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Has the time come for me to replace my old boiler?

Property Clinic: I’m thinking of upgrading my home heating system. Do I need to change everything?

The efficiency of a new home heating system can be undermined by the poor performance of an ageing boiler

Val O'Brien
Tue Mar 14 2023 - 05:45

My home operates on an oil boiler with convection radiators. I’m looking at an extension and don’t want traditional radiators, so I was thinking of using underfloor heating. Can I use my existing oil boiler, or do I need to upgrade the system?

This simply comes down to the age, condition and most importantly the efficiency of the boiler, writes Val O’Brien. You should think of your heating installation as comprising two separate parts: the heat source, and the distribution of heat throughout the house. The boiler is the heat source and in your arrangement the radiators make up the distribution system in your house. This has been the most typical form of heating used in Irish homes for many years.

However, there has been a move towards underfloor heating and while this has been on the go for about 25-30 years, it is becoming more common as it is a more efficient and better source of heat distribution. This relies on pipe network underneath the floor, which in turn heats up the floor, which acts as a thermal store. This allows a more even distribution of heat throughout the property.

In my opinion such a move would be particularly beneficial in the context of concrete floors. While underfloor heating is also used in suspended timber floors, the efficiency is not as good and thus very often one will see in a traditional two-storey house that there is underfloor heating in the ground floor, which is of concrete construction, and radiators at first-floor level, which is more often than not of suspended timber construction.

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So this brings us back to the original question of the boiler, which is the heat source. Clearly there is no point in spending a lot of money in upgrading the distribution system if the boiler is not going to live up to expectations, and typically the older boiler will not be as efficient as more modern boilers.

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If however the boiler is say a condenser boiler, and if it is in good condition and has been well maintained and – although somewhat arbitrary – if it is less than five years old, I do believe the boiler could be retained and reused in the new heating system. However, given the increased efficiency with modern boilers, if your boiler is more than five years old, there is a strong case to be made for replacing it with a more efficient boiler in conjunction with the upgrading works to the heat distribution system.

But as with anything in life, there is the question of cost. If the boiler is in reasonable condition, this could be retained for a number of years but with a view to having it replaced in the future when cash flow permits. A good heating contractor/specialist will be able to clarify the best course of action for you before commencing the work.

It is our experience that when upgrading a distribution system, the opportunity is usually taken to renew the boiler at the same time, but this would be because of the age and inefficiency of the boiler.

Val O’Brien is a chartered building surveyor and member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland

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