Recommend a combi boiler

[swee'pea99]

I dont know what British gas charge to fit boilers but their boiler care plan with a yearly service thrown in is a no brainer .

I'm not sure what you mean by that, but I'd definitely recommend avoiding BG - and yearly service plans - like the plague.

FWIW, we had the WB fitted, it worked perfectly for about six or seven years, then something went wrong (can't remember what - this was a good while back). We shopped around, and ended up with WB, who said they could fix it for £110, or we could take out a yearly service contract for £145 (figures approx, can't remember exactly, but it was those sorts of numbers) which would include it. For the sake of £35, we decided to go with the yearly - you never know. And as luck would have it, it went wrong again. The guy who came to fix it the second time told us that boilers basically consist of two major lumps, in a thin metal case: the previous guy had replaced one; he was replacing t'other. So when he left, we'd effectively have a new boiler.

Seeing as we had 'a new boiler', we cancelled the yearly contract at the end of the year, and that's been that. I don't know what a British Gas contract costs, but I've no doubt that over the life of this boiler, we've saved at least the cost of a brand new one by not having one.

 

[Profpointy]

I dont know what British gas charge to fit boilers but their boiler care plan with a yearly service thrown in is a no brainer .

My experience of British Gas is that they would struggle to arrange refreshments in a brewing establishment. Have also heard far too many stories of when called out saying parts aren't available and offering a "discount" on a new boiler which is then a lot more than just buying one.

So I'd agree it's a no-brainer albeit perhaps not the sense you mean it.

 

[Cuchilo]

I'm not sure what you mean by that, but I'd definitely recommend avoiding BG - and yearly service plans - like the plague.

FWIW, we had the WB fitted, it worked perfectly for about six or seven years, then something went wrong (can't remember what - this was a good while back). We shopped around, and ended up with WB, who said they could fix it for £110, or we could take out a yearly service contract for £145 (figures approx, can't remember exactly, but it was those sorts of numbers) which would include it. For the sake of £35, we decided to go with the yearly - you never know. And as luck would have it, it went wrong again. The guy who came to fix it the second time told us that boilers basically consist of two major lumps, in a thin metal case: the previous guy had replaced one; he was replacing t'other. So when he left, we'd effectively have a new boiler.

Seeing as we had 'a new boiler', we cancelled the yearly contract at the end of the year, and that's been that. I don't know what a British Gas contract costs, but I've no doubt that over the life of this boiler, we've saved at least the cost of a brand new one by not having one.

Well it suits me given i have had two valiants give up on my over the 20 years ive been here . I wouldn't be able to get a plumber to get in his van around here for the cost of the yearly plan BG offer plus i get a service ( again cheaper than a local plumber ) so peace of mind and a toasty warm smug feeling
Two of the services ive had have resulted in new parts ( free of charge ) One was a new computer board thingy and another was a new filling loop . All sorted with no problems or hassle to me .

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

We have the BG service plan and they have fixed the boiler when it went wrong the next day and if they had to wait for the part the following day

I cannot fault the service

 

[MiK1138]

Are you replacing a condensing boiler with a combi boiler or like for like?

We went with the prior to get the tank space but found we had problems with the old pipework for the following year while it all settled down and adjusted to the new pressures but all sorted now and running fine.

We have a three bed semi with a family bathroom and went for a Worcester Bosch I25 Greenstar, in hindsight we should have gone for the I30 as it struggles to fill kitchen sink while the bath/shower is running. One tap will “steal” the majority of the flow leaving the other more like a stream.

like for like 20 yr old Vokera combi on its last legs,

 

[gbb]

I guess you can think of BG in the way think of Halfords, there's good and bad experiences to be had either way.
My son's a BG engineer and he's occasionally called out to boilers the previous engineer couldn't fix...which tells you, like any other Industry, there's good and...mediocre employees.
As for what boiler ?...he recommends whatever BG usually fit. Why ?..because they don't fit boilers that have a poor reputation or are unreliable. They aim to protect their income from their service plan holders.

As for an independant plumber...of course they might recommend whatever makes them most profit, not necessarily which is best for you so i wouldnt take a plumbers word unless theyre well recommended.

 

[gbb]

https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/products/boilers/explained

Worth a look. My DIL has just had a traditional system replaced by her landlord with a combi boiler and she's moderately disappointed with the hot water temperature...although my son says this isnt unusual with a cheaper combi, they often struggle to raise water temperature more than 45 degrees than the incoming supply..so in winter you can see the difference.

 

[Thomk]

Nothing beats Intergas boilers for simplicity, reliability and value. Google them!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Worcester Bosch here. Last one was 11 years old and working fine when we replaced it, for no other reason that it needed to be moved as part of a kitchen relocation project and we felt better about a new one going up in the loft than the old one.

Which raises a point; don't assume that if you install a new boiler that it old location will comply with current regs. Moving ours gave us a large boiler-sized empty space to play with, which was welcome, but we couldn't put the new one where the old one was anyway.

 

[User6179]

I dont know what British gas charge to fit boilers but their boiler care plan with a yearly service thrown in is a no brainer .

The biggest robbers on the planet when it comes to fitting boilers!

 

[Dave7]

quite a small house 2 bedroom 6 radiators so the 24kw version of the Worcester looks like it will do the job

My tuppence worth......dont try and save a few bob only to think later "wish I had got the size up".

 

[MiK1138]

My tuppence worth......dont try and save a few bob only to think later "wish I had got the size up".

sure the 24 will do the radiarors but it might be a bit weak for the hoe water you can cook lobsters in Mrs Miks bathwater

 

[AndyRM]

like for like 20 yr old Vokera combi on its last legs,

I'm amazed it's lasted that long. Vokera are hopeless!

 

[User6179]

sure the 24 will do the radiarors but it might be a bit weak for the hoe water you can cook lobsters in Mrs Miks bathwater

Check to see how many litres per minute comes out your tap, I got the bigger boiler but I only get 6 to 8 litres a minute so the smaller boiler would of been fine.

 

[Mark Grant]

A good friend of mine is a gas engineer, he recommends and fits Intergas boilers. He says they are simple and efficient. Simple means less to go wrong.