Repair or Replace Your Boiler?

Repair or replace your boiler: how Adam decides

Age alone doesn't decide it. What matters is the cost of the repair, the condition of the rest of the boiler, how often it breaks down, whether parts are easy to find and what it costs to run. And I'd check the fault isn't elsewhere in the heating system first.

By Adam Wagner, over 40 years in plumbing and heating

Does the age of the boiler decide it?

No. I've seen 20-year-old oil boilers around Cork still going strong, and boilers half that age giving nothing but trouble. When a boiler is giving trouble, I look at its age and what it's actually going to cost to put right.

When is a repair worth it?

I'd rather give someone a €250 repair bill than sell them a new boiler they don't need.

If it's a fairly straightforward repair, say a faulty pump or sensor, and the boiler is otherwise in good condition, I'd be inclined to fix it. There's no point telling someone to spend a few thousand euro when a repair could get them another few years out of it.

I also wouldn't recommend replacing a boiler until I'd checked that the problem wasn't elsewhere in the heating system.

When is it time to replace?

When it's an older boiler breaking down every winter, parts are getting harder to find, and the homeowner has already spent a small fortune keeping it going. That's a different conversation.

I wouldn't advise throwing €800 at a worn-out boiler if there's a good chance we'll be back fixing something else in six months.

What about running costs?

People forget efficiency. An older boiler might still be working, but that doesn't mean it's economical to run. With older oil boilers especially, it's worth comparing what you're spending on fuel with what a modern, properly sized system could save.

Questions people ask

Does the age of the boiler decide whether to repair or replace it?

No. I've seen 20-year-old oil boilers around Cork still going strong, and boilers half that age giving nothing but trouble. I look at the age and what it will cost to put right.

When is it worth repairing a boiler?

When it's a fairly straightforward repair, such as a faulty pump or sensor, and the boiler is otherwise in good condition. A repair can get you another few years out of it.

When should I replace my boiler?

When it's older, breaking down every winter, parts are harder to find, and you've already spent a lot keeping it going. Running costs matter too, especially with older oil boilers.