Replacement combi boiler

[cheshireblue12]

My Ariston combi boiler secondary heat exchanger has failed (approx 4 years old) hopefully it will be repaired under the guarantee which has 1 year left to run. I may look at another combi once my guarantee is complete.Any thoughts on the make of boiler I should look to purchase. (I would hopefully get a boiler that lasts more than 5 years.)

 

[petertheplumber12]

Ariston are not the best boilers but you may not get the secondary heat exchanger replaced/repaired under any guaranty since the boiler probably wasn't fitted with a limescale reducer or a magnaclene. Both these items protect the secondary heat exchanger so they may want big money for a job that should cost about £180 exchanger and labour. I have fitted an intergas combi boiler and Im must say there is not much to go wrong with them compared to a lot of combi's. PCB, flow switch, pump, fan. thats it. no secondary heat exchanger no air pressure switch, no auto air vent. Not bad at all. 5 year guaranty if done by a platinum installer.

 

[cheshireblue12]

Ariston are not the best boilers but you may not get the secondary heat exchanger replaced/repaired under any guaranty since the boiler probably wasn't fitted with a limescale reducer or a magnaclene. Both these items protect the secondary heat exchanger so they may want big money for a job that should cost about £180 exchanger and labour. I have fitted an intergas combi boiler and Im must say there is not much to go wrong with them compared to a lot of combi's. PCB, flow switch, pump, fan. thats it. no secondary heat exchanger no air pressure switch, no auto air vent. Not bad at all. 5 year guaranty if done by a platinum installer.

Thanks for the advise the price looks comparible to Worcester etc, can you please let me know what intergas boilers are like for getting hold of spares ?

 

[petertheplumber12]

Plumbase are good stockist of intergas boiler and spares, but whoever fits it will know that anyway.The last combi I fitted I got for £800 including VAT.

 

[hazetimesfive]

plumbase icombi 24 is 499 plus vat with flue and clock, such a bargain.

 

[cheshireblue12]

plumbase icombi 24 is 499 plus vat with flue and clock, such a bargain.

Thanks ;have you recently had this boiler fitted and could therefore recoomend it ?

 

[MJGas]

Could always get a glow worm ultracom, and pay a bit extra for a 10 year guarantee.

 

[hazetimesfive]

I've fitted two of them so far and been totally hassle free, as long as its installed well and maintained I wouldn't see any issues

 

[cheshireblue12]

I've fitted two of them so far and been totally hassle free, as long as its installed well and maintained I wouldn't see any issues

Thanks for the advice I will look into this .

 

[simond]

Going on the recommendation of someone who has recently fitted two boilers is perhaps a little premature.

A boiler installer working on his own could have easily fitted 20 units since Christmas, but would probably be too busy to participate on this forum.

In other words a sample of 2 means nothing much.

By all means consider the Intergas. But see the whole picture, namely;

- very small UK importer
- no of boilers installed base miniscule in the UK
- no service force, they have to rely on installers for warranty
- many other manufacturers have built similar units over the last 25 years without diverters, plate heat exchangers etc, and dropped the idea later
- such as Worcester Bosch, for example
- It's a budget unit
- volume installers like me have heard the 'zero defect' story before, many times, usually from Dutch manufacturers


So, in other words, it is a niche, cheaply made unit. It may have merits, but it is too early to say. If they dont achieve significant market penetration in what is a very competitive market full of competent products, they'll be gone.

Your choice, just keep your eyes open.

I'll keep fitting Bosch, Vaillant and Viessmann because they are all solid companies, and they look after my customers very well, Bosch especially worthy of merit in this respect.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Simon, Intergas has been around for yonks in Holland. They are also moving Over to in house engineers .

PEX-less boilers are not new, but the Intergas take on the concept is certainly unique.

"Zero Defect" is also a bit disenganuons, they merely state that having fewer moving parts is going to be inherently more reliable.

 

[simond]

I'm aware of their provenance, Dan.

But I dont think any of my comments are untrue as things stand.

 

[swbjackson]

I think one of the reasons that the smaller firms and one man bands like manufacturers like Intergas is the back up they get. The large firms like Worcester Bosch, Vaillant etc. are only interested in supplying the big boys and don't give the back up to the small firms. I for one have moved away from using Worcester because they are just not interested in giving me any assistance but are more than happy to try and steal my customers for servicing etc. There is also the argument that some of the reason for having a large breakdown division is because of the number of breakdowns.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I'm aware of their provenance, Dan.

But I dont think any of my comments are untrue as things stand.

Maybe... but disenganuons.

 

[hazetimesfive]

I didn't say recently.

A sample of 20 may not mean much either, my Plumbase sells a lot and they get reasonable feedback. Its a cheap boiler and does well for the money, its fairly simple too, slightly less over contrived than similar offerings from wb etc

Swings and roundabouts.