Life of gas boiler

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Campo Steve
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Life of gas boiler

Postby Campo Steve » Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:21 am

What is the life expectancy of a gas water heater? Ours is about five years old but has gone dead. I have replaced the gas bottle to no avail and also put in new batteries. Even the little screen that shows temperature and fault codes is dead. Going to get a man in to have a look and hope he doesn't just say I need a new one.
I've got an inferiority complex, but it's not a very good one!

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costakid
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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby costakid » Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:48 am

Ours lasted 10 years. We bought the new one from Rincon del la Victoria, quite reasonable.

casita-bonita
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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby casita-bonita » Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:59 am

Had our Junkers for over 7 years and still going strong. Once a year I pump Descal through it to clear out the pipework and it's never missed a beat.
Regards

Bob

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Campo Steve
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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby Campo Steve » Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:03 pm

Don't think the water pipes are bunged up as water is still flowing out of the hot taps, but cold. Just the boiler, a Junkers, doesn't want to do anything with the water as it passes through.
I've got an inferiority complex, but it's not a very good one!

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gruff
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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby gruff » Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:13 pm

Probably depends on the plumber Steve but my bet is on him saying it is not cost effective to repair and can I give you a price on a new one.

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Devils Advocate
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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby Devils Advocate » Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:51 pm

Hi Steve, we've been through 3 in 12 years. One Fagor,one Junkers and one I forget the name of. I was forever buying replacement parts for them.......especially the Fagor.

On recommendation on here I went for a 100 litre electric tank last year and it's just absolutely perfect with no praying it'll fire up and no cursing when it doesn't, totally bomb proof.

If the worse happens and yours is beyond economic repair I'd certainly consider ditching the gas
Property owner in Andalucia since 2002. How time flies.

Free at Last
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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby Free at Last » Thu Jul 17, 2014 1:33 pm

We also ditched our gas boiler in favour of an electric water heater, it's much more convenient we find, and not expensive to run. We have ours on a timer unless we have guests staying, when it stays on all the time. No possibility of the gas running out mid-shower, either!

olive
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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby olive » Thu Jul 17, 2014 1:41 pm

have you had the boiler serviced at all in those five/six years? Cleaned out, thermocouple adjusted position wise.

Our junkers packed up after three years. It was the thermocouple. The repair man fitted a new one. It was quite cheap .

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Campo Steve
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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby Campo Steve » Thu Jul 17, 2014 2:38 pm

Thanks Olive. We had totally forgotten about getting it serviced. The guy that originally installed had said he would pop in every two or three years but he unfortunately passed away.

We had just decided to change to electricic boiler but if the gas one turns out cheap to repair we'll maybe stick with the gas until it really does need replacing.

Does anyone know anyone in the Comares area that services gas boilers?
I've got an inferiority complex, but it's not a very good one!

casita-bonita
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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby casita-bonita » Fri Jul 18, 2014 10:08 am

I would think very carefully about changing to electric water heaters. Friends of mine have just got rid of theirs and replaced them with instantaneous gas.

They were costing an arm and a leg to run. Their bi-monthly electric bill dropped by over 100eu when they switched to gas heater.

There was never sufficient hot water to have a hot bath. Lets face it all you have readily available hot is a tankful which presumably starts to refill with cold as soon as you turn a tap on the take out hot water. Then you have to wait probably hours for it to heat up again if you use your stock of hot..

On the other hand the gas provides unending hot water, well until the gas bottle runs out. All our hot water is provided by the one heater. We bath every day rather than shower and one bottle of butano last between 2 and 3 months. Even at today's prices that's less than 9 euro a month for all our hot water.

Does yours have batteries or one of those internal turbine electric generators?
Regards

Bob

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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby luckyjim » Fri Jul 18, 2014 10:13 am

I agree, gas boiler best. We have one and bath everyday, also cook everyday and 1 butane lasts 7weeks. We have had our boiler for 8 years and never a problem.

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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby katy » Fri Jul 18, 2014 11:34 am

If more than one bathroom I would advise to have both. Gas heater is fine for basic showers but not good for power showers and it takes ages to fill a bath, Infact you can't really "fill" a bath on gas heater. Gas is cheaper although we needed a butano bottle every month at least. Problem with electric if someone has a full bath of water it means a wait for the next person, unless you share the water :angel:

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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby casita-bonita » Fri Jul 18, 2014 12:05 pm

katy wrote:If more than one bathroom I would advise to have both. Gas heater is fine for basic showers but not good for power showers and it takes ages to fill a bath, Infact you can't really "fill" a bath on gas heater. Gas is cheaper although we needed a butano bottle every month at least.
:angel:
Can't fill a bath, what? Sorry you've lost me there. I find it really easy. I turn on the tap and turn it off when the bath is full. Invariably I have to shave, take my lenses out, have a wee etc so plenty to keep me occupied while the bath is filling. In reality it doesn't take that long, maybe 5 minutes max. I can't say that I've ever actually timed it but it is normally full before I have finished doing pre-bath stuff.

And even in the depths of winter I can still have a full bath of water that if I'm not careful is just too hot to get in.
Regards

Bob

katy
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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby katy » Fri Jul 18, 2014 12:10 pm

I meant really big fill :) have you ever stood in the nudey on a cold winters evening waiting for the bath to fill and it has run cold :lolno:

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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby Devils Advocate » Fri Jul 18, 2014 12:12 pm

Each to their own and all that. We've used both gas and electric and electric for me wins hands down.
Easily fills a bath and powers a shower at the same time, can't say I've ever turned the tap on without very hot water being available with the latter.

Can't comment on running costs as I don't look at the bills.
Property owner in Andalucia since 2002. How time flies.

casita-bonita
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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby casita-bonita » Fri Jul 18, 2014 12:22 pm

katy wrote:I meant really big fill :) have you ever stood in the nudey on a cold winters evening waiting for the bath to fill and it has run cold :lolno:

Oh yes, and we have no heating in our bathroom. If it was so bad I'd turn on the tap, go back in front of the fire and come back 5 minutes later....

Never runs cold, except when the bottle runs out... :-)

We have a power shower, all our house water is pumped from our deposito with an electric pump. In fact the pressure was so high it blew the rose of the new shower head and I had to fit a flow restrictor after I glued it back together. Lovely gas powered scalding hot showers..............

Probably best you don't look at the bills. :-)
Regards

Bob

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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby scampicat » Sat Jul 19, 2014 5:03 am

We never had any trouble with our Junkers boiler in all the eight years we lived in Spain, apart from when a bird built a nest in the flue. Once we cleaned that out it was OK again. My husband cleaned the boiler out every year (as in front off and hoover dust out), and we had it professionally serviced just before we left.

Endless piping hot water at full pressure serving one shower and three basins/ sinks (no bath). Couldn't be faulted.

BENIDORM
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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby BENIDORM » Sat Jul 19, 2014 8:59 am

We are all electric, from choice, and our boiler is about 9 years old, we never really have a problem with lack of hot water and use a timer and have to say that we are very happy with it.

I do think that it really depends where you live and the quality of the water etc., and also if you are a 'part timer' in Spain the boilers don't seem to last as long, probably better if they have constant use.

Again it's all about 'choices'.....

Regards,
Gordon.

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Campo Steve
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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby Campo Steve » Sun Jul 20, 2014 6:33 pm

Glad to say the problem has been fixed. We were away in Portugal for a couple of nights and, while away, a builder friend got a plumber (qualified is gas) to check the boiler and it is working now. Haven't spoken to him yet so don't know what the problem was, but after 892kms on the bike it was good to be able to have a soak in a hot bath when we got back, especially the OH who was on the pillion and parts of her body are numb! Sticking with the gas for the time being.
I've got an inferiority complex, but it's not a very good one!

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Campo Steve
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Re: Life of gas boiler

Postby Campo Steve » Thu Jul 24, 2014 9:06 am

Boiler not working again. Gas man coming back to check it again. It's not even trying to fire up. Found the original receipt, it was installed five and a half years ago. If it needs replacing we have decided to stick with gas.
I've got an inferiority complex, but it's not a very good one!


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