appropriate boiler for house

[puffingbilly]

I have a 4 bedroom house built in 1999 which has a scaled up Powermax 155 boiler which needs replacing. Besides the family bathroom there is an ensuite and 12 radiators throughout the rest of the house.
How do I know what would be a suitable replacement boiler? I am being quoted for a Worcester Greenstar Junior RSF, a Worcester Greenstar Floor Mounted or a Glow worm 30 CXI. The Worcester website is useful in that it seems to say the floor mounted model (i.e. most expensive - had to be didn't it) would be the right one but the Glow worm website does not appear to cover this aspect. Any ideas on any other makes and models would be appreciated.

 

[htgeng]

I have a 4 bedroom house built in 1999 which has a scaled up Powermax 155 boiler which needs replacing. Besides the family bathroom there is an ensuite and 12 radiators throughout the rest of the house.
How do I know what would be a suitable replacement boiler? I am being quoted for a Worcester Greenstar Junior RSF, a Worcester Greenstar Floor Mounted or a Glow worm 30 CXI. The Worcester website is useful in that it seems to say the floor mounted model (i.e. most expensive - had to be didn't it) would be the right one but the Glow worm website does not appear to cover this aspect. Any ideas on any other makes and models would be appreciated.

If you have a choice don't go for a combi boiler. Choose a system boiler and an unvented cylinder, such as megaflow. Boilers are much of a muchness, but get one that is recomended by installers who quote for you. Ask for the warranty on the heat exchanger and other parts/labour guarantee. Ideally 5-10 years warranty on HE and 2 years parts/labour.

 

[megawatt]

You can't go wrong with the Worcester floor mounted, nice big heat bank gives quick recovery and you'll get 2 simultaneous showers out of it.

Like any combo it won't cope with a shower + a bath simultaneously though.

I disagree with htgeng and prefer combi's because of their simplicity and the fact that they fit the bill for 95% of households.

Personal choice though

Good luck

 

[Agile]

Sorry to all the installers!

I would offer to descale the Powermax. Its only six years old and probably only the DHW HE scaled up.

But then I only do repairs to boilers!

Tony

 

[puffingbilly]

Thanks for the info. Descaling has been tried but unfortunately made no difference. I understand that the only way to get a decent flow of hot water is to replace the the whole boileer which I find amazing. Like having a car with a broken piston ring and having to replace the whole engine.

 

[Paul Barker]

So why can't they change the dhw heat exchanger? Are they incompetent?

 

[Agile]

Descaling only works when its done by someone who uses the right chemicals and the right technique.

I once sent an engineer to this boiler which had been "descaled" by a friend but still gave a problem. My engineer used the techniques he has been trained in and it worked fine!

We give a no fix no fee guarantee with descaling!

Tony Glazier

 

[corgigazza]

Also make sure it needs descaling, may be blending valve or had a shower recently diluting the hot water due to internal seals faulty, have also descaled ones with internal coils and that works good. The powermax is a good boiler compared to many others. If it has a domestic heat exchanger they are easy to replace. Baxi also now do a H.E powermax

 

[puffingbilly]

I believe there was a later model which allowed the heat exchanger to be replaced but as I understand it, on this type of boiler, the heat exchanger is within the tank holding 155 litres of water supplying the rads so the baby literally goes out with the bathwater!

The no fix no fee for descaling sounds great but I live on the north dorset/south wiltshire borders (8 miles from Shaftesbury) - if anyone in this neck of the woods offers the same deal I would be very interested.