Scrapping Boilers [Answers] - Page 2

Does anybody know how I can get hold of a scrap condensing boiler in the UK? I'm not looking to sell it.

I'm a third year mech eng student and I've been given a project to analyse and improve the secondary heat exchanger design using computer simulation. Paranoid boiler manufacturing companies in the UK don't ever want to give me specs for it so that I can model it on CAD software so the only option I have is to actually get hold of one and measure it myself.

I know they are worth a fair bit and I would be happy to pay them a bit of money for it and I will even give it to them back once I'm done with it. Any suggestions?



Thanks in advance

Originally Posted by GeorgeB

I am going to guess that there are some different variations of boilers. I say this, because I have gotten quite a few boilers in my time of scrapping, and the insides of the ones I have gotten, look nothing like the diagram. I didn't tear it all the way apart, but just by looking inside them, they have looked nothing like yours.

If, I am mistaken, and the have been the same, I don't even want to think of all the money I have lost, if the price your quoting has been like that forever. To me, it would have been over a $11,000 loss.

I suppose it does vary but all boilers my uncle services and replaces all look like this one. If they don't there is only slight changes.




For people confused. In my house I have 2 of these. They cost around £1800 to replace so you can imagine that is why the parts make up most of the pricing. Taken them in as they are is a sin in my books

Just open it up and take out parts with numbers/writing on them and a quick search will show you how much the price of that part is and what it actually is.

The original picture is of an indirect boiler, you might know of these as tankless heaters, multipoint heaters, geysers or ascots.

The second picture posted looks like it would be a direct boiler -these generally come with a back boiler and usually use heating elements, however I can see this particular one uses a heat exchanger.

They are both boilers however, just different types. The first picture is one that is generally used these days as they are more efficient because they only heat the water as needed. The second will heat the water from a back boiler or perhaps in this case directly from its own heat exchanger but these are generally being phased out in the UK as even the best insulated ones will still lose heat over time. Maybe you still have them over there because fuel is much cheaper???

Originally Posted by harrisvh

The original picture is of an indirect boiler, you might know of these as tankless heaters, multipoint heaters, geysers or ascots.

The second picture posted looks like it would be a direct boiler -these generally come with a back boiler and usually use heating elements, however I can see this particular one uses a heat exchanger.

They are both boilers however, just different types. The first picture is one that is generally used these days as they are more efficient because they only heat the water as needed. The second will heat the water from a back boiler or perhaps in this case directly from its own heat exchanger but these are generally being phased out in the UK as even the best insulated ones will still lose heat over time. Maybe you still have them over there because fuel is much cheaper???

Thanks for posting your 2 informative posts to explain to other members!

A pleasure. Whilst leeching so much information from the rest of you it is good to occasionally feel like I can contribute.

Just re-read what i wrote, some of it might sound confusing so i'll get to the bit I suppose most of you want to know.

Older boilers were not subject to such high heat so: the primary heating element, if it has coiled pipes they are usually silvery coated copper. I have no idea what they coat it in or why they coat it. If it's a block its usually a large copper finned block at the bottom on the boiler.

New boilers: the primary heat exchanger which is either a block at the bottom or a cylindrical container by the side and quite large is either stainless steel or aluminium. The secondary heat exchanger is a stainless steel or aluminum block that looks like a brick, weighs around 2kg and is finned internally.

I will post some pictures in the future when I have figured out how.

Originally Posted by harrisvh

Just re-read what i wrote, some of it might sound confusing so i'll get to the bit I suppose most of you want to know.

Older boilers were not subject to such high heat so: the primary heating element, if it has coiled pipes they are usually silvery coated copper. I have no idea what they coat it in or why they coat it. If it's a block its usually a large copper finned block at the bottom on the boiler.

New boilers: the primary heat exchanger which is either a block at the bottom or a cylindrical container by the side and quite large is either stainless steel or aluminium. The secondary heat exchanger is a stainless steel or aluminum block that looks like a brick, weighs around 2kg and is finned internally.

I will post some pictures in the future when I have figured out how.

Yes in the old I have got a couple of the copper finned block and get £25 scrap each for them

Yes much nicer ones for scrapping are the older ones, my dad doesn't tend to bother with the newer ones as he has no room to store any of the lower metals so just calls for a scrappy to just take them away. When I tell him he could take them down as is he just says he doesn't have time and the time it would take him to take it to a yard is money he's lost not working. I have even less space than he does so can't do much with them either although he is saving me the stainless steel blocks from now on that stack nicely. Also have around 2-300 immersion elements that I have to try to figure out how to get the metal coatings off to get at the nichrome elements inside.

Originally Posted by GeorgeB

I do this. most will take it back to their shop and I pick up from there. however if they are on a job and don't have the room I go to the house or business and pick up from there.

That could work. I guess they have to haul it away regardless. I was trying to save them a step and haul from the job site. It's getting the techs trained to call me that I am trying to figure out. These trucks didn't look like they had much room to be hauling stuff away, yet they had to bring the new stuff somehow.

Originally Posted by IdahoScrapper

I am banking on the local HVAC guys having the same mind set. Saturday I was at my parents and I saw a repair truck at a neighbors, with a water heater out front. I whipped back around and asked what they were doing with it?

Guy asked if I wanted it. I said sure. Okay, but the bottom plug is out. I said that was fine and loaded it. Then he says do you want this, and this, and we have this too.

Ended up with the water heater, furnace, some coils, a central air unit and a decent amount of copper lines. I was so excited. I asked if he gets stuff like this often.

Oh yeah...at least once a day. I whipped out my card and said to call me when you get more and I will be more than happy to take it off your hands and save you the trouble of loading/hauling it away.

He didn't seem to care either way so who knows if I will get any calls from him.

Maybe I can contract with the company to have their techs call me. Anyone have any experience in doing this?

Seem to be a decent size company. 2 more tech trucks showed up shortly after I left.

Congratulations man! Sounds like something you got going there!

The estate agents that my dad contracts for each have their own separate waste guy and all their contractors use them along with the agencies. They do very well, If you can get on the contractors list for estate agencies you will get plenty of work.

great site 1st question, i have 2 of these stripped,the expansion vessel sticks to magnet, are these worth taking to scrap yard? as was gonna bin them