ᐅ Replacement of Gas Boiler – Is It Advisable and to What Extent?
Created on: 1 Apr 2017 18:51
M
matze787
Hello everyone!
In our single-family house from 1999, we currently have a Junkers gas boiler (Cerapur ZSBR) – over the years, we have replaced a few, but overall we were quite satisfied.
During the last maintenance, including power cleaning (using a high-pressure cleaner), the heating technician said that the readings were not correct. He suspected that the exhaust system might be leaking air – but didn’t know where exactly, and recommended replacing everything from the boiler up to the chimney on the roof.
Then, as a second opinion, I called our chimney sweep. He said the readings weren’t optimal but still within tolerance. He knows our boiler very well – he had the same one himself, even 1 or 2 years newer – and strongly recommended replacing it immediately, saying he had disposed of his own last year. According to him, it cannot be properly cleaned, and something could eventually turn into a safety risk – Junkers apparently had a design flaw here.
OK, the system is 18 years old, but a complete replacement wasn’t really on our radar yet. So, we requested quotes from companies...but our doubts only increased. Maybe one of you can help clear things up a bit ;-)
1) The connections, Airfix fittings, pipes, etc. are far from current standards (I can provide 1–2 photos if interested). It’s apparently not absolutely necessary to replace everything, but most recommended it. Is that greed or sensible? We can’t tell as non-experts...
2) All quotes were between 6,000 and 7,500 euros (EUR). The offers included boilers from Junkers (Cerapur ZBS 14/100 S-3 MA 21 and ZSB 24-5 C23) as well as Viessmann (Vitodens 200-W). It’s hard for a layperson to judge which is better. People used to say Viessmann is the “Mercedes” of boilers. Is that still true today? They still seem to be test winners...
3) Only one installer mentioned hydraulic balancing at all. He recommends it, but it’s about an additional 1,000 euros (EUR). Is that really worth it in our case? The house has 125m² (1,345 sq ft) of living space, 2 floors, and 10 radiators...
I’d appreciate any input – I’m currently overwhelmed. Keep running the current system? Replace it? If replacement, everything or just the boiler? With or without hydraulic balancing?
Thanks in advance and best regards,
matze787
In our single-family house from 1999, we currently have a Junkers gas boiler (Cerapur ZSBR) – over the years, we have replaced a few, but overall we were quite satisfied.
During the last maintenance, including power cleaning (using a high-pressure cleaner), the heating technician said that the readings were not correct. He suspected that the exhaust system might be leaking air – but didn’t know where exactly, and recommended replacing everything from the boiler up to the chimney on the roof.
Then, as a second opinion, I called our chimney sweep. He said the readings weren’t optimal but still within tolerance. He knows our boiler very well – he had the same one himself, even 1 or 2 years newer – and strongly recommended replacing it immediately, saying he had disposed of his own last year. According to him, it cannot be properly cleaned, and something could eventually turn into a safety risk – Junkers apparently had a design flaw here.
OK, the system is 18 years old, but a complete replacement wasn’t really on our radar yet. So, we requested quotes from companies...but our doubts only increased. Maybe one of you can help clear things up a bit ;-)
1) The connections, Airfix fittings, pipes, etc. are far from current standards (I can provide 1–2 photos if interested). It’s apparently not absolutely necessary to replace everything, but most recommended it. Is that greed or sensible? We can’t tell as non-experts...
2) All quotes were between 6,000 and 7,500 euros (EUR). The offers included boilers from Junkers (Cerapur ZBS 14/100 S-3 MA 21 and ZSB 24-5 C23) as well as Viessmann (Vitodens 200-W). It’s hard for a layperson to judge which is better. People used to say Viessmann is the “Mercedes” of boilers. Is that still true today? They still seem to be test winners...
3) Only one installer mentioned hydraulic balancing at all. He recommends it, but it’s about an additional 1,000 euros (EUR). Is that really worth it in our case? The house has 125m² (1,345 sq ft) of living space, 2 floors, and 10 radiators...
I’d appreciate any input – I’m currently overwhelmed. Keep running the current system? Replace it? If replacement, everything or just the boiler? With or without hydraulic balancing?
Thanks in advance and best regards,
matze787