hi,
I need to install a new boiler in my house (3 bed + 1 bathroom + 1 future bathroom). The current boiler is a conventional boiler. I'm looking to get it replaced with a combi system (28-32kw). Does anyone have a suggestion on which brand of boiler to go for ? One of the plumbers suggested to go for Potterton but on this newsgroup I havent heard good things about Potterton.
Any ideas/suggestions welcome.
Thanks
I had an Alpha 32C fitted very recently and although I havent had it long I'm well pleased with it . I had seen it recommended in a few Forums. It has a 3 year warranty subject to annual services . I find it very quiet and gives me more than enough hot water when using the bath although I tend to use the elec shower. Have a look at their web site at
Hi Samit,
I have a similar sized house to you. I've got an Ariston Microgenus
27kw which has done good service for four years now. I got this particular model partly because of its small dimensions - the cupboard space available for it was fairly minimal, and it is pretty compact for the heat output it gives. If I had more space I would consider getting a combi with a built-in hot water storage capacity - these can give a higher rate of flow until the store is exhausted, which makes filling baths quicker. Mine takes a good ten minutes (although I never actually take baths).I have the main shower running off the combi, and this gives fantastic performance, and is great for a shower-loving household. For the second (rarely-used) shower I've got a 10kw electric model - this means that we can use both simultaneously without having to split the boiler's heating capacity. It also means that in the event of boiler failure we still have a working shower. This is something to consider. With your current setup if the boiler breaks down you probably just flick on the immersion heater.
Cheers!
Martin
Like Stuart B, I have an Alpha CD32C that was installed about 7 or 8 months ago. We got it because my mam had one fitted about 20 months ago and we were so impressed with it that when our old boiler died we just never thought of getting anything other than the Alpha.
John.
There is a FAQ for this.
It is 20 years out of date though.
Martin
Look at the price of a decent electric shower, plus heavy cable, switches, etc. B&Q do a combi for £350. It may be worth it to have one of these do only one shower. It will be used so infrequently it should last a long time. A few 1/4 turn valves and it be full backup for CH and DHW.
Combis are so cheap these days it is now worth considering a full backup using a cheap boiler, with the good boiler as the run unit.
Sorry Ed but I beg to differ. Your FAQ is a very good, sound, document and I appreciate all the work that you've obviously put into it. However, your own words state:
**I do not recommend any particular make, rather this is a guide to the features of various boilers and how they might affect your choice**Now, that's all well and good and has indeed got a part to play but, once you've read it and decided on the features you want, a lot of people still want to know which brand is a good, reliable one? Which brand breaks down a lot and should therefore be avoided? Which manufacturer has good aftersales service etc., etc.
These are all valid questions when someone is considering shelling out best part of a grand, but simply replying "There is a FAQ for this" doesn't cut the mustard.
John.
Good. Are you going to tell us?
No
Snag is all of this can vary near daily, and 'facts' on boilers gleaned from postings here would be hard to verify, so not really suitable for a general FAQ. You have a perfect example in your plumber recommending Potterton - at one time they made very good boilers followed by rubbish. Dunno what the current state of them is.
The most recent independant survey and tests on boilers I've seen was done by Which about a year ago. But didn't cover every option.
The snag with recommending anything is that the sample it's based on is either just one or very small in real terms. I don't know of any database which gives reliability as a percentage in the same way as you can easily find for cars, etc.
You could probably do your own straw poll by ploughing through the posts on this subject from here on Google - if you have the time and inclination. Just filter out Dr Drivel to make sure the results aren't tainted.
Thank you everyone for your suggestions. Just so you know one of the plumbers recommended Potterton another said to avoid Potterton and he suggested Worcestor/Vaillant. Got 2 more plumbers coming in next week and hope to make a decision by end of next week. Either that or just end up being confused :-D !!
Cheers
I'll confuse you more. A plumber may recommend a certain make because he's used it before and finds it easy to fit. Or even worse, gets an incentive to from his local merchant - buy say 6 in a month and you get a free holiday. To 'him' all that's needed reliability wise is that it lasts beyond his 'warranted' work period - say one year. After that he might be very pleased if it brings him in work for repairs.
yep I've heard the plumber stories !! I did look at the which? report (though it only compares limited make/models) and Potterton Gold is recommended followed by Vaillant. Worcestor scores low on their report ! Though it seems people overall have good experience with Worcestor and also they claim to have won some CORGI installer award for 2006 (which just could mean they give away too many free trips for installers???)
Another issue to that just suggested is how you propose to maintain it. Spares for common makes are usually available either locally or online. Spares for el cheapos less so. DIY (good on you but do you have a gas analyser)? Fixed price maintenance contract or manufacturers maintenance contract? Pay as you freeze with a local installer?
Your choice.
Jim A
Which is one very good reason as to why we went for the Alpha CD32C because it comes with a 3-year warranty.
John.
John,
thank you for your suggestion. I've been looking at the Alpha boilers website. They got two models Alpha CD32 C & HE CB33. They both are quite similar in features except for SEDBUK rating and the price difference is about =A3250 ! Did you consider those two models before opting for CD32 C and any reason besides SEDBUK rating ?
Thanks
snipped-for-privacy@davenoise.co.uk...
thank you for your suggestion. I've been looking at the Alpha boilers website. They got two models Alpha CD32 C & HE CB33. They both are quite similar in features except for SEDBUK rating and the price difference is about £250 ! Did you consider those two models before opting for CD32 C and any reason besides SEDBUK rating ?
Thanks
Hi Samit,
Not really. As I said in my earlier posting:
**We got it because my mam had one fitted about 20 months ago and we were so impressed with it that when our old boiler died we just never thought of getting anything other than the Alpha**The CORGI guy came to our house and did all the heat loss and whatever other calculations they do and said that the CD32C would suit our house as well so, being as my mam was so happy with hers, we just never considered anything else.
John.
I take your point. If they are shelling out "the best part of a grand" then I'm not too fussed what they get. If they think they can buy the same boiler quality from "B&Q-it-allday-base" and have some radiators thrown in for £600 they are mistaken.
Frankly any of the boilers at the middle & top end of the market, correctly installed, will stand a good chance of going five years.
More or less you get what you pay for but it's not worth paying for a name. Alpha seemed to have wrapped around and gone from the bottom to the top of the market.
The problem with "what should I buy?" is much the same for boilers as for washing machines.
1) By the time that the industry really knows whether a model is any good or not the next generation has been introduced. This might have such different technology to the previous model that having the same Manufacturers name on it is totally irrelevant.For instance Vaillant have a good reputation for combi boilers and there
1987-1995 model the VCW is complex but amazingly reliable and very repairable. Their 2000-2005 model has a number of stock faults but the replacement parts don't. Their 1995-2005 is really not much better than other middle market models.2) The are subjective perceptions about quality. and about reliabilty and about reputation
3) There are the same myths (perhaps true) about one factory that makes more than one set of bages (and prices!).So buy the best you can afford. Make sure if possible it has the good features in the FAQ and not the bad ones.
I suspect that one is a condensing model and one is not. You'll need the more expensive model.
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