I am so appreciative to you guys. You have made my day with your replies. Thanks so much!
You have scared me about the asbestos though Chuck! I did ask the plumber whether I would need to leave while it was being removed and he said, we would only need to go out in the garden. Is that still not safe? I remember an electrician saying we'd have to leave the house if my parents had the fuse board upgraded years ago, as it contains asbestos (that is still in situ as well. I also read artex ceilings have asbestos. So, it is in multiple places here).
Many thanks exedon2 for asking your colleague about the Vulcan. Really kind of you. It's so great to finally know! A shame they didn't give it a name like the other models. Maybe I should name it myself! Great to know about the pump too.
Many thanks Chuck and Ric for saying I wouldn't be crazy. I wondered, because the plumber kept saying I would be wasting money having a new cylinder.
We didn't discuss in any detail the best option for me, so it's good I am not rushing into the upgrade he suggested with a combi. He recommended a combi, because I live alone and would save money by not heating the cylinder each day, then not using all the hot water, only to heat it again the next day. I didn't tell him that I prefer baths to showers though (shower is electric btw). I can see the advantage of having hot water on tap all the time and never having the inconvenience of it running out though. On the other hand, inconvenient waiting longer for a bath to fill.
It is a 4 bed house with one bathroom (there is a cloakroom downstairs with hot water tap to basin) but just me here.
Thank you for defending our Vulcan Ric! I really appreciate that. As you say, they have amazing lifespans and from what I've read, modern boilers don't last anywhere near as long and I've read combi boilers often develop faults and are pricey to fix. I don't think people should dismiss or make fun of the old boilers so easily, (apart from the environmental issues and cost to run, as you say, depending on circumstances) and appreciate the robustness and longevity they had.
I enjoyed reading about your boiler. Makes me feel like I am not such a freak after all with my lovely relic from the past. I think if I was a plumber, I would be interested in the history of my profession and if I saw an old boiler and pump that I'd never seen before, I would have respect for it, not make fun of it. I am being quite hypocritical saying all of this, as I nagged my dad a lot about upgrading and couldn't understand why he didn't want to (apart from the cost of course). Now I know more about it, I can understand where he was coming from. Sorry Dad.
I recently switched suppliers and I'm paying £64 a month total for gas and electricity. I am not working due to my illness and not claiming benefits either. So, I did try to economise last winter by keeping the heating off as much as possible (difficult when you are home all day). I bought a heated throw, which has been a godsend but it was freezing, every time I went out into the hall/kitchen. Not looking forward to that this winter. Maybe I can use more, as the excess £££ has been building up in my account over summer, as I was hardly ever heating any water, due to the leak in the cylinder (I noticed the leak slowed right down doing this) and then the pilot light went out, so no gas was being used at all.
Thanks so much as well for explaining about the pilot light. It's a relief to know it won't harm the boiler and that it won't make much difference to cost. Yes, you are right, the pump stays off when heating hot water only.
Btw, the quote for cylinder (plus replacing some leaking radiator valves) was: £696 (inc VAT) and the quote for system upgrade was: £4,980 including VAT (that includes removal of asbestos flue by a professional and includes a roofer).
