Combi recommendations

[Ed Rear]

My daughter has just bought a flat where the central heating includes a hot water tank in a cupboard in the bedroom. The tank has a built in header tank, giving a head of about 5 feet! Consequently there is not enough pressure for a shower. We intent to replace the boiler with a combi and take out the HW tank to give some much needed extra room. I know we have to have a Corgi registered plumber to fit the boiler but we need to keep the cost down, so will do as much work as possible ourselves. It's a one bedroom flat, the boiler would replace the existing one in the kitchen. Can anyone advise on the best/most reliable make of boiler, and what size would we need. (No more than two persons living in the flat) Also any idea how much the installation would cost?

[Christian McArdle]

Is the wall on which you intend to mount the boiler suitable for a condensing boiler flue? I.e. it mustn't back straight out onto another facing flat that might be inconvenienced by the plume of steam?

Probably anything 28kW or over would be fine. Worcester-Bosch have a good reputation for condensing and conventional types. The Ideal Isar is a reasonable condensing combi. Vaillant usually get good press.

Christian.

[BillR]

I fitted a 24kw Vokera in my daughter's 1 bed flat. The hot water flow is quite enough for a power shower effect and many times better than the old system which was like yours. You can fit it yourself if you are "competent" otherwise get a Corgi guy to commission the gas part, if you can find one who will be interested.. Our costs were £425 for boiler, £5 filling loop, £30 for diamond corer hire, £30 for TRVs., £20ish misc copper parts. Later on I fitted CM67 wireless programmable room thermostat which cost £85

If you got a "pro" to do supply and fit I wouldn't expect any change from £2k

Got the boiler from

fitting which was a doodle, took less than a day. There were some slight leaks afterwards which I fixed with one of those Fernox cartridges you squirt into a rad bleed valve hole.

[tarquinlinbin]

Worcester CDI range or similar. Make sure you thoroughly flush the old system before starting the job!!. Will the boiler fit in the cupboard that the cylinder lives in ??

joe

[IMM]

Best fist a strainer in the return pipe to catch any crud.