I think I've finally decided to replace my noisy old Gloworm boiler. Will be giving it a flush of some kind of descaling chemical in the next couple of weeks, but if that doesn't work then I'll need a replacement.
I have a 4 bed house, but only one bathroom.
There seems to be a bewildering range of choices:
- combi, system, or regular boiler?
- which make? I hear that Vaillant, Viessman, Worcester Bosch are all OK
- which particular boiler? Apparently some Viessman's are very unreliable, and one of the new Ideal boilers is much better than its predecessor.
My main criteria for a boiler are:
- it needs to be reliable.
- it needs to be quiet.
Any suggestions gratefully received!
|
|
Worcester Bosch are very good - excellent customer services as well.
|
|
We have a Baxi Platinum which has been faultless in a 3-bed detached house, seems very easy on gas and zero problems. The engineer who services each year always comments on how good they are, its supposedly very eco-friendly as well as reliable.
|
If you are environmentally conscious and have £6000+ to spend you might like this Baxi
www.baxi.co.uk/products/baxiecogen.htm
|
If you like lots of piping hot baths keep the hot water tank and get a new boiler - otherwise some combi-type job would be more efficient.
Most plumbers I know don't like combis in their own houses and tend to have hot water cyliders, but maybe they're Luddites...
|
>> There seems to be a bewildering range of choices:
>>
>> - combi, system, or regular boiler?
What do you have now? Its easier and cheaper to swop like for like, unless you have other reasons to change.
I have a Glow worm system boiler, its been reliable and quiet, good manual means I can service it myself.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 8 May 11 at 18:30
|
>> What do you have now? Its easier and cheaper to swop like for like, unless
>> you have other reasons to change.
I have a gloworm spacesaver - it's 20+ years old.
Also:
I tend to take showers (have electric shower) rather than baths - have the occasional soak once a month.
I'd quite like a boiler that would give hot water for washing up. At the moment I have to boil a kettle during the summer.
Sadly I don't want to spend £6k, so clearly I'm not very environmentally conscious! I'd also like a model that is tried and tested, and has proven reliability over 3+ years.
Thanks for all the suggestions so far......
Last edited by: Pete on Sun 8 May 11 at 18:46
|
I have simple combi systems in both Iffy Towers and the caravan.
An ancient Ferroli in the house and a Worcester Bosch in the 'van have both proved reliable.
I've never seen the sense of heating any more hot water than you need.
On t'other hand, as Zero says it's daft to spend thousands on changing systems.
Presumably, the cost of 'going combi' would not be high because you can just bypass/stop using/rip out the existing storage tank.
|
A combi will be more efficient but make sure you get one with enough oomph for your needs since it heats water when needed. The size you need depends (surprise surprise) on the number of radiators, and the number of bathrooms and the nature of the baths and showers. I am getting quotes for a new combi. I liked the fact that they are more efficient, and free up the airing cupboard as the hot water tank is no longer needed. Also you'll possibly free up loft space since it does not use a tank, but like me you might find that you have to leave the tank in place as it is too much trouble to remove. Mine is asbestos, so it cannot be cut up on site. You have listed the boiler brands I think are best based on googling. Each boiler installer seems to have her own favourite brand, but I could not find any bad words about Worcester Bosch, and colleagues sing their praises, so I chose a WB 30CDI for a 3 bed bungalow with one bathroom. The Viesmann 100 is said to be poor, but the 200 is excellent but expensive.
In terms of reliability I read that getting it fitted by a competent engineer, and having it serviced every year are important.
CheckATrade is useful for finding fitters.
|
Good Installation is key for the newer thin walled heat exchangers, they cant tolerate corrosion or hotspots. They need a nice head of water, no air or sediment in the water, and a good corrosion inhibitor. Mine has air separators installed on input and output.
The system needs to be cleaned and descalled well before the new boiler is installed.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 8 May 11 at 22:28
|
Advice on new boiler - R.P.
