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Marie1993

Hello everyone,

I was just wondering. If I were to install a new boiler today (a modern one, combi or system), I am assuming that it would probably last around 13 years... but how many breakdown in its life do you think I can expect?
- If I did not service my boiler? or
- If I did service my boiler?

I know this changes a lot by brands and whether the system is clean but I am looking for an average.
Also, I am asking about without servicing because I am assuming that most people don't actually service their boilers right?

Thanks!!!
 
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I thought it was a wind up
Where has 13 years come from?

Nobody can tell! New boilers don't work from the box, some will never break down serviced or not, some will be lemons from day one and some boilers need more maintenance than others.

Pick a well known make and model boiler.
Pick an installer you trust.
Make sure the system is clean and get a magnetic filter fittted.
The cheapest quote is probably not going to last the longest
 
Thanks for the reply.
But then let's say: A good boiler, well fitted and serviced would probably breakdown at least once ?(at the end of its life)?
And a cheap brand and badly installed - how often to you think it could break? What is the worst that can happen?

I understand it does vary but so you have no ''typical'' scenario to share with me then? Are there some parts in a boiler that have a short life expectancy? (like 5 years for a heat exchanger)?


Last question, is it common to service your boiler every year? I know it is a requirement but do people actually do it ?

Thanks a lot for the reply and sorry if I am being a little confusing :)
 
Did you have a new boiler fitted 5 years ago, never had it serviced and the heat exchanger has failed?
 
No - I am just trying to understand the average number of times that a boiler fails to know what to expect.
And also curious if it is common to service it or are people who do it the exception.

But I understand if you believe it is impossible to get an average :) Just trying to get an understanding as I was debating with my boyfriend!

Thanks
 
Everything with moving parts will fail eventually -cars, boilers etc
Combis break down more than conventional boilers as they have more moving parts and stop/start lots
People nearly always have them serviced during warranty but many stop after

There are no figures for average break downs
 
No - I am just trying to understand the average number of times that a boiler fails to know what to expect.
And also curious if it is common to service it or are people who do it the exception.

But I understand if you believe it is impossible to get an average :) Just trying to get an understanding as I was debating with my boyfriend!

Thanks

Seriously, as Scott has said there is no easy way of putting numbers on it. manufacturers will have records of warranty calls, but won't publish them and those don't include repairs done out of warranty by independents. A good boiler, well installed on a clean system should last more than 10-12 years. Main heat probably exchangers have the lowest failure rates of any component, but plate heat exchangers get clogged up. Diverter valves are commom failures, followed by pumps and fans. Some boilers have no plate heat exchangers or diverter valves, so in theory should be almost indestructible, but they do have PCBs, fans and these infernal new erp modulating pumps that I think are a ticking time bomb that will explode in the next 5 years or so. Anything over-complicated becomes less robust.
 
Thanks Masood and Scott, Tjd Services and Rpm, do you guys have an opinion on:
- The average break downs in the life of a boiler? ( Best VS Worst)
- The % of people that service their boilers yearly?
:)
 
My senses are telling me that this Q is to do with more than a debate with my boyfriend - I`m out.
 
Actually, this question can be answered.

Boiler manufacturers have to accrue in their accounts for the warranty calls that they expect to make on the installed base of their products. This is a liability on their books.

Different manufacturers approach this calculation in different ways, but the average is somewhere around ÂŁ25 to ÂŁ40 per boiler per year. Its hard to say what it costs them to keep an engineer on the road - probably about 2 or 2.5 times salary by the time you factor in all the on-costs, the booking system, training etc.

Working backwards from that, and making some assumptions about call rate, I reckon they are allowing for about one call out every 2 years.

That doesn't mean that the boiler will be faulty - just that someone will call them out. As we know the actual fault can range from "No credit in the meter" through a range of other non-boiler factors.
 
My senses are telling me that this Q is to do with more than a debate with my boyfriend - I`m out.

My thoughts exactly. That last question...
 
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Nah, something else I reckon.

Warranty claim rejected?

Maybe some couples do actually talk about this stuff??....

Bottom line is no boiler service no warrenty. But nobody bothers because it's easier to blame the installer 5 years later. And if you can find a boiler that lasts 13 years these days I'd say you've had a real result!
 
Thanks Masood and Scott, Tjd Services and Rpm, do you guys have an opinion on:
- The average break downs in the life of a boiler? ( Best VS Worst)
- The % of people that service their boilers yearly?
:)

Debate with boyfriend eh?
 
Too true. Where's the string.

The truth is that you can install 2 boilers in houses next door to each other and one could not miss a beat and the other could be friday afternoon boiler.
 
Too true. Where's the string.

The truth is that you can install 2 boilers in houses next door to each other and one could not miss a beat and the other could be friday afternoon boiler.

I agree that you can't predict how one, individual boiler will behave.

But you can predict how 10,000 boilers will behave, if you have the right historical data. The entire insurance, pensions and gambling industry is founded on the insights that come from aggregating data.
 
I agree that you can't predict how one, individual boiler will behave.

But you can predict how 10,000 boilers will behave, if you have the right historical data. The entire insurance, pensions and gambling industry is founded on the insights that come from aggregating data.

And that's running as smoothly as smoothly as my Baxi Barcelona, that's sitting in a landfill somewhere.
 
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