Old boilers are inefficient, gas guzzling monsters (usually). If you want to find out some more information about your boiler, like it's age, here's how.
Is your boiler starting to look its age? There are many valid reasons why you may want to find out how old your boiler is.
Perhaps you're aware that the boiler's efficiency drops drastically with age and want to save money on your heating bills, or maybe you are simply trying to find out if the warranty is still valid.
Ultimately the chances of your boiler breaking down drastically increase for boilers over 10 years old, making it likely that you will be paying for boiler repairs and callout charges sooner rather than later.
So, how do you find out the age of a boiler? Let's find out...
How Old is My Boiler?
The quickest and easiest way to discover the age of your boiler is to check the boiler's serial number.
The serial number on the boiler is similar to a barcode and can contain both numbers and digits, which will be unique to your particular boiler.
Here’s an example:
Patrick Garner/Heatable
You will find this serial number on a label/sticker somewhere on the boiler's exterior casing. This barcode label can be found on the drop-down panel, the bottom of the boiler, or the installation manual.
Crucially, the serial number contains information on your boiler’s year of manufacture.
Here’s a breakdown of the different boiler manufacturers and where you can find the installation year in the serial number.
How Old is My Baxi Boiler?
The good news is that Baxi offers one of the most straightforward serial numbers, which is typically located on a sticker at the front of the boiler, on the top, or within the interface's drop-down panel.
If your Baxi boiler was made post-2003, the serial number’s 4th and 5th digits will represent the year of manufacture, while the 6th and 7th digits will represent the week within that year.
For example, if the serial number is BCP071100298ZX, the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th digits are 0711. This means the date of manufacture is 2007 in the 11th week.
If your Baxi boiler is older than 2003, you can provide the serial number to Baxi, and they can let you know the manufacture date of the boiler.
How Old is My Worcester Bosch Boiler?
Worcester Bosch is one of the UK's most popular boiler brands, yet, unfortunately, the serial numbers on their boilers can be more difficult to locate.
In fact, the serial numbers are designed for internal use only and have FD numbers that have production dates coded in.
Therefore, if you do own a Worcester Bosch boiler, you’ll need to contact their customer support if you want to determine the exact age of your boiler.
How Old is My Vaillant Boiler?
If you have a Vaillant boiler, you will typically find the serial number is usually found on a sticker on the boiler itself or inside the front panel.
Characteristically, Valliant boilers have serial numbers that are 20 or 28 characters long. The 3rd and 4th characters represent the year of boiler manufacture, while the following two numbers represent the assembly week number.
For example, if the 3rd digit is 0 and the 4th digit is 4, your Valliant boiler was manufactured in 2004.
How Old is My Ideal Boiler?
If you own an Ideal boiler, the good news is that you can easily check the Benchmark Certificate found in the boiler’s installation manual, where you will find the barcode/manufacturer date.
In some cases, you may also be able to locate the age of the boiler by checking the serial number found on the boiler itself. Typically, this is at the bottom of the boiler.
Here are the locations and how to interpret the numbers on some of Ideals most popular boiler models:
Ideal Logic & Ideal M
If you own an Ideal Logic or Ideal M boiler you can discover the serial number on a barcode sticker on top of the boiler. It’s a long 24- or 25-digit number divided into three parts, with the last two sections showing the boiler’s age.
The very end of the serial number usually displays the manufacture date. Boilers manufactured pre-2015 usually have dates formatted as YY/MM/DD, while those manufactured after 2015 have a DD/MM/YY format.
Ideal Classic Boiler
The Ideal classic has a shorter serial number of 17 or 18 numbers displayed on a barcoded sticker at the top of the boiler. The third cluster of numbers on the serial number contains four digits representing the year and week of production.
For example, if the serial number is UZ 202034 0612 00149, you look at the 3rd cluster, 0612. The manufacture date, in this case, is 2006 in the 12th week.
Ideal Mini Boiler
The serial number in Ideal Mini boilers is shorter than most boilers, and instead of the year and week, it provides the month and year. You can find the month and year of manufacture in the last four digits of the serial number.
For example, if the last four digits read 0207, the boiler was manufactured in February 2007.
Signs that your boiler is getting old
Of course, you want to verify the age of your boiler before making any concrete decisions in terms of replacing or repairing your boiler.
With that said here are some major signs your boiler is getting too old and needs to be replaced soon:
Old boilers lose energy efficiency
Modern, brand-new A-rated boilers are at least 90% efficient, while boilers that are extremely old i.e. over 15 years old are not. Instead, they are typically G-rated, which means that they may be only 70% efficient.
Additionally, with wear and tear boilers lose their ability to maintain their original and optimum efficiency. So, if your boiler is over 10 years old, no matter what ERP rating it has, it's not going to be as efficient as it used to be.
10+ year old boilers are G-rated and only have an efficiency rating of around 70%. This means for every £1 spent, 30p is being totally wasted. Modern A-rated boilers (like the one's Heatable install), are 90%+ efficient.
What does this mean?
Essentially it means it will cost you more to run in terms of energy consumption, especially if it's an old non-condensing model (the ones that are G-rated).
Therefore, if you are noticing that your gas bill is higher than usual, it may be time to reassess the situation and consider buying a new boiler.
Check out our review of the best combi boilers if you are considering a replacement and want to know which brand is offering the best options.
How much could you save with a new boiler?
The amount of fuel and money you can save by replacing an old boiler with a modern condensing boiler depends on the age of the boiler and the type of property you live in.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, here’s a breakdown of the average savings you can expect:
Old Boiler Rating: | Bungalow | Detached House | Flat (Mid-Floor) | Semi-Detached House | Mid Terrace House |
G (<70% efficient) | £345 | £640 | £150 | £385 | £320 |
F (70-74% efficient) | £245 | £460 | £100 | £275 | £225 |
E (74-78% efficient) | £195 | £370 | £80 | £220 | £180 |
D (78-82% efficient) | £150 | £295 | £60 | £170 | £140 |
Table data source: Energy Saving Trust. Last updated: August 2024.
Regular Breakdowns
Just like cars, boilers are mechanical pieces of equipment with lots of moving parts and regular exposure to heat. As a result, over time they are prone to wear and tear and so parts will eventually fail and need to be replaced.
Of course, it's normal for boilers to need the odd repair or basic maintenance every once in a while, especially after the first few years in operation.
However, as the boiler gets too old e.g. beyond 10 years, breakdowns may become more regular, resulting in expensive emergency call-outs and repairs.
In this situation, it's often more financially sensible to buy a new boiler rather than continually keep paying for repairs on your old boiler, in addition to avoiding the inconvenience of an unreliable one.
When should you replace your boiler?
As mentioned, the efficiency of a boiler declines with age, and a boiler that’s 90% efficient today may be less than 80% efficient in 10 years.
This means it will use more fuel and provide less heating, leaving you with a home that is more difficult to heat and a skyrocketing heating bill.
Additionally, older boilers are more prone to breakdowns and repair, which can also quickly add up.
As a result, it's often advised that you replace your boiler between the 10 and 15-year mark. Therefore, when you are approaching this window or are already experiencing the inconvenience of a declining boiler, it may be a good idea to seek a free quote for a new one, including a Gas Safe installation.
How much does a new boiler cost?
Just like a typical boiler installation, the final cost will vary and depend on a variety of factors, these include the following:
The model you choose e.g. mid-range vs. premium
If you want to move your boiler to a different location
If you want to convert from one boiler type to another
Any extras you purchase e.g. smart thermostats, filters etc
For illustration, a straightforward combi swap (installing a new combi boiler in place of your current one) is going to be less expensive than converting from a different type of boiler to another e.g. from a combi to a system boiler.
The most common, emergency boiler replacement is a combi boiler replacement. It's much more straight forward, making it cheaper.
This is because these installations are more complex, requiring more time, more labour and typically more materials. More everything.
It also depends on the model of boiler you choose, we offer more value-orientated brands such as Alpha, as well as premium, award-winning boiler brands such as Worcester Bosch and Viessmann.
The good news is that we offer multiple ways to pay for your replacement boiler, including cash and pay monthly boilers on finance.
Read our more in-depth complete guide on new boiler costs.
Get a Quote for a New Boiler Today
If you’re aiming to get the best deal on a new boiler, consider getting a quote from us, here’s why:
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Flexible payment options, including interest-free finance.
Up to 12-year guarantee on selected boilers.
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