What boiler do I buy?

Canucklehead

Robbo77 wrote: »

Thats the joy of buying a boiler, or any electrical product. One man's dream machine is another man's nightmare. Simple rule of thumb, worcester or vaillant. The rest are more trouble than they are worth.

Good morning: A boiler is only as good as its installation and annual servicing: ensure your RGI follows manufacturer's installation specifications, completes the Benchmark book and follows 'Best Practice' as detailed in this guide from the EST.

The majority of boiler manufacturer websites have a 'Find an Installer' facility: a 5 year warranty offered by product trained installers is helpful but no guarantee that you will get a quality install: if you can, find a RGI via personal recommendation from a source you trust.

HTH

Canucklehead

11thcommandment

We had to have a total CH / boiler / tanks etc. strip out & replace and the old boiler was knackered and we had iron rads on a single pipe system.

We chose a combi system and had a few companies round to give quotes, some said Bosch rubbish some said great.
I did my own research and settled in a Baxi platinum 40 as it has all the usual features eg condensing/fully modulating/stainless steel heat exchanger and a 5YEAR GUARRANTEE parts&labour!
We had it fitted by a company that fits all makes and they said in their experience they see faulty boilers from all companies but get more faults from Bosch but only 'cos they tend to fit more of them (due to customers being told by Brit Gas that Bosch are the best).

FYI Had a few quotes (total strip out, new pipes/rads/boiler/3 zones) ranging from £4200 to £11500. BG quoted £7500 and wanted to surface mount all the pipes!

As for the shower performance, this boiler heats the water at full mains pressure & flow and showering is like being under a hot waterfall!!

It's been in 2 years with no bother.

Robbo77

Canucklehead,
I completely agree with everything you have said. Excellent advice. My reasons for suggesting Worcester or Vaillant is that they are the market leaders for sales and after sales service. To add to your points regarding installations, i have many good contacts at most of the top boiler manufacturers. They all claim that around 75% of calls to new boilers (within warranty) turn out to be installation faults.

allan673

worcester bosch 100% brilliant, the gas fitter will advise what size etc for you.

Mojisola

Canucklehead wrote: »

The majority of boiler manufacturer websites have a 'Find an Installer' facility: a 5 year warranty offered by product trained installers is helpful but no guarantee that you will get a quality install: if you can, find a RGI via personal recommendation from a source you trust.

This is so true! We got an awful installer from the Bosch website.

emrysdavies

Thanks to you experts in this forum I have decided on a Worcester Bosch and the only doubt I have is whether it should be a 30Si or a 30CDi. The water pressure is just over 13 litres per minute and I very much like having a bath. A quoter says 30Si will do but a gas boiler fitter with 31 years experience and with no vested interest in the outcome whatsoever encourages me to go for the 30CDi.

Any views please?

Incidentally, everything will be replaced.

Canucklehead

Good evening: I'd choose the CDi over the Si but recommend a Vaillant Ecotec Plus instead (my OH installs Vaillant and Viessmann which both have stainless steel heat exchangers vs. aluminium in the WBs);) You mentioned your flow rate is 13 liters/min.: what is the water pressure as mains pressure and flow rates as well as gas supply need to be checked when specifying a combi.You also said you enjoy your baths...be prepared for a long wait as the bath filling will be dependent on flow rate.

HTH

Canucklehead

emrysdavies

Canucklehead wrote: »

Good evening: I'd choose the CDi over the Si but recommend a Vaillant Ecotec Plus instead (my OH installs Vaillant and Viessmann which both have stainless steel heat exchangers vs. aluminium in the WBs)]

The WB heat exchangers have a ten year warrantee



[You mentioned your flow rate is 13 liters/min.: what is the water pressure as mains pressure]

Is that the pressure at the roadside before it is piped into my home?


[and flow rates as well as gas supply need to be checked when specifying a combi.You also said you enjoy your baths...be prepared for a long wait as the bath filling will be dependent on flow rate.]

What is the main difference between the Si and CDi? from a practical, everyday, point of view?

craig777

emrysdavies wrote: »

What is the main difference between the Si and CDi? from a practical, everyday, point of view?

When both are working with no problems, not much I expect. I'm sure I read somewhere that the Si can be more difficult to repair, as some things inside are more difficult to get at.

The Si is 400mm wide, so a bit more compact if installation space is limited.

I've got a 30Si and it works fine in my 3-bed-semi. The deciding factor for me was the 400mm width, otherwise I would've gone for a CDi myself.

Robbo77

I'd choose the CDI. The worcester greenstar CDI range won Corgi boiler of the year, 3 years in a row.