Donate to Remove ads

Got a credit card? use our Credit Card & Finance Calculators

Thanks to johnstevens77,Bhoddhisatva,scotia,Anonymous,Cornytiv34, for Donating to support the site

New boiler

Does what it says on the tin
Diziet
Posts: 42
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:35 am
Has thanked: 1 time

New boiler

#7349

Postby Diziet » November 21st, 2016, 12:25 pm

Our current boiler is 17 years old (made by Vokera) and, despite regular maintenance, seems to have reached a stage where getting it going requires being very very nice to it, incantations and the occasional small animal sacrifice... The service engineer (who has repaired it in the past and does not install boilers) has recommended it is time for replacement, which is ok.

Any recommendations? Service person recommended Baxi as the one he has had installed in his house. He said they are very easy to deal with and easy to fix if anything goes wrong. Does the expert panel agree?

The house is a terraced Victorian townhouse, about 2500 sq ft over 4 floors. We currently have a setup with a separate hot water tank, but the boiler is a combi.

I would appreciate any pointers. I don't mind spending the money (we, I do, but I don't want to be cold) but I would like to spend it wisely.

jackdaww
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2081
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:53 am
Has thanked: 3203 times
Been thanked: 417 times

Re: New boiler

#7364

Postby jackdaww » November 21st, 2016, 12:56 pm

is the boiler gas or oil ?

if the boiler isnt cracked or otherwise damaged , would it be possible to install a replacement burner unit ?

could be the difference between £500 and several thousands.

8-)

sg31
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1543
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:35 am
Has thanked: 925 times
Been thanked: 708 times

Re: New boiler

#7383

Postby sg31 » November 21st, 2016, 1:32 pm

I'm not a boiler engineer. As I remember Vokera weren't an expensive boiler in the first place. Both my parents and my sister had one and they never paid over the odds for anything. They couldn't be bad boilers though because both lasted over 15 years before expiring.

It might be time for a change.

oldtimer
Posts: 40
Joined: November 5th, 2016, 11:20 am

Re: New boiler

#7396

Postby oldtimer » November 21st, 2016, 2:08 pm

I suggest you have a look as "Which" on line. They compare various boilers and give their reliability. As far as I remember their last report suggested Valiant and Worcester-Bosch as the most reliable.

If you have a small house and no-one suddenly turning on taps while you are having a shower, then to replace a combi-boiler with a combi-boiler would seem sensible.

I had a combi Worcester-Bosch in the last house and it was excellent, but this house has two showers, so I have gone for a condensing boiler with a pressurised hot water tank, same make and have been pleased with this set-up too.

Diziet
Posts: 42
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:35 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: New boiler

#7414

Postby Diziet » November 21st, 2016, 3:09 pm

Thanks all. I always prefer repair to replacement, but it is no longer economical. It is a gas boiler (how did I forget to mention that?).

Vokera is ok, it lasted 17 years and was not super expensive, but I would like something that is not only reliable but also easily repairable.

Good idea to look at Which? - I will find someone with a subscription.

IsleofWightPete
Lemon Pip
Posts: 64
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 12:07 pm

Re: New boiler

#7428

Postby IsleofWightPete » November 21st, 2016, 3:35 pm

Diziet wrote:Vokera is ok, it lasted 17 years and was not super expensive, but I would like something that is not only reliable but also easily repairable.


The overwhelming recommendation on old TMF site was for Vaillant. Well designed, efficient, and above all, RELIABLE. (The fact that it is also easy to work on becomes almost irrelevant because so little work is ever needed)

Worcester Bosch are often reckoned to be just as good - but having installed a pair in my own home, I have had constant problems with them, and would not recommend them at all.

In comparison, the 9 other boilers in my life are all Vaillants (between about 5 and 16 years old) and they typically go from one annual service / safety inspection to the next requiring zero attention in between. I think across this last year, we needed one non-routine service call across all of them.

Sussexlad
Lemon Slice
Posts: 382
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 12:49 pm
Has thanked: 317 times
Been thanked: 163 times

Re: New boiler

#7437

Postby Sussexlad » November 21st, 2016, 3:56 pm

I had a Vailant fitted last year and it came with a 10 year warranty. Don't know if this is general or was an offer at the time..

sg31
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1543
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:35 am
Has thanked: 925 times
Been thanked: 708 times

Re: New boiler

#7484

Postby sg31 » November 21st, 2016, 5:41 pm

I've had a number of Vaillant boilers in different properties and never had a problem. When we moved last year I had one fitted in this property and as Sussexlad mentioned we also got a 10 year warranty. I understand it is normally 7 years if fitted by a Vaillant qualified installer but there are occasional offers extending the warranty.

I've no idea what the cur...it's 10 years

https://www.vaillant.co.uk/homeowners/p ... en_gb.html

OK that's probably not the one you need but I did look at others and they had the same option.

Hope that helps

Diziet
Posts: 42
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:35 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: New boiler

#7617

Postby Diziet » November 22nd, 2016, 9:15 am

Thanks again!

I will talk to our installer on support for parts etc. Vaillant has had some support issues in Ireland, where I am based, and I want to check on these before choosing a specific boiler. Great to have the personal experiences. I do miss the recommendation button :-)

MyNameIsUrl
Lemon Slice
Posts: 475
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 1:56 pm
Has thanked: 1304 times
Been thanked: 107 times

Re: New boiler

#7757

Postby MyNameIsUrl » November 22nd, 2016, 2:06 pm

Diziet wrote:I would appreciate any pointers. I don't mind spending the money (we, I do, but I don't want to be cold) but I would like to spend it wisely.

Suggest you have a read of this website: http://www.miketheboilerman.com

Mike used to be highly-respected poster on TMF (as Mike4) but sadly I haven't seen him around here.

sg31
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1543
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:35 am
Has thanked: 925 times
Been thanked: 708 times

Re: New boiler

#7900

Postby sg31 » November 22nd, 2016, 7:55 pm

Mike4 would be a big loss to this board. I hope he turns up. An authoritative voice on boilers if ever there was one.

Mike4
Lemon Half
Posts: 7088
Joined: November 24th, 2016, 3:29 am
Has thanked: 1638 times
Been thanked: 3796 times

Re: New boiler

#8418

Postby Mike4 » November 24th, 2016, 4:52 am

sg31 wrote:Mike4 would be a big loss to this board. I hope he turns up. An authoritative voice on boilers if ever there was one.



Who is this you mean? An imposter? I'll punch his lights out if he shows up around here...

Worcester get a great press but they are shitebags (limit testing, see? ;) ) to repair, so the Worcester owner is the last person I call back when my voicemail is full of messages. I get loads of calls for Worcester breakdowns.

Vaillants are awkward to repair too but for a completely different reason. I never get any calls, so I don't build up a body of experience. I draw a conclusion from that.

HST the Baxi Duotec is an OK boiler, as is the Flexicom (nicknamed the 'flexibomb :D but that is just a joke). The Ideal Vogue and Ideal Logic are both well regarded by installers too. I've never been invited to repair either though so can't comment from personal experience. (The market sector I cover is getting ever tighter these days. I do 'vintage' or 'legacy' gas boilers now, almost exclusively. Anything over 25 years old is usually repairable, despite what the ordinary gas bod attending might say, and this is what I do, day in, day out!)

MtB

Diziet
Posts: 42
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:35 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: New boiler

#8463

Postby Diziet » November 24th, 2016, 9:29 am

Mike4, it's great to see you over here! I was mooching around your website earlier :-)

My boiler service engineer (who does not install boilers) suggested a Baxi on the basis that Vaillant are great, but hard to get hold of spares and fix if they fail. We are in Ireland so there may be different support issues here. He said the same about the Worcester Bosch as you did.

So it's between Vaillant and Baxi, I think.

Leither
Lemon Slice
Posts: 268
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 8:30 pm
Has thanked: 170 times
Been thanked: 26 times

Re: New boiler

#9002

Postby Leither » November 25th, 2016, 3:28 pm

We had a Worcester boiler installed three years ago with an eight year guarantee. Very pleased with it so far and even more so with local service engineers for Worcester.

Regards,

Leither.

Charlottesquare
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1775
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:22 pm
Has thanked: 105 times
Been thanked: 560 times

Re: New boiler

#9030

Postby Charlottesquare » November 25th, 2016, 5:01 pm

Leither wrote:We had a Worcester boiler installed three years ago with an eight year guarantee. Very pleased with it so far and even more so with local service engineers for Worcester.

Regards,

Leither.


Keep meaning to ask you, are you actually these days a Leither? (with sunshine attached) :)

We are (just) being on the Leith side of Newhaven Road ,up near Victoria Park.

Charlotte square (Where I aspire to be rather than where I live)

oldtimer
Posts: 40
Joined: November 5th, 2016, 11:20 am

Re: New boiler

#9135

Postby oldtimer » November 26th, 2016, 9:52 am

Just to point out that if you want to look up a summary of the results from "Which" testing, they are free on line.
If you need to see the details then you can pay £1 for access to that report without having to subscribe.

quelquod
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1019
Joined: November 5th, 2016, 12:26 pm
Has thanked: 196 times
Been thanked: 192 times

Re: New boiler

#9141

Postby quelquod » November 26th, 2016, 10:20 am

Interesting though the Which reports were when I used to subscribe, I found that with the rapid pace of development many of the consumer goods reviewed were superceded or no longer available. Fine for an overview of manufacturers and for things with a longer shelf life though.

Diziet
Posts: 42
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:35 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: New boiler

#10838

Postby Diziet » December 1st, 2016, 2:10 pm

I had a look at the Which? reports, and they do recommend Worcester Bosch and Vaillant.

But - I called our plumber/gas installer round to give me a quote and he pointed me to a deal by the manufacturer where they will repair and guarantee the boiler, all in, parts and everything for 257 euro. He suggested that it is a good deal (it is) and they should be able to fix the problem. So they are booked for next Tuesday. I will let you know how it goes.

I will do with that, and spend the vast amount of money saved on fripperies and beer :-)

(OK, not all the money, just some. In case the boiler truly dies. I will keep a link to this very useful thread)

Leither
Lemon Slice
Posts: 268
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 8:30 pm
Has thanked: 170 times
Been thanked: 26 times

Re: New boiler

#15836

Postby Leither » December 16th, 2016, 7:38 pm

Charlottesquare wrote:Keep meaning to ask you, are you actually these days a Leither? (with sunshine attached) :)

We are (just) being on the Leith side of Newhaven Road ,up near Victoria Park.

Charlotte square (Where I aspire to be rather than where I live)


Huge apologies, just noticed your post, I don't seem to frequent Lemon Fool as much as I did TMF. Anyway, interesting questions and apologies to other readers as I'm straying off-topic, I'll try to be brief.

Am I still a Leither? Of course! But no longer geographically as I live in leafy Surrey these days.

I know Viccy Park and Newhaven Road very well, all my schooling was nearby and my dad used to have a fruit shop on Newhaven Road, near the corner with Hawthorn Vale.

Re Charlotte Square, I completed my CA training at what was Deloitte's office in no. 22.

Small world indeed.

Regards,

Leither.

dspp
Lemon Half
Posts: 5884
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 10:53 am
Has thanked: 5825 times
Been thanked: 2127 times

Re: New boiler

#15976

Postby dspp » December 17th, 2016, 3:38 pm

Try Viessmann boilers - my plumber avoids Wooster Bosch with a vengeance, regards, dspp


Return to “Building and DIY”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests