Alpha Combi boilers, any good?

[DaveHerns]

Friend with a 14 yo Baxi Combi has had a price of £1850 to replace it and tells me her boiler man only fits Alphas. Can't find any recent reviews here on them and wonder what the general opinion of them is. Seems to be mostly negative on Google
Thanks

 

[muggles]

What's up with the Baxi? Alphas aren't the best, not helped by them often being fitted by Bodgit & Scarper types.

 

[Hot&Cold]

usually when changing an item,something of equivalent quality or better is usually chosen

 

[DP]

Stick with Baxi if Alpha is what this guy is recommending.
Recently removed a six year old Alpha as it kept failing.

 

[DaveHerns]

It seems the Baxi keeps going wrong. She's had a new expansion vessel, the diverter valve is currently sticking and the system keeps losing pressure. I've said the latter may be a fault elsewhere in the system. I think she thinks the Baxi is 14 yo and can't be long for this world. He's told her the Alpha will have a 7 year guarantee. I'm worried he's taking advantage of an OAP living on her own.

 

[MTCH]

Hard to comment without seeing it but, if the boiler is showing signs of corrosion and starting to become problematic then he is giving her good advice imo. Whether I agree with the choice of replacement boiler or not is a different matter.

 

[DaveHerns]

Thanks. I'll pass on your views.

 

[Elkato531]

As boilers go, the current Alphas I've come across don't seem overly better or worse than many out there. What sets them apart as a poor choice is the ridiculously high price and poor availability of spares.

 

[oilboffin]

Don't like alphas not very good at all.Bob

 

[oph]

Alphas of old used to leak like a sieve.

Current range of alphas are crap.

I prefer Worcester and Vaillant but if price is the concern then look for the Baxi Duotec if they're still knocking that out.

 

[Mottie]

Tell her to get another quote. My mum has just had her aging Biassi combi boiler replaced with a Worcester Bosch including a re-route of the condensate indoors (old one was outside) and a power flush. She paid £1,900

 

[muggles]

Tell her to get another quote. My mum has just had her aging Biassi combi boiler replaced with a Worcester Bosch including a re-route of the condensate indoors (old one was outside) and a power flush. She paid £1,900

Blimey. Presumably for that price it was the cheap Woofter Bodge with the rubber gas pipe that perishes in the heat and splits every so often, and the magical collapsing heat exchanger?

 

[Mottie]

Dont know and don’t care but it replaced a Biasi so couldn’t go any lower in quality. It was a Greenstar CDi compact and it came with a 7 year guarantee I think so it’ll probably outlast her. She’s happy enough with it and at the end of the day that’s all that matters.

 

[ianmcd]

Personally I would fit an Alpha every time before a Worcester, every installer has their own preference.

 

[DaveHerns]

Thanks everyone. I'll see what has been agreed with her installer.