Best condensing combi boiler

My apologies if this is a repeat, but it my original post seems to have got lost. Is there much difference in makes and models of the above? Am I best going for a more expensive boiler? I will happily pay top price if it will be longer lasting. any suggestions welcomed.

Reply to
Broadback
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ATAG boilers are the best money can buy you.

They have the ability to modulate very low which increases efficiency.

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Reply to
David

Yes, as there is between Lada, Ford, VW, BMW and Rolls-Royce cars.

Am I best

Search google groups' archive of this group: this topic has been done (to death!) several times recently.

Reply to
YAPH

Reply to
Stuart Noble

Atmos or ATAG. The ATAG Q series 51 kW is superb - pumping out the DHW flowrate Any boiler with weather compensation integral, buy the outside weather temperature sensor: Broag, Atmos, ATAG.

Reply to
Doctor Drivel

About 3 years ago we had an Alpha CD32C boiler fitted and it's been brilliant. Comes with a 3-year warranty as standard, which apparently is extended to 5 years if the boiler is fitted on a certain jig of some sort (didn't know this at the time - found out from a friend who had one fitted about 18 months ago by a different company). They also do solar heating stuff that can be combined with their boilers but I don't know anything about that - well worth looking at

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Reply to
Pete Zahut

Neither does it work for me, I am told that it is better to phone them and ask, I know a few in London but I can't find them on the website.

Reply to
David

I think that's why people tend to stick to companies that are better established in UK

Reply to
Stuart Noble

That is true, but after you see one of their boilers that can have up to 15 years guarantee it gets very tempting.

Reply to
David

We had an Alpha CD35C fitted last year - together with their 50L store. Very pleased with it. Also had the extra Jig fitted so have the 5 year warranty (

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) (and the gassaver thingy - dunno how much that actually saves but it didn't cost much more as it came as part of the kit).

I was really keen to avoid the crap experience I've have with combis in the past (ages to run the bath, crap showers in winter etc) and ended up going with the alpha for a number of reasons. It came recommended by a tame plumber I know (no other sod would come quote as it was "too complex to fit it in the loft"). Also, given the hassle it is getting a decent plumber around here I figured I'd rather go with something he has a lot of experience of so in the event of a problem, he will at least have a bit of a clue,

He also claimed that in the few cases he has had where they have had warranty calls on them they have been fixed quickly by alpha.

As I say, so far it's great - near power shower perfomance without needing a pump :-) Has accelerated the plan to sort the bathroom though. Decent shower with a crap curtain is frustrating to say the least :)

Ask me again in 4 years if I still think the alpha was a good buy... :)

Darren

Reply to
dmc

An aspect I have read here in such threads (and I think on Ed Sirett's FAQ as well) is that familiarity of the installer with the boiler and its accessories (esp. flues) is paramount.

Kostas

Reply to
Kostas Kavoussanakis

Yep, that was a big factor in my replacement last year. I'd not heard of alpha until then - but as the guy was familiar with them (and he came highly recommended) I figured I'd go with it particularly as I wanted it moved to the loft with a store and a flue through the roof (the thing that put most installers off it seems - I got zero quotes back once they looked at the job...most wanted to stick the boiler in my 4 year olds bedroom and couldn't understand why I disliked this idea...)

Darren

Reply to
dmc

I can understand a plumber wanted to fit something he's used to for the speed of doing so - but fitting any boiler is hardly rocket science. Pipes tend to be pipes no matter what make - and are flues *really* that complicated in most installations? Mine just pokes out through the wall. ;-) Of course setting the thing up after installation will be easier with experience of the product. But if you've set your heart on one (rare) make contact the maker and ask for recommended installers in your area.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Given how complicated modern boilers at it's almost taken for granted that it's going to break down at some point :-( A tame plumber working on a boiler they know inside out is more likely to get fixed quickly. Also, availability of spares etc can be a problem - no help if you have a 10 year warranty but you have to wait a month for parts to arrive you still get cold :)

The other thing with a plumber who knows a boiler well is they are aware of the issues and common problems so should be able to recommend something based not only on the manufacturers glossy brochures (drivel...) but on real life experience. Of course, this depends on you finding a plumber who you trust to not be trying to push the one he has spare in the back of his van and who is likely to vanish as soon as you've paid him - a harder problem to solve!

Darren

Reply to
dmc

They might well recommend one which breaks down regularly once outside warranty too - makes work for the working man.

True. But that's some more research you'll have to do before deciding as that's your problem, not the installer's.

Like dribble, I doubt many have great experience of all makes.

That is indeed the problem. Or him recommending the one he gets the biggest discount etc on.

I ended up with a Viessmann. ;-) The extras I needed for the installation were at my local PM by the next day. But that was because another branch stocked them - I dunno how long they'd take if out of stock.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

You need an installer who knows what is on the market to meet the needs of the customer, the quality levels of the product and service availability, not what he always buys and fits.

Reply to
Doctor Drivel

Indeed - that's where the trusted tame plumber bit comes in. Not always easy if you don't have a local guy you trust though :-(

Yep, and part of that research on my part was asking said truseted plumber his experience. He was perfectly happy to source and fit anything - but I went with his recommendation in the end (won't know for a few years if that was sensible hopefully :))

Darren

Reply to
dmc

It's always going to be a compromise. I settled on Worcester-Bosch for almost accidental reasons but I'm happy to stick with them because I don't know of any serious issues with either their products or their organisation unlike other major players:

  • Poxi-Batterton who have shafted their customers when things have gone wrong with earlier products (Google 'Suprima')
  • Ideal whose current products have major (un)reliability issues (discussions on this group, passim)
  • Vaillant/Glow-worm whose service is useless (over 40 minutes to fail to get an answer from tech support: the only way through seems to be email and that can take a week for an answer which may be wrong)

And also because Bosch tend to be a safe bet in other areas.

I'm sure there are Rolls-Royce appliances out there (Viessmans etc) but I don't work for the seriously rich, and for ordinary folks the extra cost for a small extra energy saving through advanced controls such as weather compensation and analogue temperature sensors would be better spent on other energy improvements. (All the same I begrudge W-B that they don't offer an open interface to their kit that would allow more intelligent controls to get better efficiency from it.)

Reply to
YAPH

You'll get that from any combi.

Reply to
YAPH

My Viessmann Vitodens system boiler wasn't vastly more expensive than others - although the difference may be greater with combis due to larger production runs.

Nor am I seriously rich - but my original Potterton Kingfisher did over 25 years with near perfect reliability, so I wanted something similar. After all it only takes a couple of repairs to pay the difference between it and a cheaper one.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

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