Which Combi Boiler for 4 bedroom house?

[chris101]

Finally we are getting rid of our old storage heaters throughout the house and relocating the boiler into a designated utility section.

We will replacing every single room and hallway with radiators.

There are 4 bedrooms and will 2 bathrooms within the house.

What Boilers are best for long term reliability and resolving issues when they arrise?

What prices should be looking at spending, where could we purchase the boiler from and what type of long term warranty would we be looking at?

At budget is of around 1k

Many Thanks

 

[seanicca]

Finally we are getting rid of our old storage heaters throughout the house and relocating the boiler into a designated utility section.

We will replacing every single room and hallway with radiators.

There are 4 bedrooms and will 2 bathrooms within the house.

What Boilers are best for long term reliability and resolving issues when they arrise?

What prices should be looking at spending, where could we purchase the boiler from and what type of long term warranty would we be looking at?

At budget is of around 1k

Many Thanks

We've just paid £2535 for central heating in 2 bed terrace. Viessmann 100w 26kw combi and vertical flue with 5yr warranty and 10yr on the heat exchanger, 4 rads with thermostat valves, towel warmer and wireless controller. We went with the Viessmann mainly for the warranty side of things and the total was within our budget. With you having/needing more rads I assume you'll need a bigger boiler though.

 

[langland]

you wont even get a boiler installed for 1k
and you cant install it yourself

 

[gasman]

Only thing you will get in that price range that's worth fitting is the glow worm Ultimate 30c, it will come in at around £750 have a 5 year warranty and deliver 12 litres per minute on the hot water side. 30KW boiler and exclusive to city plumbing supplies, i fitted one last weekend and it was a belter, basically a vailant burner inside (vailant own glow worm now) and a huge plate heat exchanger for the water, decent bit of kit for the price and you will need those 12 litre flows rates to deal with your 2 bathrooms.

 

[chris101]

Apologies, should of made myself clear. Around 1k was for the boiler only excluding installation costs.

 

[oneman]

Are combi boilers worth it for a family house, don't they struggle to provide hot water to multiple sources ?

 

[wiz569]

Are combi boilers worth it for a family house, don't they struggle to provide hot water to multiple sources ?

Good question mate,they seem to be popular in the UK but not so much over here,we prefer our cylinder and hot press for airing clothes

 

[gasman]

Are combi boilers worth it for a family house, don't they struggle to provide hot water to multiple sources ?

The flow rates are getting better but generally yes you can say they struggle however.. Running two showers is the only example I can think if where a normal combi would not be adequate. You really need the higher flow rates if there is more than one bathroom/ensuite etc which is why I suggested the 30kw glow worm but for a standard domestic dwelling the 28kw 9 litre per minute combi's are fine.
The only downside to the modern combi is the gas feed, the regs state that there must be a 22mm gas feed from the meter to the boiler to cope with the gas rates. If your old boiler is fed in 15mm then upgrading that can be the hardest part if the install.

 

[danforth]

Finally we are getting rid of our old storage heaters throughout the house and relocating the boiler into a designated utility section.

We will replacing every single room and hallway with radiators.

There are 4 bedrooms and will 2 bathrooms within the house.

What Boilers are best for long term reliability and resolving issues when they arrise?

What prices should be looking at spending, where could we purchase the boiler from and what type of long term warranty would we be looking at?

At budget is of around 1k

Many Thanks

I'm not clued up on current boilers. Here's why :-

I have a similar sized house. In 1992 I fitted a Vaillant Combi, and rads etc, myself, before Gas safe regs.
At the time, the only rule was that it must be fitted by a "competent" person, a debatable issue, beside the point.
No insult to professionals is intended.

The boiler has had daily use for over 20 years, roughly regular servicing (basic clean out) by me.
Over that period, I've had 3 faults, never had professional practical help, though some advice.
I live in a soft water area, which may be a factor. Parts are still available, new ones relatively pricey,
2nd hand, or pattern type, cheap, all mail order fast delivery. Been lucky though, failures during reasonable weather.

My advice is think German and be prepared to up your budget slightly, you will get it returned overall.
It's not clear if you intend to fit it yourself. If so, avoid plastic pipe and fittings. Soldering is not complicated,
plastic has some advantages, but looks crap. Also the boiler and the rest of the system seem, to me,
automatically bonded.

I've been told Gas safe engineers will not commission / certify DIY installed boilers, any comment ?

 

[Exos]

Combi's are not great for a family home, but they do work and are pretty much mainstream in the UK. My combi is about 10 years old, and if I have the shower on the central heating stops working (not so much stops, but just doesn't heat up). Not a major issue, but it's something you need to consider when selecting one based on flow.

 

[wiz569]

Combi's are not great for a family home, but they do work and are pretty much mainstream in the UK. My combi is about 10 years old, and if I have the shower on the central heating stops working (not so much stops, but just doesn't heat up). Not a major issue, but it's something you need to consider when selecting one based on flow.

I knew there was a good reason I dont like them

Mind you that doesnt sound right tbh,I mean about your heating not working

 

[gasman]

Combi's are not great for a family home, but they do work and are pretty much mainstream in the UK. My combi is about 10 years old, and if I have the shower on the central heating stops working (not so much stops, but just doesn't heat up). Not a major issue, but it's something you need to consider when selecting one based on flow.

All the hot flow from the main heat exchanger (burner) is directed into the plate heat exchanger to heat your cold feed into hot water, hence your heating cooling off whilst your running hot outlets.
They really are extremely economical due to this and it is perfectly normal mate.

 

[oneman]

Combi's are not great for a family home, but they do work and are pretty much mainstream in the UK. My combi is about 10 years old, and if I have the shower on the central heating stops working (not so much stops, but just doesn't heat up). Not a major issue, but it's something you need to consider when selecting one based on flow.

I knew about the heating stopping when running a hot tap. Not really an issue because unless you are in the shower then its out for what, 10 or 15 minutes at most which is not an issue.

 

[wiz569]

I knew about the heating stopping when running a hot tap. Not really an issue because unless you are in the shower then its out for what, 10 or 15 minutes at most which is not an issue.

Unless your a teenager then its out for about half an hour lol

 

[Exos]

Unless your a teenager then its out for about half an hour lol

Not allowed to wash dishes, put the washing machine on or generally just use a tap when my daughter is in the shower.....35 minutes the other evening she was in for...

I'm sure she had shrunk in the wash when she came out.

 

[kenb]

In reply to danforths last post on this I,m a retired gas safe engineer and I definitely would not certify any diy on the gas side as its illegal for me to do so.
any future gas incident would leave the gas safe engineer open to prosecution, and jail term, if injuries or death involved , its already happened to some engineers in different parts of the country,also gas safe registration revoked.

 

[Spectre]

In reply to danforths last post on this I,m a retired gas safe engineer and I definitely would not certify any diy on the gas side as its illegal for me to do so.
any future gas incident would leave the gas safe engineer open to prosecution, and jail term, if injuries or death involved , its already happened to some engineers in different parts of the country,also gas safe registration revoked.

Just a question on this Ken, can someone do a partial DIY install on these. What bits can be done if that is the case?

 

[wiz569]

Just a question on this Ken, can someone do a partial DIY install on these. What bits can be done if that is the case?

Just don't do anything on the gas end,then any gas engineer shouldn't have a problem commissioning and passing the gas side of it