Is there a general combi boiler brand which is considered best value for money?

[bernardgreen]

My point was that a crap boiler may cost significantly more than a quality boiler of the same capacity.

Elementary Dr Watson....

 

[Razor900]

Maybe there that reliable they don't need so many engineers?

Maybe they have taken the business in another direction and decided that rather than have their own personell it's more cost effective to have approved installers carry out the warranties for them.

I'm an intergas fan as it's one of the few boilers that does opentherm well and accepts aftermarket opentherm controllers.

However I do admit that intergas is a niche brand compared to Baxi group, vaillant group and Bosch

Intergas UK are doing very badly. Even before Covid they weren't selling many boilers. Their annual filings upto the end of 2019 are due by the end of December that will make interesting reading.

They have got rid of a few engineers this year including through the redundancy route.

Service agents is a massive step backwards. They tried it when they first entered the UK market and it didn't work because the boilers are different to most and 'normal' fitters don't understand them.

The boilers are great particularly the ECO RF model but the overall package leaves a lot to be desired im afraid

 

[vulcancontinental]

Rumour has it that Intergas are washing their hands with the UK market.. warranty call outs are taking months

All this seems to have coincided with them being taken over by Rheem (a US based company)

I'd steer clear of intergas.

Rheem are a US based company but Rheem is a subsidiary of a Japanese company, Paloma

 

[Razor900]

Rheem are a US based company but Rheem is a subsidiary of a Japanese company, Paloma

Yes they are owned by a Japanese company.

They crack on that its American because the good folk in the USA would much rather buy from a Georgia based company than a Japanese one

 

[Mr.B]

Rheem are a US based company but Rheem is a subsidiary of a Japanese company, Paloma

I'd never have realised that.

Looks like a huge organization covering many countries.

I spotted a Paloma "tankless water heater" which I assume to be a combi.

I'd be fascinated to know what happened in that Razor went from being a confirmed Intergas enthusiast ... to seemingly now being somewhat less so.

Does that just leave Muggles?

 

[Razor900]

I used to work for Intergas and have seen the full glory of the company behind the scenes.

As I said they are great boilers.....

 

[sxturbo]

Intergas UK are doing very badly. Even before Covid they weren't selling many boilers. Their annual filings upto the end of 2019 are due by the end of December that will make interesting reading.

They have got rid of a few engineers this year including through the redundancy route.

Service agents is a massive step backwards. They tried it when they first entered the UK market and it didn't work because the boilers are different to most and 'normal' fitters don't understand them.

The boilers are great particularly the ECO RF model but the overall package leaves a lot to be desired im afraid

I seem to remember not too long ago everyone including yourself was raving about them (and that's within the past couple of years). And saying how they were the fastest growing boiler company in the UK, really turned a corner and people were chasing intergas for boilers instead of intergas chasing them.

It was specifically you and other members on this forum, home automation forum and ultimate handyman (you again) that have been insisting people buy these boilers

Not sure what's gone on, maybe they just can't compete against the advertising of the bigger brands.

 

[Mottie]

Not sure what's gone on

Hell hath no fury like an installer scorned.

 

[Mr.B]

I used to work for Intergas and have seen the full glory of the company behind the scenes.

As I said they are great boilers.....

Then I must imagine that a degree of "reading between the lines" is required.

I came close to having an 18kw 'heat only HRE' fitted, but got cold feet. It was the scarcity of local installer familiarity, withdrawal of ALL the (not very local ) installers from their website and concern about after-sales/service/breakdown/parts availabilty on a winters day that conspired to give greatest concern ... and now I hear even more negativity from someone who was on the inside, as it were.
The chances are I'd be fine and my caution would be unfounded - however ..............

 

[Razor900]

The boiler is as good as ever. It's not the best fit for every scenario - no boiler is but it is a great piece of kit.

The UK company attitude and ethos has changed which is why I'm not there anymore.

A very large percentage of the technical team are ex Ferroli people now make of that what you will

 

[Mottie]

Is Dan Robinson still plugging them?

 

[bernardgreen]

As I see it ( from friends who were architects ) Intergas went for the social housing market where the end users would be Housing Association tenants.

The end users had no say in which boilers would be fitted in their home. If the committee of the Housing Association were convinced that the Intergas was the best boiler then the Housing Association would be buying tens or hundreds of boilers. This applied to both new build projects and retro fit / maintenance projects. Many sales for little sales promotional work.

Maybe the sales to Housing Associations have declined and with it their profit margins.

https://www.intergasheating.co.uk/app/uploads/2018/07/ICS_Newham-A4_final.pdf

https://www.hamag.co.uk/heating-and-ventilation/intergas-boilers-future

 

[sxturbo]

Hell hath no fury like an installer scorned.

Bit like the motor trade, 98% of the faults are because of the idiots fitting them....

Then when the manufacturer throws out the warranty claim, that brands sh it don't sell me them ever again..... But it's Valeo (insert any other well regarded brand answer is always the same) it's the same part it came out the factory with.. no it's sh it it's off a different production line..... #facepalm #idiotsdonthaveaclue #chimp



That said the guy who fitted mine is local and gets on well with intergas, so much so that when he made a bloody stupid error (his own fault he admitted for rushing) and spilt water over the ECU the rep gave him one foc.

Also when intergas had there annual price increase I ordered mine just on the cut off, the installer spoke to intergas and they agreed to sell at the old price.

Also got all my warranty registration etc from intergas within 7 days of the install being finished, during the middle of the first lockdown. So from my point of view I can't fault intergas, so can only really recommend.

But I'm lucky I have decent guy that's local

 

[Mottie]

https://www.intergasheating.co.uk/app/uploads/2018/07/ICS_Newham-A4_final.pdf

Hang about. From that Intergas study, they confirm "With only 12 moving parts....". Now, that’s not we've all been led to believe from the influencers on here is it?

 

[CBW]

As I see it ( from friends who were architects ) Intergas went for the social housing market where the end users would be Housing Association tenants.

Its what’s being fitted in a lot of our houses (association). Bulky boiler imo, especially if you need a stand-off bracket and the expansion vessel at the rear imo is a poor design.

New builds are different, still fitting Vaillant in some, pottertons in others, not seen any intergas boilers fitted on the new builds.