New boiler conundrum

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Ok I need a new boiler in my home. Do you go for British gas, knowing you'll probably pay a lot more but also knowing they will be around to carry out any warranty repair work in the future, or go for trustatrader plumber, pay half as much but they might not be around in 5 years if the boiler goes wrong.
 
Check that it isn't a manufacturer warranty that you get?

It may be and that way you only have to worry about the manufacturer going out of business rather than a gas engineer or whatever they are called.
 
Get a manufacturer approved installer and I'd think any other approved installer would be able to fix it under warranty as well. Best of both worlds?

Which is what we did.
 
Use a trusted local one. My neighbour is brilliant and his price was a good £1500 less.

Then once warrenty finishes jump onto British Gas homecare - kept ours going over the years
 
all the manufacturers will give lists of approved installers. which usually gives you and extended warranty. but any qualified heating engineer is capable of repairing any of them. I changed my boiler and had some changes to the pipework don some four years ago. and I got five quotes. I ended up paying less than half the BG quoted price but with one year less guarantee... I pay for servicing per call out, not by contract, as I have always done it that way. in the long run it works out far cheaper. A contract is really a form of insurance, and I prefer to carry that risk myself.
 
Don't get a Vaillant boiler, absolute crap. When we had ours replaced about 12 years ago everyone said get a Vaillant because of reliability, we have had to have it repaired at least every 2 years, more like every 18 months, some parts, like the controller are on the third replacement. The last time we had the Vaillant guy out (£300 every time) he said that next time they wouldn't fix it because it is too old - 12 years is too old!
 
my previous boiler was 40 years old when it failed. this one has done 4 years+ with out a fail so far. I use a heat only boiler not a combi. far less to go wrong.

but everything eventually fails.
 
Don't get a Vaillant boiler, absolute crap. When we had ours replaced about 12 years ago everyone said get a Vaillant because of reliability, we have had to have it repaired at least every 2 years, more like every 18 months, some parts, like the controller are on the third replacement. The last time we had the Vaillant guy out (£300 every time) he said that next time they wouldn't fix it because it is too old - 12 years is too old!
Vaillant are usually very reliable so your experience isn't the norm based on my experience....
 
Don't get a Vaillant boiler, absolute crap. When we had ours replaced about 12 years ago everyone said get a Vaillant because of reliability, we have had to have it repaired at least every 2 years, more like every 18 months, some parts, like the controller are on the third replacement. The last time we had the Vaillant guy out (£300 every time) he said that next time they wouldn't fix it because it is too old - 12 years is too old!
Had ours in 9 years now and no problems at all,had three installers quote me for a new boiler and radiators at that time and they all recommended Vaillant
 
Our first boiler was a Thorn Apollo (IIRC!) which was originally fitted when the house was built. Had to replace it 9 years ago at about 35 years old (had a couple of thermocouples in the meantime). Now got a Potterton on our plumber's recommendation - as good as a Vaillant but much cheaper (according to him). He also said that he could make more money supplying and fitting Vaillants but only did so if customers specifically asked for them.
 
I'm surprised Ideal rank so highly, the combi we had was less than its namesake.
Nothing but trouble and was virtually rebuilt twice before we gave up and got a Worcester.
I know what you mean.
The older ones were OK, and some of the newer ones are better, but inbetween they did an icos, isar etc that could be very problematic.
 
Combi boilers have come on so much in the last 2/3 years and manufacturers have shown that by giving extended warranties, most used to be a 3/5 years and now they are 7/10 years and some give an extended warranty up to 15 years. British gas are expensive so I would find a manufacturer approved one purely for the extended warranty. Worcester used to be a step up from the others but now most have caught up with them. If it is a combi you are after just make sure you go for a high hot water output one, The heating side is more than adequate for the majority of homes on all of them.
 
I know what you mean.
The older ones were OK, and some of the newer ones are better, but inbetween they did an icos, isar etc that could be very problematic.

Tell me about it, ten days in a cold January with no heating or hot water.
BG sent many engineers, they tried to fix it by a process of elimination, apparently they can only order one part at a time.
Kept quite calm until one of them told me his laptop diagnostic tool said it was working, things deteriorated after that.
 
Thanks all, I didn't know about the manufacturer approved installer / warranty thing. I'll phone round a few tomorrow.
 
Ans 10 year guarantee if fitted by approved installer.
Which isn't worth the paper it is written on. The main diverter valve on ours started leaking 13 months after it was installed, Vaillant refused to cover it under the warranty.
 
I know what you mean.
The older ones were OK, and some of the newer ones are better, but inbetween they did an icos, isar etc that could be very problematic.
unluckily I've got the Isar, been nothing but trouble and will likely get replaced very soon, it came with a 2 year warranty, it broke down a few weeks after the warranty ran out, Ideal weren't no help and didn't even want to repair it, it's been on a British gas contract, but some of the spares are obsolete already.
 
unluckily I've got the Isar, been nothing but trouble and will likely get replaced very soon, it came with a 2 year warranty, it broke down a few weeks after the warranty ran out, Ideal weren't no help and didn't even want to repair it, it's been on a British gas contract, but some of the spares are obsolete already.
We call it the eyesore :LOL:
 
i've got a vailant eco tec pro 28 been in 12 years and has had two diverter valves.
pretty happy with that but the engineer said on the last service it was close to a heat exchanger
fair play i thought after 12 years. i have asked him to order and fit one for the next service which will be in about 3 months.
mines always been on a contract though at avout £11 a month
but i will have to pay for the heat exchanger about £90 fitted
 
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i've got a vailant eco tec pro 28 been in 12 years and has had two diverter valves.
pretty happy with that but the engineer said on the last service it was close to a heat exchanger
fair play i thought after 12 years. i have asked him to order and fit one for the next service which will be in about 3 months.
mines always been on a contract though at avout £11 a month
but i will have to pay for the heat exchanger about £90 fitted
Has he confirmed a price of £90 for a heat exchanger fitted?
I take it that's for a secondary heat exchanger?
The primary heat exchanger for that boiler is around £400 to buy.....
 
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We have a Worcester with a service contract . Lots of parts replaced over the years but it works and service. Is good
 
My Ideal Vogue has been brilliant, when I went for that it was because not many others did opentherm out of the box. So far been the most reliable boiler we've had and with opentherm had made a substantial difference to the comfort of the house and money savings.

Got a 1 year guarantee from the installer and 10 years with Ideal.
 
Worcester Bosch combi, must be over ten years now and completely faultless. Serviced once a year by the engineer who installed it.
 
Just replaced my 17 year old Vaillant , which only had one repair (expansion bladder failed) change to a Viessmann, 10 year warranty and it looks to be much better build quality . I went with a manufacture recommend supplier .
Going against the grain I guess, but when I was looking everyone said do not get a Worcester they are living on past reputation and no longer the must have boiler.
 
Had Vaillant boilers in two different properties with zero issues. Our one’s currently 4 years old, the other is at my mum’s place and is 9 years old. She previously had an older model Vaillant that lasted 17 years before getting uneconomical to fix. You have to have the boiler serviced annually by an approved heating engineer to keep the 10 year warranty going and in my experience the approved guys charge more than an independent but it’s worth it for the warranty I suppose.

Btw, it’s always worth having a limescale filter fitted to a combi water supply, most plumbers will install one as a matter of course but it’s worth checking. Installing a Magnaclean system filter is an added bonus.
 
We have had a Worcester Bosch for eleven years. The diverter valve was changed four years ago, I pressurise it every year if it needs it.
 
Don't get a Vaillant boiler, absolute crap. When we had ours replaced about 12 years ago everyone said get a Vaillant because of reliability, we have had to have it repaired at least every 2 years, more like every 18 months, some parts, like the controller are on the third replacement. The last time we had the Vaillant guy out (£300 every time) he said that next time they wouldn't fix it because it is too old - 12 years is too old!
I've got a Vaillant that was in my house when I moved in and is now 15 years old. Had to call out a local plumber to fix it in February (pump failed, also a blocked flexible pipe). He did it, no problems. Said one of the parts he needed was difficult to source though due to its age.

In the 10 years I've lived here it's needed those two parts, the secondary heat exchanger (split due to previous plumber using the "tighten it up so much that it warps the casing" approach to installation) and and the hot water demand sensor, so overall I'm pretty happy with that,
 
Had Vaillant boilers in two different properties with zero issues. Our one’s currently 4 years old, the other is at my mum’s place and is 9 years old. She previously had an older model Vaillant that lasted 17 years before getting uneconomical to fix. You have to have the boiler serviced annually by an approved heating engineer to keep the 10 year warranty going and in my experience the approved guys charge more than an independent but it’s worth it for the warranty I suppose.

Btw, it’s always worth having a limescale filter fitted to a combi water supply, most plumbers will install one as a matter of course but it’s worth checking. Installing a Magnaclean system filter is an added bonus.

I've had a Magnaclean installed along with the boiler and it's part of the annual service. Our water is soft which may help as well. Pressure never seems to be a problem, it just stays the same all the time. Maybe I've got lucky.
 
Don't get a Vaillant boiler, absolute crap. When we had ours replaced about 12 years ago everyone said get a Vaillant because of reliability, we have had to have it repaired at least every 2 years, more like every 18 months, some parts, like the controller are on the third replacement. The last time we had the Vaillant guy out (£300 every time) he said that next time they wouldn't fix it because it is too old - 12 years is too old!

I bought a first generation Valiant combi boiler in the early 90s.
We had to have the fitter out within 2 weeks then again 6 months later then 9 months after that.
I'm sure they are far better now but with me it's once bitten twice shy.
 
On one of the many occasions we had the official Vaillant guy out to fix our boiler because the controller had failed (and it was blindingly obvious that it was the controller and not anything else) he spent about an hour testing all kinds of things, I don't know why, and then said it's your controller! So he goes to his van, gets another controller then spends another hour faffing around, when I ask him what was happening he says the replacement isn't working and that I'll have to book another visit because he only had that one with him. So I had taken a day off work and I had to book another visit and take another day off work just so that someone could come and plug a new unit into the front of the boiler. They are a complete JOKE.
 
This very day I have agreed to have a Worcester Bosch boiler installed in my bungalow.

Initial contact with Boilercare, Norfolk was Tuesday this week. Install is Monday the 11th, finish is Tuesday. 10 year parts and labour warranty.

£2400.00.
 
Had Vaillant boilers in two different properties with zero issues. Our one’s currently 4 years old, the other is at my mum’s place and is 9 years old. She previously had an older model Vaillant that lasted 17 years before getting uneconomical to fix. You have to have the boiler serviced annually by an approved heating engineer to keep the 10 year warranty going and in my experience the approved guys charge more than an independent but it’s worth it for the warranty I suppose.

Btw, it’s always worth having a limescale filter fitted to a combi water supply, most plumbers will install one as a matter of course but it’s worth checking. Installing a Magnaclean system filter is an added bonus.
Certainly don't need limescale filters here, don't have limescale, so id say get one if you need to not just because.
Also magnaclean type filters are mostly required now for the 10 year warranty, certainly was for mine but it's ideals own which is very good solid metal as well no plastic.
 
Going against the grain I guess, but when I was looking everyone said do not get a Worcester they are living on past reputation and no longer the must have boiler.
Yeah, the ones that say that are usually getting a bigger kick back from another manufacturer..... ;)
 
They’re not.... Worcester were always a good manufacturer (and still are) but as with all thing most others caught up especially where it’s technology driven.
Most installers stick to just a few makes because that’s where they do the courses, become recommended installers and hopefully because they’re products are reliable and have good warranties.
 
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i recently needed to replace my 16 year old baxi 105he (was still working but starting to get glitchy) and just went to baxi's website and found an approved local installer (baxi 830) - paid half what british gas quoted for a very basic vaillant model (they only seemed to offer vaillant or worcester which were not really brands in was overly keen on)
 
they only seemed to offer vaillant or worcester which were not really brands in was overly keen on)
They offer those two brands because they are generally considered to be the most reliable. They also install Veissmann boilers. They supply their own warranties and carry out their own repairs etc, so it makes sense to supply and install the most reliable.
 
They offer those two brands because they are generally considered to be the most reliable. They also install Veissmann boilers. They supply their own warranties and carry out their own repairs etc, so it makes sense to supply and install the most reliable.

Ive got one of those Hive boiler monitoring devices.
Got the Hive hub for free as part of the initial trial.
Poor old gas engineer didnt know how to connect it, was the first one he had installed
Luckily I did being a telecomms engineer, still got it although not sure how effective it is
 
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