THE SHORT ANSWER
READING YOUR BOILER
Age on its own tells you very little. What the boiler is doing tells you a lot.
Two or more of these together
Repairs
More than one fault in eighteen months
Parts
Model obsolete, parts on order for days
Noise
Kettling or banging, usually scale or sludge
Pressure
Will not hold without weekly topping up
Heat-up time
Noticeably slower than it used to be
Efficiency
Pre-2005 and non-condensing
Keep it and service it
Repairs
Nothing significant in the last few years
Parts
Current model, parts next day
Running
Quiet, steady, no lockouts
Pressure
Holds between services
Service record
Annual and unbroken
Warranty
Still in force and registered
IF IT IS PAST SAVING
Sometimes a service tells you the boiler is on borrowed time.
If that is where yours is, you will get told straight rather than sold to. These are the four we fit, all fully fitted, VAT included, with a 10 year warranty.
Most popular
Baxi 800
Best value, most homes
Fitted, from
£1,995
Fully fitted, VAT included
UK-built compact unit
Fits in kitchen cupboards
Quiet operation
10-year warranty
Pick this boiler
Ideal Logic Max
Best British-built option
Fitted, from
£2,200
Fully fitted, VAT included
Hull-built, strong UK warranty
Easy-service design
Good for hard-water areas
10-year warranty
Pick this boiler
Vaillant ecoFIT pure
Quietest in the range
Fitted, from
£2,410
Fully fitted, VAT included
German engineering
Lowest noise rating
Sleek compact design
10-year warranty
Pick this boiler
Worcester 8000
Premium UK brand
Fitted, from
£2,620
Fully fitted, VAT included
Household-name UK brand
Stainless-steel heat exchanger
Premium build quality
10-year warranty
Pick this boiler
SIGNS IT IS NEAR THE END
1
One fault in a decade is bad luck. Two or three in eighteen months is the boiler telling you something. Add up what you have spent over two years before you agree to the next repair.
2
Once a model is obsolete, a repair can mean days without heating while a part is chased. If we tell you a part is no longer made, that is not a sales line, it is the practical end of that boiler.
3
Kettling usually means scale or sludge in the heat exchanger. Pressure that will not hold means a leak somewhere or a failed expansion vessel. Both are fixable, but on an old boiler both are also a sign the system is tired.
REPAIR OR REPLACE
Under 8 years, first real fault
8 to 12 years, repair is small
Past 10 years, repair is a third of a new one
Parts no longer made
COMMON QUESTIONS
How long should a boiler last?
When is a boiler not worth repairing?
Does servicing actually make a boiler last longer?
My boiler is 15 years old but working fine. Should I replace it?
Will a new boiler cut my gas bill?
What does a replacement cost?
BEFORE YOU GO
More of the same, written by the engineers who do the work.