Worcester Bosch, Why Not?

[Paul Goff]

As an innocent abroad, and mere home owner, I have just had my first ever new boiler installed, and as I have had a few little puzzles about life, heating systems, and everything, I have been on here a fair bit recently!

One of the things I've picked up on here is that Worcester Bosch boilers do not seem to have the good name I had always taken them to have!

Needless to say, in my ignorance, that's exactly the make I've had fitted

So what is wrong with them? Is it just a case of "over priced, over rated and over here" or is there something actually bad about them?

What specifically might I need to look out for?

Thanks in advance, Goffy.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Horrid things to work on. Paying for the branding rather than the engineering.

 

[jeff the gasman]

Where do you start?
Built back to front and not service/ repair friendly.
Plastic which is unsuitable for tap water.
Prvs in stupid unbelievable position.
Casings designed by a muppet.
Ghastly boilers.

 

[jeff the gasman]

Gaskets failing and burning holes in casings.
Umbrellas on delicate parts to divert common leaks which have not been addressed.
Horrible boilers.
Great marketing.

 

[Razor900]

You'll upset @boilerdoktor he needs a snickers tonight

 

[ianmcd]

You'll upset @boilerdoktor he needs a snickers tonight

I kid you not @Razor900 , I worked for SSE and if you went into the office on a friday they had a mob of halfwits called the feelgood team, at the front door they asked if you were happy , if you said no they gave you a crunchie and asked where your desk was, they then came round to your desk and asked if you were happy now, if you said yes they said thank Crunchie its friday, and then tied a balloon with a smiley face to your chair.

 

[Razor900]

I kid you not @Razor900 , I worked for SSE and if you went into the office on a friday they had a mob of halfwits called the feelgood team, at the front door they asked if you were happy , if you said no they gave you a crunchie and asked where your desk was, they then came round to your desk and asked if you were happy now, if you said yes they said thank Crunchie its, and then tied a balloon with a smiley face to your chair.

 

[boilerdoktor]

Goofy, ignore these boiler ignoramuses

You have made the best choice of your life. Keep it serviced and enjoy it. My favourite boilers by a large one. End of thread. Congratulations.

 

[muggles]

So what is wrong with them? Is it just a case of "over priced, over rated and over here" or is there something actually bad about them?

What specifically might I need to look out for?

Thanks in advance, Goffy.

Low-quality plastic & rubber components (including a rubber gas pipe on some models, which perishes and splits in the heat after a few years). Heat exchangers are aluminium waterways which are overly sensitive to water quality and pH.

The layout in them is terrible - everything crammed into as small a space as possible with no thought given to those who have to maintain them. This combined with unfathomably sharp edges everywhere makes working on them a real pain, sometimes literally.

As you've already discovered, they don't support 3rd-party modulating controls, so you end up either buying ultra-expensive manufacturer controls to go with your overly expensive boiler, or just fitting non-standard dumb on-off controls instead.

Their manufacturer backup is quite good if you want a positive, although of course you pay for that in the price, and who wants a boiler that needs to have 350 engineers running around the country sorting out the issues?

 

[muggles]

Goofy, ignore these boiler ignoramuses.

Ignorami

 

[jeff the gasman]

Low-quality plastic & rubber components (including a rubber gas pipe on some models, which perishes and splits in the heat after a few years). Heat exchangers are aluminium waterways which are overly sensitive to water quality and pH.

The layout in them is terrible - everything crammed into as small a space as possible with no thought given to those who have to maintain them. This combined with unfathomably sharp edges everywhere makes working on them a real pain, sometimes literally.

As you've already discovered, they don't support 3rd-party modulating controls, so you end up either buying ultra-expensive manufacturer controls to go with your overly expensive boiler, or just fitting non-standard dumb on-off controls instead.

Their manufacturer backup is quite good if you want a positive, although of course you pay for that in the price, and who wants a boiler that needs to have 350 engineers running around the country sorting out the issues?

I never realised you liked them so much. Fair play mate!

 

[ericmark]

My mothers boiler has not failed, Bosch Worcester, however can't control it, it has no bus connection, latter models do, but can only use Bosch Worcester Wave which means your controlling everything to the demands of one room.

My own house is open plan so one thermostat does work, but most houses have rooms with doors, so there needs to be a method to control the boiler for all rooms not one. Only way with Bosch Worcester is with the return water.

 

[jeff the gasman]

My mothers boiler has not failed, Bosch Worcester, however can't control it, it has no bus connection, latter models do, but can only use Bosch Worcester Wave which means your controlling everything to the demands of one room.

My own house is open plan so one thermostat does work, but most houses have rooms with doors, so there needs to be a method to control the boiler for all rooms not one. Only way with Bosch Worcester is with the return water.

Yet!

 

[boilerdoktor]

View attachment 161316

My mothers boiler has not failed, Bosch Worcester, however can't control it, it has no bus connection, latter models do, but can only use Bosch Worcester Wave which means your controlling everything to the demands of one room.

My own house is open plan so one thermostat does work, but most houses have rooms with doors, so there needs to be a method to control the boiler for all rooms not one. Only way with Bosch Worcester is with the return water.

The bosch easy controls rooms individually, google it

 

[Paul Goff]

Goofy, ignore these boiler ignoramuses

You have made the best choice of your life. Keep it serviced and enjoy it. My favourite boilers by a large one. End of thread. Congratulations.

"Goofy" Good one, that's how I'm beginning to feel having had one fitted in January!

As you and I seem to be the only fans so far, what is RIGHT with Worcester Bosch Boilers?

Cheers, "GOFFY". None taken, the old moniker has been made much worse of over many years