Baxi Bermuda Back Boilers – Free Upgrade To Combi
Free Conversion To Combi – For Baxi Bermuda Back Boilers
Do you have an old Baxi Bermuda Back Boiler that is currently heating your home?
The government are now offering 100% FREE grants to remove your old Baxi Bermuda back boiler and replace it with a combi boiler on the wall.
Replacing an old backboiler With A Combi Boiler Will Help To Reduce your Heating Bills By Up To 30 % Per Year .
This Back Boiler Grant is worth in excess of £3000 and is for home owners only.
British Gas BackBoiler Scheme – Who Qualifies?
To qualify for a free back boiler grant from British Gas, there are some criteria you need to meet.
✔️Have A Home EPC Of E – F – G
✔️ Your Boiler is OVER 17 years old, or you have a back boiler fitted
✔️ You are a home owner ( or living with the home owner )
✔️ You (or another member of your household ) receives a qualifying benefit
Free Boiler Grant – Qualifying Benefits
- Child Benefit
- Child & Working Tax Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Income Support
- Employment & Support Allowance
- Job Seekers Allowance
- Pension Credit – Guarantee
- Universal Credit
Child Benefit Income Threshholds
Type of Claimant – Number Of Qualifying Children
1 2 – 3 – 4 or more
Single Claimant 1 9800 – 24600 – 29400 – 34200
Member Of A Couple 27300 – 32 100 – 36900 – 41700
Why Apply For A Grant ?
✅ There Is No Catch – We Guarantee it !
✅ If Your Application Is Accepted Your Grant Is 100% FREE
✅ You Will Reduce Your Energy Bills By Up To £300 Per Year
✅ You Will Add Lots Of Value To Your Home
✅ The Scheme Has Limited Funding – Ends Soon
How To Apply For A Free Back Boiler Removal Grant
What Is A Baxi Bermuda Back Boiler?
Back boilers (also known as back boiler units or BBUs) are an old type of gas boiler which was fitted to many houses in the 1960s -1980s to provide hot water and heating.
Back boilers are usually a small, compact boiler that is fitted at the back of an open fireplace hearth behind a gas fire
The market leader was a Bermuda back boiler open-flued heating system was launched in 1966 and is still in operation 50 years later.
Backboilers were designed to fit behind a living room fireplace in order to save space.
They are called back boilers because they are mounted as a back boiler fireplace or a back boiler stove and use the heat from the fire to provide central heating and domestic hot water.
They are considered outdated and inefficient but are still found in 5 % of UK homes. The 2005 Building Regulations state that installing a back boiler is illegal in the UK.
Bermuda’s backboilers are now very outdated and they are no longer manufactured.
How Does a Back Boiler Work
Gas fire back boilers operate by using the heat generated from the open fire in the fireplace or stove to heat water for your central heating and hot water use.
The boiler itself sits behind a fireplace or stove and is connected to a hot water cylinder. The water is heated up by the back boiler and is stored in the hot water cylinder, to be sent to your taps and shower. The boiler will also heat water in a coil to send around the radiators.
When Did The Bermuda Back Boiler First Come Out?
The Bermuda back boiler was first introduced in 1966. They were said to have revolutionised central heating systems as an open-flued appliance.
They have been updated with many different and more fashionable fire fronts in the last 30 years or so that followed.
Are Baxi Bermuda Back boilers any good?
Bermuda Baxi boilers have always been very reliable and have received some incredible feedback on the platform over the years
The average rating of Baxi’s reviews was 4.5 (almost as good as Worcester, but not quite!), a clear indicator of their products quality and the aftercare offered by their team.
In their day Bermua Backboilers were an excellent choice of heating for homes. They were much cheaper than relying on expensive electric heating and were fitted to the majority of Uk homes that had a gas supply.
Back boilers in the 20th century are outdated and in some cases dangerous.
They also run at much lower efficiencies than modern condensing boilers.
How To Check If You Have A Back Boiler?
If your boiler is housed behind your gas or electric fireplace, you can be assured that it is a back boiler.
A backboilers flue will be housed in the chimney, which means if you have a new boiler installed, you will require a new flue system as you cannot reuse an old flue
The BAXI Bermuda back boiler dominated the back boiler market in the 60s and this is the model that will usually be in use today.
How To Apply For A Free Back Boiler Removal Grant
How Do I Find The Model Of My Back boiler?
To find what type of back boiler you have, simply pull down the flap underneath the boiler.
There will label or small sticker stating the make and model number.
If you have a Baxi Bermuda, you will struggle to find any spare parts and replacing it before it goes belly up should be considered.
What Different types of Back boilers Are In Homes?
Gas fire with back boiler behind it
A back boiler is usually attached to a copper cylinder full of water which is heated up using some sort of fuel. Usual fuel types will be solid fuel – gas.
The gas-fired back boiler such as the Baxi Bermuda was a revolutionary boiler back when it first came out and was installed in many homes in the UK.
These gas back boilers were then energy-efficient and a cheaper way of heating your home.
Now though with the advancement in technology and the introduction of condensing gas boilers, these are nowhere near as energy-efficient and could be costing you up to £700 more per year to run.
Coal open fire back boiler
This type of open fire back boiler uses solid coal fuel to heat up hot water which is sent to your hot taps and central heating system.
There aren’t that many of this type of back boiler about anymore and coal isn’t the cleanest fuel to burn.
They are also very messy and take up lots of upkeep.
If your coal first or back boiler breaks then you will also not be able to replace it with another.
If coal back boiler with a boiler behind it you could save yourself lots of money by investing in a new A-rated combi boiler and converting your heating system.
Are Back Boilers Still Legal?
Conventional Back Boilers Can Still Be Fitted Legally.
Building Regulations do still allow for conventional back-boilers (ie gas fires with boilers, fitted in fireplaces) to be replaced like-for-like in situations where it would be difficult to fit a new condensing boiler against an outside wall.
Back boilers were very popular in the 60s and 70s but are gradually being phased out in favour of combis. Baxi Bermuda -Parkray and Rayburn boilers were the main names with this type of heating.
The open fire would heat the water in a tank behind the fire and this heated water would rise into a cylinder connected to it upstairs which would be used by the home occupants for washing etc.
It is very difficult now to replace a back boiler with a similar type as back boilers are no longer manufactured apart from the Baxi Bermuda Condensing Boiler.
PLEASE NOTE FOR SAFETY – If you do upgrade to a combi boiler , we recommend that the old disused back boiler ( in situ behind the fireplace ) should still be removed .
How Efficient Is a Back Boiler?
An old back boiler usually is around 60 -70% efficient which compared to modern condensing boilers which are 92-94% energy efficient.
Back boiler fire systems are now replaced by a condensing boiler or the new heat pumps which will be over 90% efficient.
In real terms, for every £1 of gas that is burned, you are only getting the benefit of 70p worth of useable heat and the other 30p worth is being lost up the chimney.
By replacing it with a new boiler you can reduce your fuel bill by up to £305 per year.
How Long Do Baxi Back Boilers Last
Back boilers usually last for around 25 years, provided they have been well maintained and serviced regularly.
Some backboilers, particularly the Baxi Bermuda have been know to last over 40 years as they were well made in the 60s.
Indeed there are still many backboilers in the Uk that are still going to this day, albeit they wont be very efficient and will be up to a third more expensive to run.
If your old Baxi Bermuda is on its last legs you should bite the bullet and have it replaced with a combi.
The chances are that it has had a good innings and needs to go to the back boiler heaven in the sky.
Dont forget that there are Back Boiler Removal Grants Available Too to replace them at no cost.
How To Apply For A Free Back Boiler Removal Grant
Are Back Boilers Safe
There is no reason why they should be unsafe if they have been services yearly and thoroughly checked by a qualified gas safe engineer.
If you have an old back boiler behind the fire that has been decommissioned, we would recommend that you pay an engineer to inspect that it has been put out of service safely.
Are Back Boilers Still Available To Buy?
Yes The Baxi Bermuda BBU HE Boiler is a fully condensing back boiler which has been designed for homeowners looking to replace their old back boiler with a more efficient system.
UK government regulations state that all boiler systems must have a minimum of 86% efficiency, so most models of back boilers are no longer manufactured .
Can You Sell A House With A Back Boiler?
When did back boilers cease to be fitted in homes?
In 2005 Building Regulations requirements changed and backboilers were no longer allowed to be fitted in new build houses.
This was down to backboilers having very poor efficiency and safety issues.
Can you rent a house out with a back boiler?
As long as your property is a minimum Energy Performance Certificate rating of E , you are still allowed to rent out homes with a back boiler fitted.
If Below E it will be your obligation to upgrade this for your tenant, or before you let out the property to new tenants.
A gas Safe Cert will also be required
Are back boilers expensive to run?
Back boilers are a very old form of heating and are usually around to be 70% efficient compared to new boilers which will give you over 90% efficiency.
They can be costly to maintain too with spare parts getting harder to find which will make them more expensive.
Should you replace a 20 year old back boiler?
A central heating system using a backboiler behind the fire that is over 20 years old is likely to be made significantly cheaper to run by replacing with a condensing boiler.
You will probably save over £200 per year by replacing it.
Good idea to see if you are eligible for a grant.
Can a back boiler explode?
If a fire is lit in front of a redundant back boiler that has been left in a sealed condition, it can heat up and the internal pressure can cause the boiler casing to explode.
We recommend that when a back boiler is decommissioned , the whole system should be drained and all redundant pipework removed.
All properly decommissioned back boilers must be fitted with a safety valve to regulate pressure build up.
The back boiler if possible should be removed too.
Replacing a Back Boiler – Your Options For 2023
We recommend you :
- See if you are eligible for a free government grant to replace it with a combi boiler.
- Replace it with a new Baxi Bermuda back boiler SEDBUK efficiency rating of ‘A’ which are still available.
- Remove the back boiler and replace with a modern combi boiler privately.
How To Apply For A Free Back Boiler Removal Grant
Replacing A Back Boiler With A Combi Boiler
Removing your back boiler and replacing it with a combi boiler is ideal for smaller type homes.
You will get hot water on demand and central heating from the same unit without needing an additional tank.
As a result, they usually aren’t powerful enough to heat large homes with high hot water and heating demands.
Replace Back Boiler with a System Boiler
Large homes with two or more bathrooms, should consider replacing your back boiler with a system boiler.
System boilers can meet higher water demands as they source water from the mains supply to heat the central heating and hot water to store in a hot water storage tank.
This means there is more hot water available on demand.
Replace Back Boiler with a Regular Boiler
Regular boilers are also an option as a back boiler fire replacement for homes with multiple bathrooms and high demand for heating and hot water.
Regular boilers require a tank in the loft to supply cold water and a large hot water storage tank to store the heated water for your taps.
Replace Back Boiler with a Heat Pump
If you’re looking for a back boiler replacement that is more environmentally friendly, you should consider a Heat Pump.
There are currently grants available via The Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
How To Apply For A Free Back Boiler Removal Grant
Back Boiler Removal – What Is The Process?
It’s likely that a back boiler removal will take quite a bit of work as it is positioned behind your fireplace.
Typically, the process will include:
- Removing the fireplace
- Removing the back boiler system
- Reconstruction of the mantle space
- Installation of the combi boiler system in an alternative location
- New pipework installed to fit with new combi boiler
- Work to be done on the flue system to suit the combi boiler (the back boiler would have used the chimney).
Remove Back Boiler- Does It Take long?
You should allow a full day and an engineer will charge you his day rate plus any extras needed
We do not recommend removing your back boiler by yourself unless you really know what you are doing.
Disconnect your backboiler from the gas supply and water supply by capping off both.
- Make a hole into the back boiler to make it waterless.
- Cut the pipes connected to the cylinders or tanks.
How Long Does A Back Boiler Conversion Take?
Back boilers are often the most difficult system upgrades to install.
Given their location (behind your gas fire), they aren’t easy to remove and the removal is often quite a difficult job and usually quite expensive. It can be quite a messy job as it can involve the removal of the fireplace and the area around the fire to be able to remove it.
In some cases, the back boiler can be decommissioned and left where it is so the disruption is minimised.
Back Boiler Conversion Cost
You can expect to pay £3000 -£4000
This is for replacing an old back boiler with a combi boiler.
The new boiler will be put on an outside wall usually in the kitchen or bathroom and new pipe work installed including a gas supply and distribution of hot and cold supplies.
This is a large job and can take around 2 days to complete.
Back Boiler Removal Cost
This is for homes that already have a full central heating installed and just want the old back boiler removed from behind the fireplace.
Full back boiler removal from your chimney breast ( that has been already decommissioned) you can expect to pay up to £1000.
This cost will cover the :
- Decommissioning of back boiler and the attached pipework
- Full removal of the old back boiler
- Removal Of The Gas Fire
- full disposal
- capping off of the old pipework.
- replastering of the chimney breast
How To Remove a Back Boiler
We recommend you do not do this yourself and employ the services of a Gas safe Registered Engineer.
Have two to three empty buckets to hand as dirty water coming out of the boiler can damage your flooring and carpets
- Remove carpets and all the unnecessary things from the room.
- Dust and pieces of brick will be flying around and it would be best to protect your furniture.
- You can place old rugs over the floor to prevent scratching.
- Have one spare bucket to collect pipework waste in.
- Engineers will have to uproot the pipework and there will be a lot of dirty water and limescale present.
How To Apply For A Free Back Boiler Removal Grant
Back Boiler Engineers Near Me
If your back boiler heating is not working or your back boiler is leaking or just need a back boiler service , there are a number of sites you can use to find the right engineer to assist you.
Please remember that a Back Boiler Repair may not be viable and could be false economy.
Spending hundreds of pounds on an old heating system could be money wasted.
CHECKATRADE
Free Back Boiler Manuals
You can download many boiler manuals and back boiler manuals from an excellent site called FREE BOILER MANUALS
Most UK boilers are included in this site.
Baxi Bermuda Spare Parts
Baxi bermuda spare parts are still available in the UK albeit they are not stocked by many outlets now.
You can visit
How To Apply For A Free Back Boiler Removal Grant
Baxi Bermuda Back Boiler Faults
The Bermuda back boiler open-flued heating system was launched in 1966 and is still in operation 50 years later.
It is thought that around 5% of the Uk still has a backboiler as the main heating for their home.
Bermuda’s backboilers are now very outdated and they are no longer manufactured.
Many people now are upgrading their Backboilers to a Combi boiler which is a more effiecient way of heating your home.
Replacement parts are quite difficult to get hold of also.
Checking the Air Vent
If your boiler locks out, one of the first checks to be undertaken would be to check the air vent.
The locking out process is a safety mechanism so that carbon monoxide fumes are not omitted.
The boiler’s air vent should be checked regularly to keep it clear from blockages in order to help protect from dangerous gasses being leaked into the living spaces within the property.
Resetting the Pilot Light
Another common problem with boilers is ignition matters.
Wear and tear can cause parts to fail including the thermocouple which results in the pilot light going out.
Resetting the pilot light is a tricky job however there should be instructions within the boiler’s manual.
If the problem frequently reoccurs it is highly recommended that the matter is escalated to a qualified Gas Safe engineer.
to undertake tests on the boiler to find the cause of the ignition issue, safely remove any blockages and replace any parts if they are showing signs of failure.
How do I reset my Baxi Bermuda back boiler?
To reset the boiler, turn the selector switch to the R (Reset) position.
Hold for at least 5 seconds and release. The fault code will be replaced with the boiler’s current temperature.
At this point on a neon indicator boiler model, the flame failure light will stop flashing and will be replaced with the burner light.
Why does my back boiler pilot light keep going out?
The cause for most pilot light issues is a thermocouple in need of replacing. A thermocouple is a small probe that extends into the pilot light’s flame and will keep the gas valve open for as long as heat is being applied. It is a safety feature built in to cut off the gas supply if the flame goes out.
It has a thin metal wire that runs back to the gas valve.
Why does my Baxi Bermuda make a roaring noise?
Baxi Bermuda back boilers will roar if they have a damaged main burner usually caused by leakage from the heat exchanger.
Heavy rusting can cause perforation of the burner wall allowing the burner to light back inside.
This produced the characteristic roaring noise. The next time the gas valve opened, this flame caused the gas to light back inside the burner, causing the roaring noise.
How To Apply For A Free Back Boiler Removal Grant
How Much Does It Cost To Remove & Replace A Back Boiler with A Combi?
There is no simple answer and a home survey will be needed.
Back boiler conversion cost will vary from one property to the next.
The cost of replacing a back boiler with a combi boiler will be approximately £2700 -£4000.
This will depend of course on what is exactly required. Obviously if you have the old fireplace and backboiler ripped out, the price will be at the higher end.
This cost includes pipe capping and the installation of new pipes.
We recommend you take this opportunity to replace all old pipework too as it is likely to be corroded and the old joints may not be able to take the pressure of a pressurised combi boiler system.
Decommissioning a Back Boiler
By decommissioning a back boiler, it won’t actually be removed from behind the fireplace.
Decommission effectively means it will disconnect from its source of power/energy. It will remain behind your fireplace gathering dust out of use.
To decommission your old back boiler, engineers will need to get behind your fireplace, which means you will likely have some damage to your fireplace and carpet.
On average, you can expect a boiler decommissioning to cost around £3000.
How messy is removing a back boiler?
The back boiler, it’s flue and gas fire – all will be removed unless you want to keep the back boiler fireplace.
Removing the gas fireplace and replacing it with an electric fire could cost you more in the short term but less in the long term.
So, creating a mess is normal while removing a back boiler.
How To Apply For A Free Back Boiler Removal Grant
The Dangers of back boilers.
If you have had your back boiler decommissioned in the past, it is worth getting it completely removed as there have been some issues in the past.
In decommissioned back boilers there will likely be residual moisture inside, which will heat up if you have the fire on in front of it .
This can result in a build-up of internal pressure that can cause an explosion which has caused numerous serious injuries and one fatality.
Installers highly recommended you remove any disused back boilers to avoid such tragic outcomes.
Back Boilers Vs. Combi Boilers
Back boilers are still present in many UK homes, particularly with those homes built between the ‘60s and ‘80s.
A back boiler is a boiler that is built in behind a gas fire or solid fuel fire that is used to heat the home much like a central heating system.
These older systems usually require a lot of maintenance and are not particularly efficient. Average efficiency is around 60 -70% .
Back Boilers are generally very reliable with not many moving parts to go wrong , you will eventually need to replace it.
Energy Efficiency
In the back boilers versus combi boilers debate, combi boilers win hands down.
- A Combi boiler will be up to 90 -100% efficient
- A back Boiler will be 70-80% efficient
Replacing a back boiler with a combi boilers will pay for itself in a few years through reduced energy costs.
A new boiler installation may be the best choice if you’re facing a series of costly emergency repairs as the back boiler unit approaches its end of life.
It is not cost effective to keep throwing money at an old boiler and this money would be better served paying for a new boiler.
Pressure Problems
You may not be able to use modern dishwashers or washing machines with high water pressure that comes from traditional back boilers.
Combi boilers are a good choice for replacing back boilers since they require less space and are easy to install.
However, they will not be able to heat massive amounts of water as a back boiler could.
Space
Combination boilers combine the central heating boiler with a hot water heater in a single compact unit, which means you do not need separate hot and cold-water tanks in your loft to supply the back boiler.
For this reason Combi boilers are a good choice for small homes or flats where space is very limited.
Switching to a combi boiler could free up space in your water cupboard or current utility room.
How To Apply For A Free Back Boiler Removal Grant
Are Back Boilers Now Illegal?
Old Back Boilers are not illegal!
Old Baxi Bermuda back boilers with gas fires as central heating systems are not illegal too.
You can continue to use them as long as they are still working correctly.
You can opt to replace it with a new back boiler but they are considered old fashioned now and are very hard to source.
We recommend you see if you are eligible for a free back boiler replacement grant.
Are Back Boilers Dangerous?
There has been a safety alert raised by the HSE regarding redundant solid fuel backboilers. Please See Here
There has been several incidents in the last five years, three of which resulted in serious injury, and sadly in one case, a fatality.
The redundant solid fuel back boiler had been left in a sealed condition and sometime later, when a coal or wood fire was lit in front of the boiler, the unit heated up sufficiently for the internal pressure to cause the boiler casing to explode.
Where can the risk arise?
Situations to consider will include where a solid fuel back boiler has been drained down over winter in vacant premises, or where it may have been left in place after conversion of the property’s heating system – often to a gas or oil fired system with a new remote central heating boiler.
Due to the disruption of removing a back boiler from the fireplace they may have been left in place for the decorative effect of the fire-grate, or covered by a panel or other feature.
What causes the problem?
The back boiler unit typically consists of a fire grate, which carries the combustible material eg coal, and a water chamber ‘surrounding’ it.
As the units are difficult to drain completely there is likely to be residual water in the redundant boiler which will turn to steam when heated.
This steam can explode if not allowed to escape.
Tests found that the top and sides of a solid fuel back boiler, without circulating water, reached temperatures in excess of 700°C.
Within 2 hours the temperature in some areas had reached around 480°C. This compared with normal system maximum operating temperatures of 124°C.
A back boiler MUST be completely removed from the fireplace and all pipework disconnected at source.
How To Apply For A Free Back Boiler Removal Grant
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