Another new boiler recommendation!

[poppins]

Ok, following the previous posts about my failing Potterton Puma 80, we have decided to speed up the replacement.

We have been advised to go for a Vaillant ECOMax 824 or a Bosch-Worcester Greenstar 24i. We live in a small two story house with one bathroom and 7 radiators, however, we are unlikely to ever use more than 4 or 5 of them at a time.

The Vaillant is being quoted at about £200 more, I'm happy to pay more now to save later, but usually people say that Bosch is best.

One fact which might be relevant is that my long term plan is to instal solar heating, so a system which this could be easily integrated into allowing the gas boiler to act as a "back up" would be great.

Any suggestions?

 

[nigel2477]

My choice would be the bosch, Only because i,ve had no probs with them.

 

[Agile]

The Puma can be repaired if you wanted to!

Tony

 

[ACOperson]

The Worcester is probably the one to go for regards the solar heating, but the Vaillant is a better all round option due to its stainless steel heat exchanger. The Worcester has an aluminium-silica heat exchanger which looks like quite a fragile piece of kit.

I'd also check out the Glow worm 'CXI' range and boilers from Viessmann - both excellent. I just fitted a Glow-Worm 30 CXI yesterday, great boiler! Bit cheaper than the above options too.

 

[ACOperson]

Ah Tony's here.

You would suggest that Tony, you can fix anything! Bet its the wax capsule...

I went to a Puma tonight, stuck Pump. Got it going temporarily. Are the CP61 (heads only) available?

 

[corgiman]

I agree with tony whats wrong with the Puma those things are brillaint work horses and with some tender love and care can go on for years

I find that the Modulating board and diverter valve are the usal things to go

whats wrong with yours?

 

[scatmanjohn]

ACOperson wrote:

I just fitted a Glow-Worm 30 CXI yesterday, great boiler

Thats until the plastic hydraulic "sani block" develops a hairline split and sprays mains pressure water all over the shop.
It usually happens after about 12 months of service.

Ticking timebombs.

 

[ACOperson]

Plenty of plastic in the Worcester Bosch matey.

Its quite hard to find boilers nowadays which don't have some mains water carrying plastic components...

 

[scatmanjohn]

ACOperson wrote:

Plenty of plastic in the Worcester Bosch matey.

Its quite hard to find boilers nowadays which don't have some mains water carrying plastic components...

I know.

I don't have an issue with using plastic parts on boilers, as you say its hard to find boiler manufacturers that don't use them.
But there is known issue with the glowworm hydraulic block.
Thats all i am saying

Matey?....thats kids bubble bath. It sends the water blue and produces a large amount of bubbles. The bottle is shaped like a little sailor and the lid is its hat. You can also get a pink version if you have a girl called mer matey...yes thats right it is shaped like a mermaid.

Check out the web site for the full product range.

http://www.matey.co.uk/range.htm

 

[ACOperson]

I'll look into this matter bubble bath. Its not one I have ever heard of to be honest...

 

[ChrisR]

Poppins - have a 28 or 30, you won't regret it!

 

[poppins]

I agree with tony whats wrong with the Puma those things are brillaint work horses and with some tender love and care can go on for years

I find that the Modulating board and diverter valve are the usal things to go

whats wrong with yours?

It don't work, that's what's wrong with it. ;P

Seriously though, the fan is broken (got the official line from a plumber today), the pump is failing, something is leaking inside, the low pressure indicator was either never connected or was disconnected by a previous plumber to hide a fault, the pilot needs restarting manually (with a match, which requires removing two panes), and it's hot water temperature fluctuates massively as you use it (probably means something else has failed inside). More importantly, it's probably not as efficient as a replacement ... being an eco-friendly tree-hugging kind of a guy (toungue slightly in cheek), this is a major consideration for me.

 

[poppins]

Poppins - have a 28 or 30, you won't regret it!

Oh blast, I'd just settled on a 25Si. As ours is a smallish house (only two occupants, one main bedroom, and a kitchen that naturally generates it's own heat whenever someone is using it!) we thought this was enough.

Also, (something I mentioned in another thread which I either failed to post or was removed by the moderators), we only have a 15mm gas inlet pipe, both plumbers we got a quote from said that a 24i could handle this, whereas only one said that a 28 or a 30 could (the other said that the piping would need to be replaced back to the mains, which is the other side of the house from the boiler). Does this sound right?

 

[pierrot]

The Worcester is probably the one to go for regards the solar heating, but the Vaillant is a better all round option due to its stainless steel heat exchanger. The Worcester has an aluminium-silica heat exchanger which looks like quite a fragile piece of kit.

I'd also check out the Glow worm 'CXI' range and boilers from Viessmann - both excellent. I just fitted a Glow-Worm 30 CXI yesterday, great boiler! Bit cheaper than the above options too.

the 30cxi is a dreadfull boiler we have about 400 of them out on our service round. they have multiple design faults starting with the condense trap which is very difficult to get out and flush, often having the float system in them jamming and condense spilling out all over the place.
we must change a catridge in the diverter every day of the week in this boiler.
faulty filling tap which jams in the closed position.
i shall be fitting a worcester 28i junior on saturday which we have now started to fit, so far with no nastys arising.

 

[croydoncorgi]

With any significant length of 15mm pipe between boiler & meter, there will be insufficient gas to power the boiler.