combi boilers

[HAWKE]

I have a power shower , will this work off a combi boiler also someone recomends a german model but can't remember the name, are there some makes better than others.

[Bathsheba]

Bosche?

[Bathsheba]

Sorry- Bosch

[HAWKE]

thanks Bathsheba will remember

[buildersmate]

If it is that one, the company is actually known as Worcester-Bosch.

[HAWKE]

thanks all ,yes that is the german make;I have found you cant have a power shower with a combi . thanks again case closed

[gasman]

No you can not put a power shower on to a combi system.

[gucciman]

you can run a thermostatic mixer shower off a combi boiler which will have a pressure almost as good as a power shower.

worcesters are good boilers but they're british, the german boiler is almost certainly a vaillant.

[HAWKE]

been as it my boiler which as broke , would it be best to replace the boiler with one similar , or go for a combi which would involve messing about with the pipework under the floor boards on the landing and in the bedroom and be 3times more expensive to install.

[gucciman]

i doubt a combi would be 3 times more costly to install than a normal boiler because if you have a normal type installed to comply with the energy efficiency regulations your whole system will need upgrading too (please see the answer ive left to your other question as i dont want to type it all again! ) of course you may find an installer who will do it on the cheap and not bother with the regulations but thats up to you and them, but the benchmark log book the installer is meant to fill in includes sections on energy efficiency compliance and if its not done the boiler maker may not honour your warranty. you'll probably also find a dodgy installer wont bother to register your new boiler with corgi or come back if you ave any problems.
even if you do have a normal type boiler installed theres going to be pipework to be done as theres very little chance of the new boilers inlet and outlet connections being in the same place and even less chance of the new cylinders connections being the same. the new pipework on a combi would be minimal if they can install it where the cylinder used to be.
my advice to you would be to call out a heating engineer and see whats wrong with your exisiting boiler, if its something serious and expensive you don't have to have it repaired, you can just pay for the diagnosis. why spend �1000's if it can be repaired for 50 quid!

[HAWKE]

Gucciman, thanks for your advice, We seem to be erring on the combi option especially as you mentioned that we would more than likely have to have the pipe work altered and that would mean taking up laminate flooring in the bedroom if we went for the new boiler option. I contacted Potterton's service contractes who said that they dont carry spares for my model of boiler anymore as its old.We had a man round who was installig a combi system over the road , but been as our property is built differently we would have to have the boiler vented throgh the rooof and a pump fitted to empty the condensed water. He has not got back to me yet with a price. I also have arranged for Brittish Gas to come and look at the situation (repair or replacement) .

[gucciman]

sorry ive took so long to reply, not been on for a while has been so busy, may be too late now but don't go to british gas, they charge an absolute fortune compared to an independant installer. you can use them for advice and a free quote and then use that price to see how much cheaper someone else will do it.

[HAWKE]

hi gucciman, someone suggested I try and have my boiler mended. Iphoned up pottertons repair contracters who said the boiler was out of date and no spares available. So I contacted a boiler repair man who came round and diagnossed that the fan had broke . Can you get hold of spares I asked, after a phone call he came up with a price of �150 how much to fit I asked , �100 he said , I agreed but think he ripped me off a bit as I have seen those fans for�116 on the web.I saw it only involved 3or 4 screws and 2 wire contacts not a bad little earner for him . Well at least we have hot water and our power shower, we were quoted �2150 for a combi Worster-bosch so if my boiler lasts another 5 yrs i'll be happy . Thanks for your input to my problem . Hawke

[HAWKE]

By the way the quote was from a local man, I cancelled B. G

[gucciman]

hard to say if you paid too much for the fan or not to be honest, it all depends what price his usual supplier charges him, fans can vary from �90 to �200 dependant on the model of boiler. you could also say if the official potterton stockist says they are obsolete then anyone who has got a stock of them can charge what they like!
�100 to fit the fan does seem a bit steep, we normally charge �50, but we do tend to be on the cheap side. what you do have to rememeber though is you are paying for the guys knowledge in that he knew what the problem was whereas you didn't, he has also had to make 2 visit to your house, 1 to diagnose and 1 to fix, and your also paying for his corg registration, his van, his tools etc
you've certainly not been ripped off, he may be on the expensive side but ripped off is when someone says they cant fix your boiler when they can and they charge you a couple of grand for a new one, and ripped off is like the house of horrors programs when they charge you a �1000 for a washer and have a crap in your water tank to boot!

[HAWKE]

hi gucciman, yes your right Isuppose when you look at the big picture. I see what your definition of been ripped off is , and that would be awful . Still we have our hot water back and everyones happy , once again thanks for your input to my boiler problem.