Looks like we have to replace our boiler due to a faulty boilermate.

Our house is a small three bed semi detached, 11 years old.

What boiler brands do people recommend?

Assuming you mean a Combi see below….

Baxi – reasonably priced, spares aren’t too expensive.
Worcester Bosch – expensive to begin with, spares as above
Vaillant – expensive to begin with, can be expensive for spares
Ideal (Logic) – ideal have terrible reputation from previous boiler, this one is good

You want 5yr warranty minimum. Get them to put a Magnaclean in at the same time.

Don’t touch Ravenheat, Heatline, Ariston, Alpha

Thanks that gives me something to go on. Let’s see what the quotes come out like.
Anyone else with recommendations?

Only have limited experience, but…

1.I would never touch an Ideal, every one I’ve ever come across has had a succession of problems.

2.Never heard of a vaillant failing.

Worcester Bosch

I’ve just had a Worcester bosch and had one fitted in my old property too and it’s excellent as the old one was.

We just had a WB fitted, with one of those magnaclean thingummies. If it’s fitted by a WB approved fitter you get an 8 year parts and labour warranty IIRC.

We had a standard 24kW WB Greenstar something or other put in, magnaclean, power flush, new gas pipe run from the meter, new flue, condensation outlet, etc for £2200 +VAT. This is in the South East. One bloke came in a bit cheaper, British Gas wanted £3400 to put in an 18kW boiler.

Vaillant
Baxi duotec (original)
Worcester cdi versions
Glowworm ultracom/flexicom
Ideal logics or vogue (really bad rep due to isar/icos response etc now seem to have turned it around)

No particular order leave cheap shit alone it will bit you on the arse in the long run, don’t always go with the cheapest quote go with the one you feel will do the best job ie cleaning out your system etc.
You wouldn’t buy a new car and run it with old oil would you

I would be looking at a system boiler or heat only rather than a combi though

Worcester Bosch , had one in my last house for 11years was still going strong when we moved and current one is 20years old broke down once after 18 years part cost 75p and £69 labour , fingers crossed it will go on forever 😀

I have just had a couple of quotes (in London / Surrey) for my 3 bed detached. Currently have a regular boiler.
Changing whole system to combi:
Q1- £3,300 inc vat. (WB 38cdi classic)
Q2- £3,100 inc vat. (WB 30si compact).
Just replacing current ”regular’ boiler:
Q1- £2,200 inc vat. (WB 18ri)
Q2 – £2,000 inc vat (WB 18ri)
Both included a new gas supply to be run from the meter. Q1’s included a power flush but no magnaclean. Q2’s didn’t include power flush, but did include fitting of magnaclean.
General consensus seemed to be Worcester Bosch as the default choice!
Just can’t decide if I should switch to combi or stay regular!

Baxi duo-tec.

Installed last April. Works perfectly.

People have shown impressive reserve not pointing out this should obviously moved to chat….

Can the existing one not be fixed? Must be worth throwing a few quid at it

Worcester Bosch – expensive to begin with, spares as above
Vaillant – expensive to begin with, can be expensive for spares

Really? I’d always heard the other way around – Worcester expensive spares, Vaillant cheap.

The plumber who installed a Vaillant for us at our last place says they’ve gone downhill in last couple of years and he’s now fitting Worcester.

ATAG look interesting – meant to be very high quality. Havent’ got anyone to quote to install one yet though.

We have a Glowworm Flexicom 24HX, which has been reliable. It’s the only household appliance which we insure, through Glowworm’s own scheme. Every year they try to increase the premium and every year I ring them and refuse to accept an increase so they back down.

sometimes they won’t do a powerflush but will do a water flush because the chemicals that a powerflush uses are pretty corrosive and may cause leaks where joints are thinning etc if you have older pipework. I’d be surprised if they didn’t put in a magnaclean tho

we have a worcester 38cdi, does the job no bother

@Vern0n – interesting info. We too have considered the should we/shouldn’t we switch to Combi. We haven’t pulled the trigger yet but our thoughts are to switch to Combi on the basis that we don’t need to have multiple showers/baths run at the same time and that we can re-use the airing cupboard space more effectively. We’ve been looking a few rental flats in the same building recently and the ones with the combi conversions have been able to liberate the airing cupboard space for 1) larger cupboard, more room in the kitchen.

Ah it’s still in Bike…

So far both guys who quoted for the work (both done work for me / friends so fairly reliable!?!) have recommended combi.. As did someone who serviced it the previous time.

Just wonder why they are all so in favour of combis.

Is it just more profitable for installers, easier to install or genuinely if the combi option works for your intended needs, then it is a better choice?

The extra space isn’t a big deal for me, tho the current pipes in my airing cupbooard are a total mess so it would be nice to get rid of it all!

The three plumbers I’ve been dealing with did not recommend combi’s for my house, in fact the advised against them. It depends on the application I think.

The all recommended either WB or Valliant, best to spend the cash up front. My in- laws had a cheap boiler put in 5 yrs ago. They’ve just replaced it, unfortunately with another cheap boiler! There is no telling some people. I wouldn’t mind so much, but their first cheap boiler wasn’t exactly reliable either.

Vernon – less faff with a Combi, plus they get to keep all the scrap from taking your tank and associated pipework out.

Out of your three quotes I’d go for the 38cdi as the flow rate will be better on DHW than the 30Si. Magnaclean will probably add another £100-120 on to that price..

Thanks

I will defo get the mag added on.

Out of interest does just north of £3k sound fair then for switch to combi with 38cdi?

In your area I’d guess at yes. Probably be a few hundred quid less up here (north east).

I have a main boiler and its fantastic. The installer said they hardly ever go wrong, and he has fitted 1000’s of them.

Sorry about the wrong forum

Thanks for all the advice, really helpful here. Got three companies coming round to give quotes. It seems to be suprisingly difficult to even get some companies to even call back. I would have thought this time of year would be quiet for them?

My wife works for a heating engineering firm so got onto her wholesaler when we needed a new boiler as they obviously have a good idea of what fails due to claims / spares sales. Despite what was said above Baxi are still bad, even the one with 10 year warranty (which they will wiggle out of). We went ideal, imini, had it infir over a year, no problems, wife’s firm installed the same their offices, again no issues. WB are very good but not worth the extra above and beyond a more standard price boiler.