Worcester Bosch guarantee - how good is it?

jogu

Hi all,

I'm looking to get my boiler replaced (Ideal Response 120; an internal pipe has split and is leaking and have not been able to obtain a replacement anywhere).

I'm looking at Worcester Bosch boilers. The two main options I have are:

1) 30i from British gas - 5 year warrantee from British Gas (quote is approx £2200)
2) 36cdi compact from a local installer - 10 year warrantee (quote is approx £3000, those this includes filter + RF controller - BG quote includes neither)

The 36cdi seems a better replacement (the 30i would have a lower hot water flow rate than the Ideal, and we have thermostatic showers).

So '2' seems like a good option, particularly given the longer warrantee.

I have two questions about the warrantee I wonder if anyone has experience of those:

a) The installer tells me that the warrantee is backed by Worcester themselves. I can't find any mention of 10 year warrantees on the Worcester website, which seems odd. Are these kind of warrantees (it's an accredited installer) generally backed by Worcester?

b) Just how good are the Worcester backed warrantees - has anyone experience of making a callout under them, is it a next day-ish service like British Gas's home care or can it take days?


Thanks

Joseph

philbostavros

Hi Joseph

It's not totally relevant but I've had my WB Greenstar 30SI for 12 years now. It was installed by a local company and came with a WB backed 3 year warranty (including 3 year's free servicing).

I had a couple of minor issues during those 3 years, all fixed by the same company (with them calling in a WB engineer once, when they couldn't be sure which part to replace). The level of service was very good.

At the end of the 3 years, we had a policy from WB to cover repairs and servicing - done by WB engineers, though didn't have any further problems for quite a few years. Their engineers did come out very quickly when needed.

WB then outsourced their policies to Home Serve and as the new cover was rubish, I moved to BG. All has been well apart from the need recently, to re-pressurise the pressure vessel thingy.

I believe that WB have now gone back to using in-house people to their boiler cover?

ic

My boiler came with a five year warranty as it was fitted by a Worcester approved local guy (at the time Worcester only gave two years as standard). After installation I got a certificate through from Worcester. I got the installer to service it each year as is required by the warranty.

It broke down at five years and two months. The installer couldn't fix it, so told me to get on to Worcester. They tried to charge me as it was out of warranty - so I got back on to the installer. He got in touch with Worcester and they rang me back and arranged a repair free of charge.

So my own experience is the warranty is worth having, but also it is worth making sure you maintain a relationship with your approved installer as they do have strings they can pull when things go wrong soon after the warranty ends too.

jhe

I have just had a Worcester Greenstar Classic 38cdi installed 2 weeks ago.
Fit by a Worcester approved local installer off their website.
New Flue . magnetic filter. Comfort 11 RF thermostat for £2600.
without a Worcester thermostat I was offered an 8 year guarantee
With the Worcester thermostat a 10 year guarantee.
I checked this with Worcester and they confirmed that everything is covered in the 10 year guarantee.
the boiler must be serviced every year to keep the guarantee valid.
My previous boiler was a Worcester Bosch and in its early days i had to call them out, they came out instant no problem
it was me that requested the classic above the compact, my installer told me afterwards the classic is a better boiler.

jogu

Hi philbostavros, ic, jhe

Many thanks for sharing your experiences! Definitely sounding like it's best to go the non-BG route and get the 10 year warranty then. I got another quote today from a local independent that gets the 36 Cdi (inc filter / rf controls & 10 year warrantee) down to £2,640. (The classic 38cdi wouldn't fit in the existing cupboard.)

Blakes7

I too was recommended to the Worcester Bosch ten year guarantee for out boiler, as they say you only know how a product is when you come to use it…. Hence the pressure on the boiler has been dropping to 0 several times this week now it has happened 4 times in 12 hours so rang today earliest they said they would come 3 weeks…. Not impressed at all feel absolutely conned – now have to carry on topping up to 1 bar for next 3 weeks as they said it hasn’t packed in – yes because I keep topping it up!

jhe

Blakes7 wrote: »

I too was recommended to the Worcester Bosch ten year guarantee for out boiler, as they say you only know how a product is when you come to use it…. Hence the pressure on the boiler has been dropping to 0 several times this week now it has happened 4 times in 12 hours so rang today earliest they said they would come 3 weeks…. Not impressed at all feel absolutely conned – now have to carry on topping up to 1 bar for next 3 weeks as they said it hasn’t packed in – yes because I keep topping it up!

That is shocking 3 weeks !!
mine was fit earlier last year, later last year mine conked , phoned Worcester they sent someone out the same day.
a part was replaced even though it wasn't down to the boiler it had failed
I wouldn't be accepting waiting 3 weeks that is ridiculous

Ant555

I know this started a while ago but is it still 10 years warranty on Worcester Bosch?

Ive just had a quote for an upgrade to a WB 30 and quote says 5 years upgraded to 6 if I have the filter fitted. All subject to an annual service though.

jhe

Ant555 wrote: »

I know this started a while ago but is it still 10 years warranty on Worcester Bosch?

Ive just had a quote for an upgrade to a WB 30 and quote says 5 years upgraded to 6 if I have the filter fitted. All subject to an annual service though.

not sure mine was fit last year with the 10 year guarantee.
to qualify for it I had to have a Worcester accredited installer, a Worcester thermostat and also has to be serviced every year

jogu

Ant555 wrote: »

I know this started a while ago but is it still 10 years warranty on Worcester Bosch?

Ive just had a quote for an upgrade to a WB 30 and quote says 5 years upgraded to 6 if I have the filter fitted. All subject to an annual service though.

The current offer has upto 7 years:

https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/professional/promotions/extended-guarantee-promo

John_the_Boy

I have a WB 24ri and needed to use the WB guarantee. I found their technical support very good and they were also quite quick in sending an engineer out under the guarantee.

What didn't impress me was that the WB engineer didn't detect a gas leak (was later found by BG on an emergency call out) and that a 3 month old boiler had a gas leak in the first place!