My elderly mother (81) has a Baxi Bermuda 552 boiler fitted behind the gas fire in the lounge (in a disused chimney). It works OK but a serviceman has recommended that it be replaced (it could pack up at any time, he says!!!)
A man from that company states 'They don't make Baxi Bermudas any more and you will have to have a new boiler fitted in the cupboard in the kitchen. It will involve new pipes, a new gas fire in the lounge, a new air vent going through the roof in a new place, and will take 4 days of labour to fit and install. The cost is quoted as upwards of £2,500.
Surely, a new Baxi Boiler could just replace the old one in the disused chimney!! Am I right, as I believe my poor old Mum is being taken for a ride. Should I contact British Gas??
Much obliged for any advice.

Robert Wakerley, July 2007

The plumbing and heating trade are involved in business creation. The whole unit is extremely durable and reliable and it extremely efficient when globally analysed. The modern condensing boilers are 30% more efficient which is quite a headline figure but if your gas bill is only£400 per year then all you are saving is £120 per year the break even point on the investment of £3000 is 25 years. No business would plough money jnto such a poor return.
Baxi state on their website they stiil support products no longer in production so I would try to keep the 552 going as long as possible. Electrically and mechanical the construction is very simple with not a lot to go wrong unlike the modern condensing boilers

MALCOLM WINTER, December 2016

The answer is yes, but they are no longer made anymore, you will have to get a second hand 552 if you still want one, spairs are no problem for the 552, but spairs on the old 551 like the burner are not avalable, Baxi have a condencing back boiler to replace the old 552, this needs a condence pipe to an outside drain etc, contact a gas safe registered installer for advice.

Gas Engineer., March 2013

can i obtain a baxi bermuda 552 back boiler as mine is goosed ??

Denise Russell, September 2012

i have lived with this boiler for 12 years changed the thermostat twice cleaned the heat exchanger ever summer with a small brush no problems at all, plenty cheap spares knocking about,after cleaning get the hoover on it,it will last forever,dont pay british gas 4k for something you dont need

jp wigan, November 2010

I'm going through the process of replacing a Baxi Bermuda 552.

NOTE: Currently I only have a single Filler/Expansion Tank in the loft... if you have that, you probably have a Primatic Hot Water Cylinder

I hoped I could just replace the 552 with the Baxi BBU15HE.... the Baxi literature does give this impression... although this is true... it's not the whole story

Because:
1. I have an old Primatic Hot Water Cylinder which can't be connected to the new BBU15HE (the Primatic is Gravity Fed and the BBU15HE won't connect it's PUMPED feed to this).
2. the Gas FireFront (which my wife loves) needs to have a connection to the chimney for Hot Gases... guess what? the BBU15HE has no flue connection for the old Baxi Gas Firefront. I would guess that there would be a problem with the coldish gases from the BBU15HE and the hottish gases from the old Gas Firefront.

So, as well as a BBU15HE and Concentric Flue, I am buying a new "normal" "pumped feed" Hot Water Cylinder plus a Baxi/Valor Dimension FireFront (it's basically at 2KW Fan heater), but has a nice 3-D fire effect and a Remote Control (for the fan heater) and has the Boiler Control (Reset and On/Off) too. You don't get a BBUHE15 Boiler Control panel with the Boiler... it comes with the FireFront! And I will need a second, small, Expansion Water Tank for the BBU15HE.

So Baxi are not telling lies of course (the 552 CAN be replaced with a BBU15HE), but they could be more realistic in what the customer needs to know (such as not being able to have a Gas Firefront and not being able to have a Gravity-Fed Hot Water Cylinder.

My solution involves a slight change to the pipework (not a lot actually, and no floorboards needs taking up, thank goodness) and a Hot Water Cylinder Thermostat twin cable fitted from Cylinder to new Boiler. (I've removed the plaster architrave around part of the front room ceiling... the twin cable will be fitted in the gap behind the architrave... and then through a small hole through to the Hot Water Cylinder).

Oh, one last thing, we decided we would still like a gas fire in case of electric power cuts... we've invested in a rather nice Butane Gas "Stove"

With Primatic systems it's advised NOT to use preservatives in the central heating as this could migrate into the hot water coming out of the taps. Once I have updated my system, I will be able to add Flush or Inhibitor to the new small Expansion Tank.

I hope this helps someone who is as confused as I was a week ago.

Roy Marsh, February 2010

THERE IS A NEW BAXI BERMUDA HE CONDENSING MODEL ON THE MARKET,it has a condensate pump with 10mm pipework that can be taken to the drain,THIS WILL GET THE JOB DONE,
IT ALSO HAS A TWIN WALL FLEXIBLE FLUE LINER

Darren, February 2010

yes, Baxi are now promoting a Baxi Bermuda BBU HE high efficiency condensing back boiler with firefront

Steve Yeo, February 2010

cant help

scott, November 2009

hi I got a baxi bermuda 57/3m Back boiler,The southern electric gas man advised me to change my programer and thermostat for £ 187.cause its obsolete which i agree,however he when the was job done the boiler would'nt work,he says his gonna come back to bring somebody to help him mend it .any thoughts guys on what shall I do next.

ben, October 2009

Sorry to correct a plumber... but you're wrong there Hi-Spec Plumbing.

The Baxi Bermuda series are still available and can still be fitted. However there has to be good reason that you can't fit a condensing boiler. It works on a points system with so many starting points for a mid terrace or flat, etc. Then there are additional points for having to install the boiler in a different room (something we would have to do), needing an extra long flu, or having cast iron drains - in which case you need a dedicated soakaway to deal with the slightly acidic condensate from the boiler.

Matt, September 2008

I've had my boiler serviced by British Gas in February and was informed that the boiler was still reliable. The thermocouple had to be replaced and the pilot now never goes out. I am in the process of selling my house and 'obsolete' showed up on the survey; however, as long as it's serviced and checked for carbon monoxide, I've heard from a reliable source that it's often better to keep the old boiler.

Crisofer, August 2007

I've just moved into a new house with this boiler. The previous owner said he would leave the fire front for us but would disconnect it as although he was corgi reg, he hadn't got a certificate for it (don't know how much truth is in that!). However, having had a corgi man come to connect the fire to the boiler I have been told that they don't match (the fire being a flueless b&q model) and my boiler is now 'at risk' and there is a danger of fumes etc spilling into the room! Basically I now have to find a baxi firefront that can match(and look half decent!!), or fork out for a whole new combi boiler (recommended by a trusted boiler man). My thoughts to you are to be wary when/if replacing the boiler that the fire front matches.

Nicola, August 2007

Hi

Funny enough my elderly parents have just been told the same. they were informed by a service contractor that the boiler is omitting monoxide. They were also informed that they could not have a back boiler but would have to opt for a combi boiler which will have to be resited elsewhere ....they have been told this by two separate contractors - when trying to get the matter sorted. This means there would be additional work need to run pipes to the loft and fit thermostactic valves to the rads together with doing a away with th gas fire. It makes you question whether it's worth having a service contract- the appioances were then disconnected. The quotes received fro this are about 3,300 to 4K we are not so sure this is right and I am currently searching via the next for info on back boilers to find a comparable replacement - (a back boiler ) no doubt they will need to buy a new gas fire too

Nigel Parslow, July 2007

yes but as somebody has already said all parts are still easily available and the boilers a goodun

john the gas man, July 2007

when its a week before christmass and that part that is OBSOLiTE does breakdown and your POOR OLD MUM is in the cold for 4 weeks because everybody shuts up for christmass. It isnt going to get any cheaper to replace a boiler, the differance she will noice when the rads acutally get hot what does a smile cost (PRICELESS)

shauny, July 2007

all parts for baxi bermuda are still available. they are a good boiler, better than anything new in turms of reliability but not efficiency which is unlikely to be a concern for your mum.
get a good engineer to give it a good service. dont call british gas... they are sales based morons that use gas safety and 'obsolete parts' as bashing sticks to scare the vunerable and generate sales.

matt, July 2007

thats condensing boiler must be fitted.

hi-spec plumbing, July 2007

>Should I contact British Gas??

then your price will be double that.'


>Surely, a new Baxi Boiler could just replace the old one in the disused chimney!!


surley not as you was told they don't make baxi bermudas any more or any boiler that go's under a chimney.
law now states that a condensing boiler most be fitter.
which will go in your kichen cupboard or airing cupboard etc.

if your baxi is working ok leave it.

certain parts for this boiler are getting rare and it will need changing one day.

hi-spec plumbing, July 2007