Replacing Combi Boiler - Advice if possible please.

[Mark S]

Hello All
New to the forum and have registered for advice on a replacement combi boiler.

Current is a Alpha Eco 240 - installed in 1998 and not economical to run (or providing very hot water any more) - This was installed before we added an extension on the house.

I have had suggestions that the replacement should be

a)Worcester Bosch 34cdi ERP condensing combi boiler
or
b) Valliant ecoTec Plus 835 ERP

Water flow rate from taps is 14l pm and there are a total of 16 radiators and one bathroom with a mixer shower and bath.

I have read lots on the internet and there seems to be a mixed rating on both these boilers. Some say WB is best others say Vallaint. That said the info is oldish.

I have been offered 10 year warranties on both boilers and £300 boiler scrappage on both products.

WB quote is coming in at £2635 (with 0% over 2 years)
Valliant at £2300 (cash only)

Both deals include powerflush + inhibitor - magnetic system filter and room stats (one downstairs and one the sender on the front of the boiler. As they are condening - 40 mm pipework to outside and down wall into a soakaway is also included.

Can anyone advise please - obviously a big payout to get wrong

Thanks

 

[mcmoby69]

Cash only ? Avoid, won't be registered for warranty or with gas safe as per regs. Does he have a gassafe number? Due diligence!

Most boilers are full of plastic water parts nowadays. Avoid them too.

 

[Mark S]

Apologies - not clear on my post - this is through a company......who are registered and employ gas safe engineers.
I can pay for the WB over 2 years if I choose to but that option is not available on the Valliant....

I did hear the Valliant has a stainless steel heat wxchanger whereas the WB is aluminium....with Stainless being a better option

 

[muggles]

Neither. Go for an Intergas ECO RF

 

[Mark S]

Any other answers here before I take the plunge......Intergas is a no as it is not well known .....

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

None were well known until they became commonplace. I don't install boilers, but from reading what the regulars are saying here, I'll be looking at an Intergas when I need to change my boiler.

If you cannot be persuaded to think outside the box then I suspect Vaillant is the better of your 2 choices.

 

[snes]

New to the forum and have registered for advice on a replacement combi boiler.

Perhaps you didn't quite phrase that well enough, as the regulars have now advised you on a replacement combi boiler and you have over-ridden their advice.

 

[Aquaheat]

Any other answers here before I take the plunge......Intergas is a no as it is not well known .....

Quite well known through the installers that know what they are talking about. Just because you, a non heating engineer, hadn't heard of them means nothing.

Lets put it into context, my missus loves her Radley bags but I had never heard of them. Doesn't mean I don't have to buy them it just means I listen to her as she knows what she's on about. I'd get her tesco bags as I've heard of them and funnily enough have the same percentage of plastic in their build as the two boilers you've mentioned.

Why ask for advice if you are not willing to accept it? Your boiler choices are poor and you have been advised as such and given areas to look into. As you say it's a big spend so why limit to two boilers that You have heard of?

Jon

 

[Aquaheat]

Perhaps you didn't quite phrase that well enough, as the regulars have now advised you on a replacement combi boiler and you have over-ridden their advice.

Too many of late only looking for answers that they want to hear. Phrased it wrong and he also can't differentiate between advice and advise. Sometimes I wonder why we bother snes.

Oh well my intergas is purring away nicely but what do I know, I only do this for a living!

Jon

 

[Aquaheat]

Oh and to add to your original request @Mark S I would hazard a guess that the boilers are oversized for your needs.

Jon

 

[muggles]

Any other answers here before I take the plunge......Intergas is a no as it is not well known .....

Not well known by whom? You? It's very well known by those in the industry who take an interest in what they do. It won Product Of The Year at the H&V News Awards, where your "well known" brands weren't even finalists. The design is so good that one of your well known brands attempted to purchase the company so they could have it for themselves after they completely failed to kill it on their accelerated testing rigs, long after their own boilers had given up the ghost.

But hey, what do we know, we only do this for a living. if you'd prefer to have a badly laid out plastic boiler backed up by multi million pound fancy marketing and a whole army of warranty engineers, over one that's well designed, solidly engineered, and that doesn't need that kind of backup, you crack on. Customer clearly knows best!

 

[just pumps]

Intergas, only 4 moving parts.

 

[Razor900]

Guys don't stress!!

Jon made the best point that both boilers are way oversized for the water flow available. Of course if the OP thinks that Intergas aren't well known enough he has the right to fit any boiler he likes in his own house!

Way I see it by the time it's due a replacement after only 7 years or so Intergas will be well known enough to be considered

 

[Aquaheat]

Oh well my intergas is purring away nicely but what do I know, I only do this for a living!

Oi! @muggles stop nicking my lines!!

Jon

 

[Aquaheat]

@Razor900 Never stressed Ray, just get annoyed at being asked for advice (take note OP thats the correct way of use) and then arguing until they hear the answer they want.

OP get a Worcester or Vaillant (we call them Woshitter Bodge or Faillant any guesses why?) You will love them. In fact get the Woshitter Bodge as they have come top in most Which? magazine polls so they are gauranteed to be awesome!

I will stress though that whichever you go for will be more inefficient than your existing as they have been massively oversized.

On a side note if you must have someone you have heard of then you wouldn't go far wrong with an Ideal Logic+ 30C although preference to the Intergas all day long.

I will guess again that the installers that want to fit a Wooshitter or Vaillant are both registered installers for them hence the 10 year warranty. Are you aware that they have to sell and install a specific amount of their boilers to be able to advertise they are affiliated to them and offer the extended warranty? Maybe now you see why they would force feed you those choices!

I can't believe I'm still being nice and helping! Nurse!!!!!!

Jon