Boiler choice

[Kayos]

Bosch??

Worcester

 

[ukracer]

Worcester Bosch

Ah worcester is a bosch ok great...thats the simpler choice anyway.

 

[armalites]

Ah worcester is a bosch ok great...thats the simpler choice anyway.

And you live in Kiddy it's a no brainer

 

[ukracer]

if a boiler has a long warranty parts and labour and the price is right go for it

Its free.......lol

 

[hunter27]

After too many years in the job I have replaced more Ravenheat boilers than any other make some only 3 years old we all reconed they were cheap and cheerful same as Biasi both were sold by B&Q !
I wouldn't ever trust Ideal again after their Isar/Icos rubbish they produced and kept promising to improve but never did.
Vaillant good but over complicated with a stainless steel heat exchanger (I have one myself) it is really good for hotwater but has had a new expansion vessel and heat exchanger under its 5 year warranty.
Worcester good boilers with the best backup of them all but a lot of plastic in them. As far as I can remember all the Worcester condensing boilers have had alloy heat exchangers not stainless !
All in my opinion.

 

[sg66]

Newer bosch boilers have stir welded alloy heat exchangers, I wouldn't bother with the ideal just going off the look of the case, it didn't rust like that over night.

What is broke on the bosch?

Re the Ariston evo range of boilers they are very reliable but suffer from leaks with o rings and it usually requires the mating parts ie plastic replaced as well as they tend not to re seal when replaced.

Valiant used to be good boilers till they took over glowworm now they are both crap.

Anyone looking to fit a combi get the best deal you can with the longest warranty.

 

[8ob]

I prefer the bare bones boilers, I have a twenty year old concord 330c in an an outhouse and that thing has only ever had thermocouples changed. Cost pennies to maintain unlike some of this modern kit.

Bob

 

[Cobbler]

We've got a 20 year old Concord as well, when the guy came to fit the Smart meter, he said "I've got to check you boiler" he looked at it & said "that boiler's costing you money, pilot light & all" my reply "I can run the pilot light for a long time for the 2 grand needed to change the boiler, besides that if I goes wrong I know how to mend it" he just went "Ah OK"

The Smart meter was another story in itself, about 4 visits plus an emergency call out because the gas valve was upside down with the lever having to be raised to shut off the gas. I said it's been like it 40 years, a bit longer won't hurt. No it's a call out. The gas team came out & complained why didn't the fitter take the split pin out & turn the lever over, idiots he said. I didn't tell him that both the fitter & I had already looked at that. Anyway 1/2 an hour of grunting & cursing & he called out "I've got to turn off your gas for a while, you need a new valve" by which time it was about 8 in the evening.

 

[skotl]

How do we KNOW that Which? are impartial anyway...for all Joe Bloggs knows, which? get "specially prepped" machines from the makers and kick backs from the major players...then again they might be impartial

That's a bit of a stretch but it definitely makes for a good conspiracy theory! I don't intend to be an apologist for Which? so I can only refer you to their own charter and how they go about their tests.
I do think that they are a fantastic advocate for consumer rights and have effected huge change in a number of industries and within consumer protection, generally.
I'll bow out of the boiler debate, having given a +1 for Worcester Bosch, and would hope that people can form an opinion (if they care) on the Consumer Association / Which? based on evidence rather than assumption.

 

[sg66]

Very little is unbiased, most installers recommend specific boilers because they are getting back handers sorry err bonus/loyalty points cough cough. Manufacturers will use whatever means possible to advance there cause.

Boxt a new online boiler supply Web based company has just had a minor investment made into it by Worcester bosch parent company, one of the directors was the founder of help link who predominantly pushed Worcester boilers, round and round it goes.

 

[Olderisbetter]

To be fair I am not fitting a NEW boiler and only fitting a Combination as it gets rid of the header tanks and hot water cylinder (more tool storage place) so it does not really matter to me what's the best available, just the best option of the two I can choose from.

If you go for the worcester and need flue i have some new in the box ones knocking about and bends and brackets you can have at 100% discount depending what boiler model you have...

 

[ukracer]

If you go for the worcester and need flue i have some new in the box ones knocking about and bends and brackets you can have at 100% discount depending what boiler model you have...

You never cease to amaze me.

I just agreed on the worcester earlier this evening. So i may well take you up on your kind offer......

 

[Olderisbetter]

You never cease to amaze me.

I just agreed on the worcester earlier this evening. So i may well take you up on your kind offer......

Well my mate had a shed with various flue stuff in and when he moved house he was scared to go in to the shed as he spotted a mouse and was worried a gang of them could be in the shed waiting for him so i ended up with it...I am guessing most of it is 5-10 years old i think the boxes have greenstar on and there are some plume kits aswell.

 

[CornishPete]

I agree with the posts about which being a bit naff. Mainly because of the areas I know about they don't review the right stuff for others to make a proper informed decision about, like the drill example above, therefore I wouldn't rely on them solely to buy something I don't know anything about.
But then again asking advice on a forum is like opening Pandora's box!

 

[Kayos]

Very little is unbiased, most installers recommend specific boilers because they are getting back handers sorry err bonus/loyalty points cough cough. Manufacturers will use whatever means possible to advance there cause.

Boxt a new online boiler supply Web based company has just had a minor investment made into it by Worcester bosch parent company, one of the directors was the founder of help link who predominantly pushed Worcester boilers, round and round it goes.

Nope, my 2 main installs are Baxi and Ravenheat, I get points from Baxi that are equal to about 47p a boiler and nothing at all from Ravenheat

Don't even get me started on Boxt, I hope it fails miserably.
as for help link, they pushed Bosch as at the time they had the best warranty vs cost of boiler and actually fitted them when they were good boiler (Junior mk 3 and 4)

I only left help link as I had a better offer, if you did a good job they left you alone, and paid properly, not a bad firm to work for

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Doesn't anyone think we have somehow failed in advancing boiler design if new items have such a short life compared to the ones of the past ? My Glow Worm Spacesaver 38 is 35 years old yet hasn't ever needed any new parts. In fact I've only ever followed the instructions for cleaning out with vac a couple of times It's gone out less than a hand full of times during the 35 years - once flue blocked with snow, another time tiny bird got inside and knocked out pilot light (bird unharmed and flew away when rescued) with other times being during extremely strong winds.
I wonder how many 100 year old coal fired back boilers are still in GWO !

 

[Kayos]

Doesn't anyone think we have somehow failed in advancing boiler design if new items have such a short life compared to the ones of the past ? My Glow Worm Spacesaver 38 is 35 years old yet hasn't ever needed any new parts. In fact I've only ever followed the instructions for cleaning out with vac a couple of times It's gone out less than a hand full of times during the 35 years - once flue blocked with snow, another time tiny bird got inside and knocked out pilot light (bird unharmed and flew away when rescued) with other times being during extremely strong winds.
I wonder how many 100 year old coal fired back boilers are still in GWO !

It's the push for efficiency, a large manufacturer told me they would love to go back to cast iron and atmospheric burners

 

[ajlelectronics]

But that's why I do refer to Which? and I'd definitely dispute your suggestion that they are biased

When I worked in the photographic trade they definitely had some very strange ideas about camera brands. Our experience was almost opposite their opinion. To be as charitable as possible, maybe that their assessment is on how well promoted and pretty it is and how easy to use or somesuch? It definitely was not reliability and quality, that is for certain. Their top rated camera of the time was such a heap of unreliable junk with distributer backup that had the two fingered method of dealing with faulty returns.

We always used to suspect backhanders going on, but names cannot be named of course!

 

[CompoSimmonite]

It's the push for efficiency, a large manufacturer told me they would love to go back to cast iron and atmospheric burners

I'm wondering if I can do a "grandfathers axe" with my boiler and source NOS parts to keep it going another 35 years

 

[Wendelspanswick]

I was chatting to a guy who is a product specifier for a housing association and he reckons that the best combo boilers are made by the Dutch, he mentioned Atmos and another brand (slipped my mind), as apparently they are simpler with only two moving parts so have alot less to go wrong.
They started fitting them in their stock of housing about 6 years ago and their maintenance costs have halved!

Edit: It may have been Intergas