Which Combi Boiler for 4 bedroom house?

chris1012

Finally we are getting rid of our old storage heaters throughout the house and relocating the boiler into a designated utility section.

We will replacing every single room and hallway with radiators.

There are 4 bedrooms and will 2 bathrooms within the house.

What Boilers are best for long term reliability and resolving issues when they arrise?

What prices should be looking at spending, where could we purchase the boiler from and what type of long term warranty would we be looking at?

At budget is of around 1k

Many Thanks

macman

Do you already have a mains gas supply? What makes you think that a combi is suitable for a property with 2 bathrooms? Even if it is, have you established that your water flow and pressure are even adequate for a combi? Your RGI can advise after a site survey.
It's normal for you to commission your RGI and for them to supply and fit the boiler-many RGI's will not install a boiler that they didn't supply, for obvious reasons.
Your budget will just about cover the boiler price, you'll need more like £2-2.5K to supply and install that, plus the cost of the rads and circuit if all new.
I'd suggest that you look at WB, Vaillant, and Wiessmann.
Warranties vary, but the better models offer up to 5/7 years on some components.

Edit: just realised which forum you posted this in-are you looking for an oil-fired boiler? if gas, repost on the correct board.

southcoastrgi

oil or gas, as MM said, plus your budget is totally un-realistic, to install central heating to a 4 bed house you are looking between £3k- £5k depending on what you need

Pincher

I assume you mean £1k for buying the boiler, excluding fitting.

http://www.plumbnation.co.uk/

Just let the homepage scroll through the headline pages.
5 years Guarantees and 7 year Guarantee on the usual brands.

Check out the Intergas, which is not well known, but the combi has NO diverter valve!

http://www.plumbase.com/section2631/page1/combi-boilers



This is a funky alternative to the combi:

http://www.plumbnation.co.uk/site/worcester-greenspring-cwi47-gas-water-heater/

Totally beyond your budget, only does hot water, but 50kW output at 28.8L flow rate means you CAN run two showers simultaneously. For future expansion, you can pre-heat the cold water using solar panels and a cylinder (or thermal store). Rinnai does something similar.

The next time I do the plumbing, I am thinking of solar panel, thermal store with solar loop AND boiler indirect loop. Put in a Rinnai 16i, which is a 35kW gas water heater, but feed it PRE-HEATED water from the thermal store. In the summer, the thermal store is heated by solar panel: in winter, by gas boiler, or heat pump. The PRO is you are using free solar energy, and you can supply two showers with one 35kW water heater. The CON is, you are back to having a cylinder.

Cknocker

Just to be a little controversial - particularly with the RGI's around - You do not need an RGI to install a heating system - you do however need one for the boiler installation (only if its gas!) - a heating system is merely a mass of pipes and radiators with water running around them - not particularly dangerous. Just to be clear I'm not saying everybody should attempt plumbing, but there are many plumbers who can install a radiator system who are not RGI's.

With reference to the OP, with a budget of a £1000 and the house described he is being unrealistic, even if the boiler is just to purchase the boiler. I wouldn't go as far as to say a Combi-boiler won't do it, but he will certainly need a higher end one, and if two people are using both bathrooms at the same time there will probably be some frustration.

kezlou

hi,

I would honestly say you will need between £2.5 to £4k to fit a new boiler, labour and radiators and as its a new installation TRV valves.
£1k isn't going to do it in the slightest and quite frankly your not going to a get enough boiler for your needs. By the sounds of it you'll need a high end one.

Worcester Bosch are a good brand and you can currently get a 5 year guarantee with it. If the gas engineer(plumber) has paid Worcester extra then a 7 year guarantee.

Ideal boilers currently come with a 5 year guarantee too.

Don't go for the cheapest boiler, as it can be deceiving, especially for in the future if and when the boiler breaks down.
So go for a slightly well known one as your more likely to be able to get reasonably priced parts in the future.

As for the guarantee - nowadays they require a gas safe registered engineer to validate it, not just a plumber. Be careful of you don't understand pipework, pressure etc get a professional to do it. No point putting it in wrong only to cause severe problems later i.e leaks.