Worcester Bosch or Ideal Vogue

theped

We need a new combi boiler. Given prices on several manufacturers and, balancing one from another on the smallest details, I eventually narrowed our choice down to two that fits our needs.

A Worcester Bosch Greenstar 25i with 7 year parts and labour warranty
Or an Ideal Vogue C26 offered with 12 year parts and labour warranty

Each have a similar power output with the same energy usage ratings of ‘A’

The Worcester Bosch, considering several factors, customer surveys, plumber surveys, price and history, it made it the ‘Which Magazine’ boiler best buy (but it only has a 7 year warranty) and has an aluminium heat exchanger which in time corrodes inside and sludges up.

The Ideal Vogue is 4th down the list of best boiler brands considering the same surveys as above. However, plumbers rate it equally as good as the Worcester but it lost consumer points due to breakdowns. Its also confirmed directly from Ideal that it has a stainless steel heat exchanger which doesn’t corrode inside like the Worcesters aluminium one would.

The brick wall ive met on my making a decision is because the Worcester is a better boiler and Which Magazine make it their best buy but, the Ideal is not so far behind and is being offered with a 12 year warranty. That’s another 5 years after the Worcester warranty has expired.

Which would you choose?

thebullsback

Baxi Platinum !0year warrenty. Worchester plastic manifolds leak after 3/4 year

onlyfoolsandparking

I had the same quandary less than a month ago when my trusty vaillant boiler gave up (after an impressive 30 yrs though)


The heating engineer I used is a top guy and has done quite a few jobs on my house, all perfect, he gave me this advice: Worcester Bosch used to be the best on the market but him and lots of his plumber pals have seen their reliability go rapidly downhill which is a shame as they were the best.


I asked him which one then and he recommended Ideal Logic+ C30, same output, similar size, decent condenser and worked out £400 cheaper (with fitting) than the Bosch.


He fitted it in 6 hours and I must say I'm impressed, can hardly hear it working, instant hot water (with pre-heat on) and I'm using considerably less gas so it's very efficient. Comes with 'no quibble' 7 year parts and labour warranty, I know 10 would be a little better but he says out of all the boilers he's fitted over the last 10 years Ideal give him no problems.


Hope this helps.

theped

I could get a 10 year warranty with the Worcester for a substantial extra cost, around £200. The 7 year warranty makes the price the same as the Ideal boiler with a longer warranty.