Boiler Pump Replacement Costs: How much, and what are the options?

Need to have a new boiler pump installed?

In this quick help guide, we’ll look at the average cost of installation and the varying cost factors involved.

Let’s dive in!

Boiler old, unreliable and costing a fortune in repairs? Simply answer these questions, get your fixed price and you could get a new one installed as quick as tomorrow.

Why Would a Boiler Pump Need to Be Replaced?

For the most part, a boiler pump must be replaced when it’s beyond economical repair. This would have to be determined by a qualified heating engineer.

In fact, most boiler repairs or replacement work of the nature required to inspect or repair/replace a boiler bump would require the work of a Gas Safe Register engineer.

The same applies to other repairs that may be required for other parts that relate to a boiler pump.

Here are some examples of why a boiler pump must need replacing: *

• The pump not circulating water.

• Leaking pump.

• The pump is otherwise worn down or beyond economical preparation.

*You should be aware that replacing a boiler pump won’t always be required in these cases and sometimes even a DIY fix might be the solution. We discuss the fixes that may apply in more detail in the final section of this article.

Cost of Replacing a Boiler Pump

As a broad average, between the cost of labour and supplies, replacing a boiler pump tends to cost about £150 to £380.

More specifically, this would consist of a standalone/supply cost of about £90 to £200, whereas the price of labour is likely to fall between £60 and £180.

It would take around 2-3 hours for a heating engineer to replace a boiler pump, albeit the timeframe as with the cost would depend on a variety of factors.

Cost-affecting Factors

Here are the primary cost factors of having a boiler pump replaced:

• The complexity of the replacement work.

• Accessibility to the work area.

• Where exactly do you live in the UK. *

• Quality and type of boiler pump.

*The reason that location matters is because heating engineer prices differ throughout the UK. According to Hamuch, the national average is £42 per hour. However, the hourly rate in London is around £55 to £60 per hour. In contrast, heating engineers charge in or around £35 an hour in Newcastle-under-Lyme. All in all, labour prices tend to be higher in the southeast of England and below average in northern England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Time Factors

These factors (some of which overlap with the cost factors) are as follows:

• The complexity of the replacement work.

• Whether sufficient diagnostics work is needed before confirming that a boiler pump replacement is needed.

• Accessibility to the work area.

How Long Should a New Boiler Pump Last?

If you have a new boiler pump installed, you can expect it to last for more than 10 years. In some cases, boiler pumps can even last for two decades or longer. 

Of course, the quality of the pump and how well-maintained your boiler is will all count toward the longevity of a boiler pump.

As for maintenance, the life expectancy of your boiler pump is just another reason to have your boiler serviced annually.

Of course, the primary reasons are for safety, to ensure the longevity of your boiler, and (more often than not) as a necessity to keep your warranty active.

Fixing or Replacing a Boiler Pump

There are several likely reasons why a boiler pump has stopped working.

Some of the time, you’ll simply need to have a boiler replaced, while in other cases repair work may be required. And that repair work may not always involve fixing the pump itself.

Here are the main issues that could arise with a boiler pump:

The pump isn’t circulating water

More than likely this is the result of a propeller seizing in your boiler pump. When this happens, you’d expect to also hear the pump giving off a vibrating sound.

However, it’s also possible that the motor has malfunctioned in some form or another.

If the pump is working properly in other regards (if you are not sure of this, hire a qualified heating engineer), there is a DIY fix you could try. That fix involves gently tapping the pump.

More than likely the seized part(s) should be set free as a result. With that said, you may find that this issue repeats soon after. If this is a repeating issue, it’s time to have a new boiler pump installed.

Lack of power to the pump

It’s also possible that the cause of the issue isn’t the pump itself or any component of the pump for that matter.

For instance, there may be faulty wiring leading to the boiler pump or the PCB may be at fault. The PCB is essentially the control centre of a boiler that monitors that everything is working smoothly.

If there is faulty wiring or the PCB experiences a fault it may not be able to confirm that a certain component (in this case the boiler pump) is working properly which might trigger a boiler lock out.

Noise coming from the boiler pump

You may find that your boiler pump is giving off unusual noises. If this is happening and your boiler is triggering a lockout, there’s more than likely an airlock in your boiler.

This is one of the few things you should be able to fix DIY (if you have the right skills and knowledge). If your boiler pump features a bleed screw, you can turn it, releasing trapped air.

Once the hissing ends and you notice small amounts of water emerging, it’s time to close the bleed screw again. This should fix the issue. If not, hire a professional.

Leaking boiler pump

This is another case where a boiler pump replacement is most likely needed. There are many reasons why a boiler pump may leak (e.g., corrosion, brown seals and a loose boiler pump). If the boiler pump isn’t securely fastened, you may simply need to tighten it.

However, if this isn’t the source of the issue, inspect the seals to ensure they are intact. At this point, you’d need to hire a heating engineer.

They could install new seals but replacing the boiler pump would probably be the most sensible solution, especially if the pump is quite a few years old or/and has experienced faults in the past.

Moreover, if there’s any evidence of boiler pump corrosion, it will definitely need to be replaced either way.

The pump isn’t turning off

This is one of the least likely boiler pump issues to arise and regardless of the cause, a qualified heating engineer must deal with it.

However, if you do find that your boiler pump won’t turn off it suggests that either the pump is malfunctioning due to an overrun stat, the mid-position valve is stuck in place, or the PCB is faulty.

Looking for a great deal on a new boiler?

If so, get your boiler replacement installed with Heatable. Here’s why: 

• Gas Safe installation within 24 hours.

• Thousands of happy customers – an average score of 4.9 on Trustpilot (that’s better than the market leader).

• Price match guarantee – if you find a cheaper quote, we will match (must be like for like).

• Multiple payment options - interest-free available.

• 10-year guarantee.

• Fixed price guarantee – no hidden costs.

• Save your quote until later.

• Use this clickable form to get a fixed price on the screen instantly.

Heat happy.