Worcester-Bosch or Glowworm?

[davelx]

Hi,

My 13 year old Ocean Style FF needs replacing. I have 3 quotes of very similar prices, and two boilers have been suggested for my 3-bed mid terrace 1930's house:

Worcester-Bosch Greenstar Junior 28i

Glowworm Flexicom CX30

on paper both seem similar, so how to choose?

All opinions + reasons gratefully received

Thanks.

 

[bengasman]

Hi,

My 13 year old Ocean Style FF needs replacing. I have 3 quotes of very similar prices, and two boilers have been suggested for my 3-bed mid terrace 1930's house:

Worcester-Bosch Greenstar Junior 28i

Glowworm Flexicom CX30

on paper both seem similar, so how to choose?

All opinions + reasons gratefully received

Thanks.

Both come from the shelve marked "Cheapest you can get here"

gloworm is terrible brand alltogether, 28i junior is just about the cheapest of all the boilers from this company.
the higher end of the bosch range is very good stuff, the low end less so, obviously, and both your options are amongst the favorites of poor installers.
I can not remember EVER having seen a junior i-series installed correctly.

 

[davelx]

Interesting opinions, thanks. Now, do you have any detailed evidence to justify them?

 

[simond]

Yes, I'm writing a paper on it.

 

[bengasman]

Interesting opinions, thanks. Now, do you have any detailed evidence to justify them?

Erh, like: name address, installed by mr. xx, all the things that were wrong?

 

[clarkerothwell]

I've fitted around 30 Worcester-Bosch's this year, and all customers are more than happy, they in my opinion must better than glowworm full stop.
The 30si is a better option, as it has a better flow rate than the 28 and also a hotwater thermostat, which the 28 doesnt, and not all that more expensive. The CDI range are a better quality range, but a little more expensive. Dont go with the 24i as the water low rates are poor.

Most engineers i speak to always recommend either bosch or Vaillaint as good quality for money.

 

[clarkerothwell]

Hi,

My 13 year old Ocean Style FF needs replacing. I have 3 quotes of very similar prices, and two boilers have been suggested for my 3-bed mid terrace 1930's house:

Worcester-Bosch Greenstar Junior 28i

Glowworm Flexicom CX30

on paper both seem similar, so how to choose?

All opinions + reasons gratefully received

Thanks.

Both come from the shelve marked "Cheapest you can get here"

gloworm is terrible brand alltogether, 28i junior is just about the cheapest of all the boilers from this company.
the higher end of the bosch range is very good stuff, the low end less so, obviously, and both your options are amongst the favorites of poor installers.
I can not remember EVER having seen a junior i-series installed correctly.

So if my customer cant afford a 35cdi and accepts my quote of a 30si that makes me a poor installer then eh??
i'd sooner spend 1200 - 1500 on having a 28i rather than an biasi or ravenheat for the same price.

 

[bengasman]

I certainly did not mean to imply that every installer who uses certain boilers is good or bad due to the brand he uses.
I think it is fairly accurate though to conclude that a lot of cheap boilers have been installed by cowboys.
I think the proverbial Mr jones will be much better off with a cheap boiler installed completely by the book, then a topnotch product that is flung on the wall using the entire old system including sludge, rust, flux residue and leaking pipes and valves.

 

[sambotc]

Juniors are rubbish.


Sam

 

[clarkerothwell]

I certainly did not mean to imply that every installer who uses certain boilers is good or bad due to the brand he uses.
I think it is fairly accurate though to conclude that a lot of cheap boilers have been installed by cowboys.
I think the proverbial Mr jones will be much better off with a cheap boiler installed completely by the book, then a topnotch product that is flung on the wall using the entire old system including sludge, rust, flux residue and leaking pipes and valves.

Totally agree. But i think the cheap boilers are more of the wickes type or lesser known brands (heatline etc) which the cowboys would go for. I would back a Junior against a glowworm fitted by the book anyday, but engineers have their favourites for their own reasons.

 

[bengasman]

funnily enough, there is a very long thread running about completely botched gloworm installation which has now reached 7 pages.
though i quite like wb in general, i have only ever fitted one junior and unless they drastically improve them, it is gonna stay that way.

 

[davelx]

All useful input, thanks.

I am leaning towards the WB Greenstar 27CDi, which seems to fit the bill and only £58 more than the same installer quoted for the junior.

(according to WB web site, current CDi range is 27, 30, 37 & 42)

HW flow is 11.1 l/m which is 2l/m more than my current boiler, which was adequate.

Thanks again.

 

[clarkerothwell]

ask about the 30si, 12.3 lts/min and around same price as 27cdi, very good boiler in my opinion. cheers.

 

[screech]

out of the choice of glowworm or worcester for a combi i'd go worcester, but if i had a choice of any boiler i'd go for a vaillant, they're very quiet, very reliable and so easy to work on.

my views on worcesters boilers are still tainted by the rubbish highflows, cbi's and the poorly designed cdi's before the condensing boilers replaced them all. but the newer boilers do seem easier to work on

 

[clarkerothwell]

Admit i also fit the vaillant eco tec plus 631, very good boiler, would admit they are slightly better than the 30si, but slightly more expensive too.