As a boiler ages it is normal to question whether you should continue to repair or replace it completely. Boilers do not simply fail at a particular age, but there signs that should be an indicator it is time to replace rather than repair. For Tewkesbury Boilers, visit combi-man.com/boiler-finance/boiler-finance-tewkesbury/
What is the typical lifespan of a boiler?
The average life of a boiler in the UK is between 10–15 years. Those models that are in good working order might be left active for longer, but older units frequently become inefficient and unreliable.
What affects lifespan most:
Regular annual servicing and also the correct system pressure
This can to lead inferior water degeneration in the sludge/scale and thus shorten their service life as well
How much it works (larger homes and continuous use = more wear)
When a repair makes sense:
A repair is always more reasonable, if:
The boiler is less than 8–10 years old
It has a minor problem (e.g., sensor, valve) and it mostly runs well
Parts are readily available
Other than this, your central heating system is in good health.
When replacement makes sense:
If you see any of the following, investigate a replacement:
Frequent breakdowns
If you call out a plumber every winter, it starts to soon mount up – and so does the stress.
Repairs are getting expensive
As a general rule: any repair which is approaching the cost of an entirely new boiler may be one where it’s worth investing in replacement (especially if more problems are expected).
Older boilers are likely to be far less efficient than the modern condensing models, which can convert more than 90% of heating fuels into usable heat. If you find your bills are on the high side, and it takes an age to warm up at home, upgrading might work out cheaper in the long run.
Parts are hard to source
When parts are rare, you can find yourself waiting on repairs or performing repeated “temporary fixes”.
Your needs for the property have changed
Extensions, an additional bathroom or more people entering your household are all factors which could mean that the boiler you currently have is not installed with the correct size and type.
A practical next step
If you are not sure, get a Gas Safe engineer to carry out a health check and give you your full range of options.
