gas combi boilers

[2Margaret]

We have a 10 yr old Ideal combi. We have had several breakdowns over the last 12 months and now have another. Various plumbers over this time have expressed a dislike for combis and many will install but not repair them. We are now told that 10 years is 'old' for a combi and that many do not last that long. The manufacturer does not give a 'predicted life' for them and it appears that some parts are no longer available.

I would welcome advice on whether 10 years is about the life of them and if so perhaps we should replace now rather than repair again. We have the added difficulty of the unwillingness of plumbers to repair them. All advice welcome. Many thanks 2Margaret

[ladybird49]

Also the boiler scrappage scheme will run out shortly i think so dont leave it to long to decide what you want to do

[joannie10]

i had a vokera combi boiler installed 10 years ago and had no problems what so ever. the guy who installed it worked for British Gas at the time but did it as a homer (was £3000 cheaper than british gas quote). After about a year he was moving away although he gave me some contact numbers for possible guys I could use for servicing I ended up calling a guy who was a friend of a friend. He actually works for vokera comes out and services my boiler every couple of years. Would it be better for you to try and contact someone who deals with specifically these types of boilers as they will be better clued up? Maybe you could find a local person on the internet?

[2Margaret]

The boiler is an Ideal Response 120. My main concern is to ascertain whether 10 years is about the life for a combi. If so, it would probably be worth us replacing rather than repairing.

[2Margaret]

Also I don't think we would be eligible for the scappage scheme, as it is 'D' rated.

[joannie10]

I was just mentioning mine as to be honest with there having been no problems at all with it I would expect it to last for a long while yet (touch wood!). I have only had to spend £20 on parts/repair in the last 10 years that was just thinking if you could find someone who knows a bit about that type of boiler and may quote you a decent price for a repair.

[2Margaret]

Thanks Joanie - however one problem seems to be that now you really can't just get hold of someone who 'does it on the side'. All gas boiler people have to be registered with Gas Safe by law. We have a near neighbour who works for such a firm, but their employees are only registered to work for the firm not in their own right. It is illegal for non-registered people to carry out work on gas equipment. So we are down to local registered plumber/firms and in this area there seem to be very few that will work on combi boilers. I am also interested to know if this is common.

[terence7556]

hi marg you could post your details on www.diynot.com under plumbing and central heating and include your name of boiler and your area, asking for advice or possible gas fitters who will repair your boiler.
alternatively go to a local plumbers merchants and look at the trade cards or ask the chaps behind the counter if they recommend someone.
i find it hard to agree that people dont want to repair combi,s because some fitters do nothing else for a living but repair and or install.you are just having difficulty finding one.
the scrappage scheme is no help to you ,even though you dont qualify, as it is now fully subscribed

[2Margaret]

Thanks Terrance 7556. Our original installer does not do servicing/or repairs (we didn't know this at the beginning. we have approached several others (at least 4 in the area) and they are not interested in repairing combis. However, your suggestion of approaching local plumbing shops is helpful.

[terence7556]

marg try that other website, its way better than this one, for other stuff as well
i am in gas supply shops/merchants all the time and the folks behind the counter are top notch and im sure you will get good advice
ps on the other site you can "search" for posts about your boiler, just enter ideal response 120 and read abouy problems, possible solutions and general opinions about your boiler.it might help you come to a decision about repair or replace

[gucciman]

In general Ideal boilers are unreliable and to be avoided. If it's getting to the point where it's breaking down on a regular basis then I would replace it if you can afford to and I would opt for a Vaillant or a Worcester Bosch.

Most installers do not have a clue how to repair combi boilers and to be honest the big money is in installing plus they don't have the hassle of having to travel between 7 or 8 different jobs a day to make a living. Also, there are so many makes and models of boilers on the market it is difficult to be an expert on them all so quite often you can end up not finding the fault and not earning any money or even spending money on the wrong part and making a loss. It was interesting to see how many installers tried to break into the repair market during the recession when their work dried up.

The lifespan of a combi is mainly related to how long the spare parts are available for and the point at which continued repairs becomes uneconomic. It's also worth buying a decent boiler in the first place such as the 2 makes I mentioned above.

your other option is to call out Ideal themselves to repair the boiler, they will offer a fixed price repair fee that includes parts and labour. Or you could try British Gas who also offer a fixed price repair fee and a no fix no fee guarantee. But under no circumstances let B.G. talk you into buying a new boiler from them which they will probably try to do.

hope that helps you

[2Margaret]

Thank you Gucciman! Very helpful - we have been considering the Glow Worm Flexicom for Retrofil (recommended by our current plumber plus neighbour who works for central heating firm but is not registered in his own right). However, have seen that Worcester came top of Which? last survey (also for its insurance scheme). Have been advised that the Worcester will not fit into current Ideal space but will investigate further.

[gucciman]

even though glow worm is owned by Vaillant i'm not a big fan of them. You really can't go wrong with a Vaillant or Worcester Bosch, both reliable, excellent customer support, reasonable spare part prices, although from my point of view the Vaillant is easier to work on for service and repair.

[gsbriggs]

We have an Ideal ISAR combi, approx 7 years old. To be honest it's been nothing but trouble. It's let us down on numerous occasions for various faults. Fortunately, we have never had any trouble getting CORGI registered fitters to look at it. In terms of how long combi boilers last, I think it's going to be difficult to put a figure on it. Not all combi boliers are the same and economic longevity is likely to depend on a number of factors such as water quality, hardness, how heavily stressed it is - i.e. do you have a small boiler trying to heat a big house to a high temperature? As for the economics of repair versus replacement, if you're seeing infrequent bills of £50-60 that might be tolerable, but if you're staring at £300+ it could be time to consider replacement.