I'm buying a new boiler - is this a good choice?

[WhydidIstart]

Hi, sorry you probably get asked this all the time, but everyone's situation is a bit different, so any advice is much appreciated for my situation.

I'm planning a new heating system to replace a back boiler and gravity hot water (70's primatic fortic tank) system in a small 2 bed house (9 rads). I will be buying parts and doing some plumbing and wiring, but obviously leaving the gas, unvented work and commissioning to the pros.

Combi boiler isn't suitable as I want a high hot water flow. Mains static and flowing pressures are good so I plan to use an unvented Megoflow tank which will sit in the loft, part of a fully pumped (Y pllan) arrangement.

A system boiler seems the most compact and tidy way forward and I think the Vaillent ecotec 618 18kw unit looks good. The stainless steel heat exchanger is what attracts me to it + controls seem good and ability to link a PC to it for diagnosis also seems like a good idea. What do you think, is it a good choice? Am I doing the right things with the heating system?

Final point what inhibitor do people recommend, Sentinal X200 seems expensive...

 

[spacethegas]

x100 is the inhibitor & you think £13 is expensive given the money your going to shell out

 

[mickyg]

If you are going to use vaillant control system, use a vaillant cylinder. Otherwise you won't get the full range of use from the vaillant controls.
Sounds like a reasonable idea anyway. Sentinel is the way to go.

 

[D_Hailsham]

Have a look at the Remeha Avanta Plus range. They now come with a five year warranty. The range has also been extended so there are 18kW and 30kW System boilers in addition to the existing 24kW. The prices are lower than Vaillant and it uses the same heat exchanger. It also has Opentherm connections and a PC connection for diagnostics.

 

[BigBurner]

WhydidIstart,

The house you have is totally suitable for a combi. You may not know, but there are high flow combis that fill baths very quick. Look at Glow Worm 38CXI, Worcester Bosch 40kW. You will not be disappointed with these. You also liberate a lot of space in a small house too.

 

[BigBurner]

Have a look at the Remeha Avanta Plus range. They now come with a five year warranty. The range has also been extended so there are 18kW and 30kW System boilers in addition to the existing 24kW. The prices are lower than Vaillant and it uses the same heat exchanger. It also has Opentherm connections and a PC connection for diagnostics.

The Avanta 39C looks a great combi for this house.
http://www.avantaplus.com/index.php?content=39c

Put an OpenTherm controller on and it will be the business. Weather compensation too. Who sell them on the web? This model looks good.

 

[D_Hailsham]

The Avanta 39C looks a great combi for this house. Who sell them on the web? This model looks good.

Hard to find! But I have located Trading Depot

 

[WhydidIstart]

Wow, thanks for all the great advice. Controller will be a Siemens REV23 as it allows you to set temperature profiles throughout the day and has PID control to try and keep the temperature more stable. Haven’t heard of the Remeha range before, but the 5 year warrantee sounds good and if they have the same features could be a good deal!

RE the combi, I will consider them and thanks for the link - they look cheap considering what you get for your money  They still don’t seem to match the flow from a Megaflow tank and I do like the option of being able to use the immersion element in the event that the boiler breaks down. The tank will also go in the loft, so the space taken isn’t really being used for anything.

If I do go for the Remeha (either combi or system version) does anyone have experience of the 5 year warrantee, am I likely to get good service from them or is it dependent on paying for them to service it and they will only come out a week later, etc…?

 

[mehran]

i belive the siemens rev23M have opentherm plus but getting your hands on one maybe a little hard.

 

[gremlin16]

If I do go for the Remeha (either combi or system version) does anyone have experience of the 5 year warrantee,
am I likely to get good service from them or is it dependent on paying for them to service it and they will only come out a week later, etc…?

Its 5 years parts and 2 years labour. (annual servicing can be done by any Rgi)

Call out under warranty is 24-48hrs.

PTS are selling them

 

[mickyg]

Don't know why everyone is raving about remeha avanta boilers all of a sudden. I can see plus points, ie. price & opentherm connection, but the boiler itself is just a standard gianonni setup with a grundfos brass hydroblock. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying its a bad thing but whats different from a potterton apart from pcb and the opentherm connection. I'm prepared to be educated

 

[numpty1]

but whats different from a potterton apart from pcb and the opentherm connection. I'm prepared to be educated

the name for a start,reliabilty,ease of installation,diagnostics ,last good boiler potterton made was a diplomat

 

[mickyg]

but whats different from a potterton apart from pcb and the opentherm connection. I'm prepared to be educated

the name for a start,reliabilty,ease of installation,diagnostics ,last good boiler potterton made was a diplomat

don't get me wrong, I don't like potterton, they lost my respect when they stopped making profiles I just can't see alot of difference. How can it be more reliable if it has mostly the same parts? As for installation I heard they have some awkward connections ?

 

[simond]

Its 5 years parts and 2 years labour. (annual servicing can be done by any Rgi)

Depends who fits them, our customers get 5yrs parts and labour.

 

[Paul Barker]

The broags are really neatly packaged yet easy to work on unlike the other small boilers on the market.

The Potterton band A's are great too. I have one which I bought on ebay for £145 and it's running like a treat, and I have no conscerns over long term reliability since I powerflushed properly and fitted a Magnaclean.

My Alpha experience taught me to like the band a giannonis. The only issue I have with them all is the sludge worry. Anyone who attaches one to to a sludged system is an absolute fool.