Whic Combi Boiler ?

mirand

Seriously considering replacing my combi-boiler which i think is getting seriously tired judging by the cost of repairing it last year. Was fitted Pre 1996.

Apparently to achieve energy efficiency Condensing boilers are recommended.
From experience, any recommendation? am looking for an efficient and economic boiler for a 3 bed house.

Thanks in advance.

cbrpaul

when i re-searched for my replacement boiler, the best i found that suited my needs was a Worcester -Bosch , and the 30CDi combi , i took into account after sales customer service also !!!

They are more expensive than others though ,

Good luck !!

PaulF81

We went for a Valiant 630 ecotech. Whatever you do make sure your installers are familiar with the technology. Ours found out that valliant sold the control centre half way through the install which didnt help matters.

gas4you

Ask 20 people and you will get 20 different answers.

Vaillant, Worcester, Broag, all good boilers.

If money is tight, look at the Potterton Gold HE range. Excellent value for money.

Cardew

mirand wrote: »

Apparently to achieve energy efficiency Condensing boilers are recommended.

All boilers these days must be condensing.(except under very special circumstances)

The post above has summed it up, 20 people will give different answers - even gas fitters who see hundreds in the course of their job.

WHICH have some pretty comprehensive reports on boilers which it might be worth reading - in a library or I believe non-members can purchase the report.

The most important issue for most of us is reliability as there isn't much point in worrying about an extra 2% in theoretical efficiency if you are faced with regular repair bills of £hundreds.

The difficulty there is that companies have merged, been taken over, make parts for other manufacturers etc etc. I could say that on my experience of 24 trouble free years with an Ideal boiler they are tremendous. However I have no idea where, and by whom, they are manufactured these days and I have heard some very bad reports about the make.

It is much like cars. Mercedes at one time were a byword for reliability and epitomised German engineering at its best. They then outsourced manufacture to some other countries and very quickly got a deserved reputation for unreliability that they still haven't fully recoverd from.

mirand

:TThank you all for your useful comments. Helped a lot. :T

mirand

[QUOTE=
WHICH have some pretty comprehensive reports on boilers which it might be worth reading - in a library or I believe non-members can purchase the report. [/QUOTE]

Time to renew my Which membership I guess.... thanks

Leif

Cardew wrote: »

WHICH have some pretty comprehensive reports on boilers which it might be worth reading - in a library or I believe non-members can purchase the report.

But are they any good? I bought the Which Car guide, and I think it is pants, and does not agree with my experiences, or any other reviews e.g. Top Gear, What Car, Car Buyer etc. I tend to suspect there are teams of Which reviewers who are non specialists i.e. not car journalists. Jack of all trades, master of none comes to mind.

Cardew

Leif wrote: »

But are they any good? I bought the Which Car guide, and I think it is pants, and does not agree with my experiences, or any other reviews e.g. Top Gear, What Car, Car Buyer etc. I tend to suspect there are teams of Which reviewers who are non specialists i.e. not car journalists. Jack of all trades, master of none comes to mind.

I take your point completely!

They don't actually test boilers these days as they state that installation and the CH system have a big effect. They rely on a large database of owners(over 5,000) who report on the frequency and type of repair required.

It is interesting to note that on the best performing boiler that 37% of the faults were for a condensate pipe freezing - which seems to me to be down to the installer rather than the boiler itself.

Like cars, you can only go on reputation where reliability is concerned.

gas4you

Personally I would take the Which? boiler tests/reports which a large pinch of salt.

MissyD_2

I have a bedroom ground floor property.
I just wondered if anyone could advise on a Heatline combination boiler Capriz Plus 24 kW including clock boiler??
I cant seem to find any reviews online about it and I have never heard of anything but WB, furthermore no-one I have asked has heard of them either!

FYI - I've been given a quote for a Heatline combination boiler Capriz Plus 24 kW including clock and a weather compensator supplied and fitted for:-
GRAND TOTAL (incl. VAT): £1,453.61
CASH: £1,360.52

Any advice appreciated.