Replace 50 year old gloworm ?

[Throbbin Robin]

I have a very old Gloworm boiler. Been advised by gas engineer to replace for modern unit. It's working fine but worried about availibilty of parts and getting a plumber to work on it. Any advise ?

 

[gmartine]

Probably not the most concensual of advice I'm going to give but unless you're a particularly vulnerable person make provision for when it does die so you're not at anybody's mercy...

Buy a couple or three oil space heaters and make sure your hot water cylinder immersion is working and run your old Gloworm until it dies.

She has a modern system but I still like to keep two oil heaters at my 89yr old ma's place just in case I can't get there as quickly as I'd like.

 

[Timmy D]

Probably not the most concensual of advice I'm going to give but unless you're a particularly vulnerable person make provision for when it does die so you're not at anybody's mercy...

Buy a couple or three oil space heaters and make sure your hot water cylinder immersion is working and run your old Gloworm until it dies.

She has a modern system but I still like to keep two oil heaters at my 89yr old ma's place just in case I can't get there as quickly as I'd like.

I’ve got the same view. If it’s working, leave it alone. If you start to spend more than £400 a year fixing it, change it.

Also gonna add, when you change the boiler, be prepared to change all the rads too. And possibly a couple of power flushes. There will be a lot of Rubbish in the pipes/rads.

 

[Ric2013]

A modern boiler may use less gas but, if you are already a low gas user, it may not pay for itself in its potential lifespan.

 

[gmartine]

A modern boiler may use less gas but, if you are already a low gas user, it may not pay for itself in its potential lifespan.

Very likely and as Timmy D said bolting a new boiler onto an old system can also be fraught with issues.

 

[king of pipes]

Good advice from the guys a 50 year old system will need replacing completely and it's alot of work and probably to much stress and worry for a elderly person to cope with it should be done with the property vacated, a little holiday or temporary care package is advisable. Regards kop

 

[Ric2013]

Is the OP elderly? We really don't know.

 

[Throbbin Robin]

Thanks so much for your replies. The OP is in their 60's so not sure if that's classed as old. The consensus of opinion seems to be to leave the old boiler in place until it stops or starts costing too much. The issue with this that I didn't mention is that the current flue and parts of the inside of the boiler apparently contain asbestos. In the case of the flue I believe it's a very diluted form of asbestos which I've researched. If this boiler contains some asbestos I'm guessing most others of that vintage will too, so should they all be condemned ? I hadn't really thought about replacing the boiler could mean replacing the whole system. If I get a quote to replace the boiler and agree, will that cover me for any problems that may occur with the old rads etc. Thank you again for your very helpful replies.

 

[gmartine]

Asbestos is usually fine healthwise until it starts breaking up (friable) so can then release particles into an inhailable size. Unless it's been touched, moved, cut or is degrading I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[king of pipes]

Time to upgrade a new boiler alone is not going to be enough.

 

[Timmy D]

Thanks so much for your replies. The OP is in their 60's so not sure if that's classed as old. The consensus of opinion seems to be to leave the old boiler in place until it stops or starts costing too much. The issue with this that I didn't mention is that the current flue and parts of the inside of the boiler apparently contain asbestos. In the case of the flue I believe it's a very diluted form of asbestos which I've researched. If this boiler contains some asbestos I'm guessing most others of that vintage will too, so should they all be condemned ? I hadn't really thought about replacing the boiler could mean replacing the whole system. If I get a quote to replace the boiler and agree, will that cover me for any problems that may occur with the old rads etc. Thank you again for your very helpful replies.

A quote for a boiler is just that. It won’t cover other stuff.

I wouldn’t use someone who just quotes for the boiler without at least discussing the other issues you’re highly likely to come across.

If you don’t improve/upgrade other aspects of the system, you could kill your new boiler prematurely.

I’ve seen brand new boilers dead in 3 years even after a powerflush and magnetic filter fitted.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Can’t they get a grant / eco to upgrade ?

 

[Ric2013]

In their 60's could be young or old. Depends very much on the person!

If you're having work done on that boiler, the issue is finding someone who fully understands the requirements in place for working with asbestos and is who is able to comply with the law. If the boiler is to be replaced and the existing asbestos is not likely to degrade in condition, either the person removing the old boiler needs to have the above traits, or it may be worth considering leaving the old boiler in situ and merely disconnecting it and fitting a new boiler to another location.

In the UK, we don't usually have a requirement to have asbestos removed as asbestos, in good condition and left alone, is not a hazard. Unfortunately, in domestic settings there is no duty to manage and so deteriorating asbestos containing materials (ACMs) are often overlooked. It's when ACMs are disturbed or fall apart by themselves that fibres are released. The problem is that it often is disturbed, sometimes unwittingly, by people who think they know what they are doing. The UK is quite lax with asbestos compared with other European countries which may be why it has the highest rates of asbestos-related deaths in Europe. I would highly recommend Googling 'asbestos essentials HSE' and getting an idea of what safe work with asbestos looks like before letting anyone work on it.