The Water heater is the same vintage as well, and does need changing. Currently electricity only. The current ballon does not allow for timers so that is out of the question. Given this I dont believe I have an option but to change it out. And it was 12 radiators, I missed a few :(Now what would a decent heater cost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Chaudieres:30Kw. ish, from circa E1600 (Brico Depot) to E3,750 (Chappe). Also depends whether you want a chimney or a forced draft -Venteuse - system which adds circa E279 to the cost.There are others even more expensive.Mystified about your ballon not being able to run with a "Timer". In fact the EDF cheap rate is enabled by a pulse switch at circa 12.00 midnight and 08.00 AM, thus the circuit is always switched on, but not live until the pulse switch kicks in. Cheaper than oil per unit of energy at present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afy Posted October 1, 2006 Author Share Posted October 1, 2006 I didnt know about the pulse switch. My skills are more limited than most, so will need to get someone to do this. So I guess with labour I should budget in about 5-7K for the change? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted October 1, 2006 Share Posted October 1, 2006 Before installing the pulse switch, you need to contact EDF about changing to a computerised meter, if one is not already installed.The abonnment changes, too. This will depend on the rating of your supply.Fitting the pulse switch is quite simple (for an electrician!), it simply clips into the tableau and switches power to the disjoncteure dedicated for the ballon.Once you have the benefit of Heures Creuse (Cheap Rate) and Heures Plein (Daytime rate- expensive!), all electricity consumed after midnight is at the far cheaper Heures Creuse rate. So for example, you can set the timers on dishwashers, washing machines etc only to run after midnight. These don't need a switch, all electricity consumed after midnight will be at the cheaper rate.Boiler: 5-7K should cover it, all depends on what else needs updating/replacement, though. Also a plombier will of course charge you top dollar for the boiler and bits, don't forget so it's worth shopping around. And they all seem to have their favourite make of chauffage! The one offering the biggest trade discount, perhaps?[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afy Posted October 5, 2006 Author Share Posted October 5, 2006 Ok got a quote: for E7600The boiler is 4300,(30KW) which IMHO seems high no make specified. Labor is 1400 and misc nick nacks are 2K... (Expansion unit, misc pipes, thermostats et al)And it is a single fuel boiler, with no means of switching to electricity, given which I think the costs are high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert the InfoGipsy Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 Afy, One thing to bear in mind is the possibility of getting a big (~40% of equipment price) tax rebate for certain types of water heating. I know it applies to wood burners but you might get it for high efficiency oil ones. The UK has a similar policy and there high efficiency oil & gas boilers qualify. There have been threads about this if you use the search facility.I'd expect the boiler to be single fuel but to have a ballon with a combination of an electric heater and a water coil fed from the boiler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afy Posted October 5, 2006 Author Share Posted October 5, 2006 Well got the boiler maker and details:Chaudiere fonte fuel 30 kw cheminee a basse trmperature Geodi BI avec production d;eay chaude par ballon 130 L et regulation sur vanne melangeuse 4 voie IDEAL Standard.... does anyone know if this is the one where the water heat can be run on electricity in summer? Or will I be shelling out for oil in summer as well? Is it any good?I also do not want a Ferrari of a boiler when a volvo would suffice... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 As Albert just said (and I said previously), if you have the sort of boiler which can supply hot water as well as heating, then you simply need to fit a bi-fuel ballon. The heating coil (calorifier) uses electricity when the heating is off, and hot water from the boiler when it's on. However, it is well worth checking the comparitive costs here.Since you would need electrically heated water in the Summer etc, it should pay you to have the two rate meter.I do believe that the night rate will be far cheaper than extra oil to produce hot water in Winter. Downside is paying a larger abonnement all year round, however this can be covered by switching on dishwashers, washing machines on their timeclock after the cheap rate has cut in. Some people even use their electric ovens at night on the timer!Plus you save the capital cost of a more expensive boiler and the extra cost of the bi-fuel ballon.People do fall into the trap of thinking that because the heating is on, the water heating is somehow free! It isn't. Boilers are simply heat converters. Oil/coal/ gas/wood/whatever is burnt to produce heat. The more taken out means the more latent energy in. means more fuel burnt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afy Posted October 5, 2006 Author Share Posted October 5, 2006 That is what I want, a simple boiler, and a water heater than can either run on mazout when the boiler is running, or electricity in summer. However the wife will not even contact another chauffage place to look for an alternative. So much so, that she is now buying fuel at the most expensive place, since she is convinced that the quality is better. She wants a new starcase to the attic/unused space and now wants me to shell out 15K for it. Before buying the house she was convinced that it would be 2-3 K. I really have had it with this house.... I must have a money tree growing somewhere that I do not know anything about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 Afy:Farbeit for me to encourage marital insurrection, however most people have found it critical to obtain at least two Devis before embarking on any project: even the most simple!With boilers you have two basic choices (apart from quality and gizmos): heating only, or heating and hot water?Thereafter, it is really a matter of which manufacturer's product to go for.Personally, I am gimmick averse; whilst lots of flashing lights, LCD screens and microprocessors look very impressive, they tend to be very expensive when they go wrong; as they will do!Most French oil boilers use the Lamborghini guts: the rest tends to be flashy cases and controls.Time to put down he master's boot with authority?[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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