Advice on boilers please: Worcester vs Vaillant vs Baxi

spiddy100

We currently have an old Gloworm gas boiler which is on its last legs so we are looking to replace it. We've had two engineers in to quote, both came highly recommended, both seemed to know their stuff.

The engineer who does our yearly service recommended getting a Worcester, but he doesn't do installations so I've had to go elsewhere.

The first guy recommended a "Baxi HE condensing boiler", supplied and fitted for £1360. On my request he also quoted us for Worcester Greenstar at an extra cost of £230 (a little under 20% of the total cost for the Baxi installation).

The second guy has recommended "a Vaillant ecotec plus 4/28 K/Watt" or a "Worcester Bosch 24 K/watt (80000 BTU output) condensing boiler". His quote is £1650 for supply and installation,whether because of the boilers he's chosen or a higher rate for the labour I am not sure.

This is all the information I have at present. Is there anyone in the trade on here who can give me any high-level advice, such as "Don't touch x with a bargepole" or "y are always reliant boilers"? I can of course phone both the engineers and find out exactly which model of boiler they are recommending, and then run some comparisons/read reviews etc - is that overthinking things?

Thanks for any advice.

SailorSam

Lots of reviews on here.
Combi Boiler Guide

londonsurrey

I have a Baxi. Useless thing. Started leaking after a couple of years, five years on, it's doomed, not worth repairing, even with an engineer who is a friend willing to do manpower of free. Parts cost too much.

olly300

I have a Vaillant which has been in since 2005 and isn't a model they make any more. It's been reliable and hasn't broken down yet.

OP I would do a search on this forum as you will generally find people with Worcester or Vaillant boilers are happy with them. I also suggest you always go on the recommendation of a tradesmen you know and trust as even though he doesn't do installations he's serviced a lot of boilers and clearly wants your repeat yearly custom.

southcoastrgi

i wouldn't even consider a 24kw anything, min of 28kw, my recommenadation is below,

http://www.remehaheating.co.uk/

spiddy100

Thanks all for your replies. Keithgillyon, can I ask why you think a bigger capacity is essential? Our current boiler is 80000BTU which I think is roughly equivalent to 24kw. We have a largish house (detached so fair bit of heat loss) but we keep it cold by preference (18 degrees on the thermostat and heating only on during the winter). Am I wrong in thinking that extra capacity would be less efficient, or does it actually make the system more efficient?

southcoastrgi

sorry my apoligies,

it was late last night & didn't read your post correctly & as so many people have been asking about combi's on here i got slightly confused (old age you know, not that old though lol),

if you have a conventional boiler ie not combi then yes the outputs you described may be correct HOWEVER the existing boiler would have been sized for the house when it was installed,

if you have had addional rads/extensions then the old boiler may not have been big enough, however saying that the insulation/new double glazing etc may have been up graded since then so the house may now be more thermally efficincant so the two may cancel each other out.

just because the boiler was the correct size all those years ago it may or may not be correct now.

modern boilers will modulate themselves up or down to the heat output req (think of having an automatic hob ie when your spuds start to boil it automatically turns it's self down to simmer)

my recommendation for the boiler still stands though i fit nothing else (if i supply it).

hartcjhart

a shop local to me are offering a 10 year,yes a ten year gurantee on the worcester boiler,says enough to me

southcoastrgi

hartcjhart wrote: »

a shop local to me are offering a 10 year,yes a ten year gurantee on the worcester boiler,says enough to me

yes very good & some of their parts are a good price, however they are a nightmare to work on, however you should be covered for 10 years, but you need to check if this is parts & labour & not just parts

rustyboy21

I have a worcester 32cdi and have not had an ounce of trouble in 3 years since fitted, hope that carries on ( touch wood)

However if you are looking at Baxi, ask if he can price up for a similar model in Potterton or main as they are the same company.

The way it has worked in the past is that main is cheapest, potterton next then baxi top end. Have been told they are all the same boiler, but with different fascias and badges on, still made on same lines. Don't know whether that is still the case after Remeha take over last year. They were looking at making it that one off installers ( which your engineer will be ) could only buy main and remeha, and potterton and baxi would only be available for contract work ( or vice versa )

Go by the engineer you feel most comfortable with and has good reputation, after all it's only a box that warms your rooms and gives you hot water. It's the engineer and how they work and their reputation which is more important, I feel. Another engineer will scream until he is blue in the face that white is black to convince you that he is giveing you the right and only correct info ! Thats what engineers are trained for in Jobsworth school !

southcoastrgi

rustyboy21 wrote: »

I have a worcester 32cdi and have not had an ounce of trouble in 3 years since fitted, hope that carries on ( touch wood)

However if you are looking at Baxi, ask if he can price up for a similar model in Potterton or main as they are the same company.

The way it has worked in the past is that main is cheapest, potterton next then baxi top end. Have been told they are all the same boiler, but with different fascias and badges on, still made on same lines. Don't know whether that is still the case after Remeha take over last year. They were looking at making it that one off installers ( which your engineer will be ) could only buy main and remeha, and potterton and baxi would only be available for contract work ( or vice versa )

Go by the engineer you feel most comfortable with and has good reputation, after all it's only a box that warms your rooms and gives you hot water. It's the engineer and how they work and their reputation which is more important, I feel. Another engineer will scream until he is blue in the face that white is black to convince you that he is giveing you the right and only correct info ! Thats what engineers are trained for in Jobsworth school !

yet another idiot that hasn't got a clue what he is talking about,

i take great exception to being called a jobsworth engineer,

yes there are some bad installers, but most of us take great pride in our work & providing the boiler is installed correctly then there isn't much else that can go wrong,

there are a great deal of differences between the white boxes that heat your rooms if they are all the same why haven't you got a baxi, potterton, main, halstead instead of a wb ??? because you went for reliability & the fact that in 3 years you haven't had a prob with it.

most engineers will have their prefered make & yes cost is an issue to some people but most would say that they would rather spend a little bit more to get a boiler that isn't gonna fall to pieces & cost them a fortune in repair costs,

you cannot compaire rememha to baxi, potterton or main yes they are now owed by the same co but that doesn't mean that they are all the same boiler re-badged, far far from it which you would know if you had the slightest idea of what you were talking about.