New boiler advice

[k1rkyc]

Hi everyone, sorry for yet another Topic asking for advice on what boiler to go for but I hate butting into someone else's!

Any help on the following would be greatly appreciated! This a little detailed so i hope you won't get bored or confused reading it!

Right we currently have a "Radiant" Combi Boiler ( all plumbers we have spoken to have cringed at "radiant" ) this boiler is now 7 years old. Over the past 2 years we have had several problems with it! We firstly had the Heat exchanger replaced costing around £400.

We have had several other little bits and pieces replaced so we have spent around £550 on it so far. Last week it broke down again, the plumber has told us that the PC Board has now gone and would be £200 to fix.

We are fed up with this now and have decided to replace the boiler!

The 2 main problems we had with the Radiant was a low water pressure for the shower and the temperature of the water is never very consistant. Are these problems associated with Combi Boilers or is it just due to it being a "radiant"??

We have had 2 quotes for replacement combi boilers so far, both Worcester, one being a 28cdi and the other being a 30cdi. Has the 28cdi been discontinued? One quote was for £1200 and the other for £2000. We had someone else come today who has quoted for a Gloworm 30cxi @ £1400 installed.

Any help on this matter would be really appreciated!

So confusing reading all reviews etc!!

 

[Bahco]

Look in the FAQS.

 

[gas4you]

Personally I would fit the Glow Worm every time over a Worcester.

 

[k1rkyc]

Thanks for the reply gas4you

Has anyone got any experience of a Ferroli boiler? Only one plumber has recommended one - he said we would get 5 yrs warranty as well?

Thanks!

 

[spacethegas]

about 6 months ago a customer showed me some paperwork (from city plumbing i think) trying to offload Ferrolis very cheaply. hence i suspect that they are not up to much.

 

[BigBurner]

Combis have improved no end and you will be delighted with a new model. Glow Worm 38CXi (check your water pressure.flow). Vaillant are good, some W-B too. If you have floor space trying the W-Bosch Highflow 440. Fills a bath in a few minutes.

There are many decent combis around now.

 

[k1rkyc]

Glow Worm 38CXi (check your water pressure.flow).

Many thanks for your reply BigBurner When you say check your water pressure, what do you mean? Our water pressure isn't very good at all at the moment - will a new boiler improve it?

Thanks!

 

[BigBurner]

Glow Worm 38CXi (check your water pressure.flow).

Many thanks for your reply BigBurner When you say check your water pressure, what do you mean? Our water pressure isn't very good at all at the moment - will a new boiler improve it?

Thanks!

A new combi will not improve your cold water mains. At the kitchen tap fill a bucket and time what the fill rate is in litres per minute. What is the cold water pressure like? With all taps off what is it? what it is when the kitchen tap is turned full on?

 

[k1rkyc]

I'm at work at the moment so can't answer all of the questions. The cold water pressure is very good, however it's the mixer shower in the bathroom where the pressure is crap. The bathroom is on the same level as the boiler. It used to be ok but over the years has decreased

 

[BigBurner]

I'm at work at the moment so can't answer all of the questions. The cold water pressure is very good, however it's the mixer shower in the bathroom where the pressure is rubbish. The bathroom is on the same level as the boiler. It used to be ok but over the years has decreased

If cold mains is good then fit a high flow combi. The 38CXI is good and cheap enough. There are other good models around. You may need to replace the mixer. Replace the stop tap to a full-bore type. Have a dedicated 22mm cold feed to the combi directly back to the stop tap. Have the shower hot pipe directly back to the combi too.

 

[Agile]

I am always very surprised that so many people will only quote for one model.

Any competent engineer should be able to fit any model. Some do stick to one make as they get better discounts and know the boilers well. Even so there are always different models and they should quote you for all the different ones which are suitable.

Your Radiant was a perfectly reasonable boiler but being cheap to buy was badly installed and suffered from dirt in the system. Its only 24 kW and we usually recommend at least 28 kW or 30 kW but still the installer should give you a range of boilers with the relevant prices so that YOU can choose yourself.

The Viessmann has a five year warranty when fitted by a trained installer.

Tony

 

[k1rkyc]

Thanks for the reply Tony. I did send you an email but I guess you are a very busy man!

We have now been quoted £2,140 + VAT for a Vaillant Ecotec Plus 37 and £180 + VAT for the pipework - apparantly we need a pipe going outside the front of the house as it's a condensing boiler.

He also said he would do £2040 + VAT for an 831 model and £1860 + VAT for an Ideal Boiler.

I know that Vaillant's are good boilers and he said that we would get a 2 yr warranty - are these prices above good?

I must say, he's the first guy that's taken time to measure our current flowrate - cold water was 22 and hot was 8... if that makes sense?! And he's also the first guy that has given us the choice of boilers!!

Sooooo many quotes.....

 

[Agile]

It still sounds expensive to me ( and more than I would charge in London! ).

However, it sounds as if he knows what he is doing and may be your best bet.

Knowing what I know, anyone who quotes to fit a combi boiler without measuring the CW flow rate is incompetent!

Tony

 

[gas4you]

Prices sound about right to me, but don't have the 837 option without having the cold mains pressure and flow rate checked first, to see if it is good enough to make this boiler worthwhile.

 

[k1rkyc]

Hmmmm - do you have any fitters in Somerset then Tony? lol

I asked him last night if he would do me a discount for cash and he said he could knock £200 off which would make it £2491 inc VAT for the 837 model - still high?