Replacing my boiler

[SwitchTheElectricsOff]

Hi everyone

I currently have an Ideal 24kw boiler in the kitchen to an external wall, with cylinder on 1st floor and water tanks in the loft. I think it was all installed in 2001.

I'm now looking to replace it all with a combi as I'm having a loft conversion done, and the cylinder area will be used for the stairs.

I've had 3 gas engineers come round to quote, 2 have said Ideal 30kw and 1 said Worcester 30kw. The quotes are around £2,700. I have 11 radiators and 1 bathroom.

In terms of boiler makes, I've always been told Ideal were rubbish and always go for a Worcester. What are your opinions?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Wooshitter Botch are just as bad.


Intergas,
Atag
Vaillant


In that order.


Although an Atag won't fit in a standard kitchen cupboard and the airing cupboard would be a better location.

 

[SwitchTheElectricsOff]

Thanks Dan

Why is that? I've not heard of intergas or atag, what makes them better?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Pretty much everything.

 

[StudWall]

Intergas aka Atmos ... A quick google reveals why they are superior, Worcester aren't what they used to be and spares price for vailant will make you cry

 

[CombustionGuy]

Intergas
Atag
Worcester
Valliant

 

[Alex10]

Pretty much everything.

With respect Dan, why would anyone want to fit 1. a boiler that 1 does not have a major service force and 2. Use a manufacturer that is not a major player in boiler sales? 😕

 

[Dan Robinson]

Do you how big the marketing budget is for WB?


People are gullible. Otherwise there wouldn't be an advertising budget.

All sorts of crap is sold in this world purely because of shiny adverts and posters - Citeron, Dyson, iPhones, BMW, Vauxhall......

WB boilers are average at best. Certainly not worth the cost of the product. You are paying for the aftersales support, not the product.

This is part of the reason we got knocked off their WAI list - we would fit enough boilers because there were better products that did the job.

I'm also bored with calling them up because the manual in the box was full of errors and omissions.


Would much rather fir a product that doesn't need the level of backup that necessitates hundreds of in-house engineers tearing around the countryside fitting plastic tat into over priced boxes.

Being a major player in boiler sales means absolutely flock all when it comes to quality and design. It comes down to employing people that can pull the wool over the eyes of the masses.

 

[Alex10]

Thats the point tho dan, you are paying for the aftersales. Say you spend at least a bag of sand on a WB Ideal Vaillant etc. And you pay something very smiler for a better product but with a miniature aftersales. Hardly any service force or back up. I know what I'd rather have.

These 7 and 10 year warranty these manufacturers offer backed up by there hundreds of engineers are worth the weight in gold ?

Atag & Intergas do not come close in that department.

Only my opinion tho!!!

 

[Corgigrouch]

A long warranty means nothing when the manufacturer does his best to wriggle out of it or if the customer has to wait at home AGAIN for the repair man to come..

I must admit that Worcesters are superb in my opinion....If I had to rely on making a living repairing ATAGs then I'd starve.

 

[Alex10]

Rubbish.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Its not though is it?


You say it is rubbish, why? Because you don't seem to know anything but how to deal with mainstream tat?

I can assure you I spend far more time installing and servicing than I do repairing since I stopped supplying mainstream tat. Much better customer retention rates too.


But then what do I know?

Wooshitter Botch's are fine apart form the bloody manuals with the wrong data for commissioning - and fault finding.

Want to use a flexible liner on a Wall Hung? Computer says no.

Can use one on the FS. Same HEX, Fan, GV. But no, far too complicated for your average Botch installer to cope with .

It's not rubbish bud - its fact.

 

[SwitchTheElectricsOff]

Thanks all for your comments, they have been enlightening!

So basically, if I get the gist of it all, the components are sub-standard?

 

[Corgigrouch]

Not substandard as such but when you work on a lot of different boilers you get to see and learn the weakness of each design...A lot of manufacturers use common components (Subtly changed to make sure that only their part fits their boiler)

Some boilers are easier to work on than others and some manufacturers parts are outrageously expensive... Generally speaking the cheaper the boiler, the dearer the spares.. but Worcester put more money into advertising and warranty support and less into their boilers and alter them as faults are found in the field..

 

[SwitchTheElectricsOff]

Thanks Corgi, I didn't know that!

Not substandard as such but when you work on a lot of different boilers you get to see and learn the weakness of each design...A lot of manufacturers use common components (Subtly changed to make sure that only their part fits their boiler)

Some boilers are easier to work on than others and some manufacturers parts are outrageously expensive... Generally speaking the cheaper the boiler, the dearer the spares.. but Worcester put more money into advertising and warranty support and less into their boilers and alter them as faults are found in the field..