Worcester makes historical discovery

A Shropshire-based homeowner has discovered what is thought to be one of the oldest domestic boilers still in operation in the UK.

Marton Hayes, of Oswestry, Shropshire contacted Worcester, Bosch Group after discovering that his WEC Firefly HD II had been heating his three bedroom detached home since it was built in 1973.

With an output of 60K BTU (17.5 kWh), the Firefly naturally falls short of the much improved outputs of the latest generation of boilers, however Mr Hayes revealed that it remains in good working order despite its age.

He said: “I think this is a fantastic achievement as the boiler is still performing excellently after 39 years of service. I moved into the property with my wife and four children back in 1986 and, having continued to service the boiler annually, we have experienced no problems other than the odd replacement spare part.”

Hayes continued: “Although the boiler is in full working order I am planning to replace it with a Greenstar CDi gas-fired combi boiler. I have chosen a Worcester gas-fired combi boiler as the replacement, due to the excellent service and reliability given by the Firefly, which has certainly stood the test of time.”

Martyn Bridges, director of marketing and technical support at Worcester, Bosch Group added: “We were pleased to hear that Mr Hayes’ Firefly boiler has given him and his family such good service and are sure the replacement will prove to be just as reliable. This latest discovery is a great example of how our extensive product testing and field trials result in products that are durable and long-lasting.”

Worcester, Bosch Group is offering a 5 year guarantee on all Greenstar oil-fired boilers installed from 1st April to 30th June 2012, giving installers the opportunity to offer customers additional peace of mind. For more information, visit www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/5year