# Boiler Recommendations



## wiggydiggy (10 Dec 2022)

Boiler was making horrific noises last night and has given up, I've got home emergency cover so am calling them first but does anyone have any recommendations of boilers/companies in the West Yorks/Kirklees area?

I'm not in a position to spend a lot so am just looking for a replacement and not any significant upgrades, cheers!


----------



## rogerzilla (10 Dec 2022)

Received wisdom is that Vaillant are best, followed by either Worcester Bosch or Glow-worm.

Personally, I've found Ideal to be very reliable but British Gas don't like them and my experience seems to be atypical.


----------



## newts (10 Dec 2022)

Avoid British gas Installations they are generally RAF (rough as F) & Overpriced. Go to the gas safe website & pick some local companies for quotes.


----------



## Cycleops (10 Dec 2022)

You might find yourself eligible for a grant. Check with your local authority.
I had one installed in my house in UK last year and it was around £3000 I think from an independent contractor.
All new boilers have to be the condenser type now.


----------



## tom73 (10 Dec 2022)

Worth remembering often deals on boilers are for the smaller sized ones. Which often don't work well with more than a handful of rads or when running any decent about of hot water.

Avoid Yorkshire gas they did most of the work on our house and workmanship is pretty poor.


----------



## vickster (10 Dec 2022)

I have a Worcester Bosch, never had an issue (not combi)


----------



## Bonefish Blues (10 Dec 2022)

https://www.boilerguide.co.uk/articles/boiler-efficiency-ratings-sedbuk

Useful site


----------



## wiggydiggy (10 Dec 2022)

Cheers for all replies, have tried a few DIY fixes and its definately beyond my knowledge. I can live without hot water for a few days and have an oil filled radiator to get by with.


----------



## wiggydiggy (10 Dec 2022)

Cycleops said:


> You might find yourself eligible for a grant. Check with your local authority.
> I had one installed in my house in UK last year and it was around £3000 I think from an independent contractor.
> All new boilers have to be the condenser type now.



I've done a few checks and don't believe I am but was worth knowing about cheers.


----------



## I like Skol (10 Dec 2022)

Don't pay a premium for Bosch Worcester boilers, they are not the well built units they used to be and have very much been engineered down to a price by the bean counters in recent years. Lots of parts made from cheap materials that perish & fail IME. Plastics used in place of metal and components degrading badly within 6-7 years. My BW boiler started leaking shortly after the 5yr warranty and when trying to replace o-rings it was found that the components themselves were turning to dust. Cheap nasty parts made to last just long enough to get through the warranty period 

I'm not saying this is any worse than the other brands, but it definitely isn't worth paying a premium for any perceived quality advantage you might associate with the BW brand.

Talk to your gas engineer, they will know what is reliable and fixable.


----------



## bruce1530 (10 Dec 2022)

A friend who is a self-employed gas installer (and subcontractor to British Gas, although the price he charges for a job is usually much less than the BG price) used to only install Worcester Bosch. He's now started offering Ideal as well - says they aren't as good as Bosch, but generally "good enough" and he can install one of them with a 5 year guarantee for several hundred pounds less than a WorcesterBosch.


----------



## Jameshow (10 Dec 2022)

https://cchleeds.co.uk/services/central-heating-installation

I used this guy quite a few years ago. Nice guy.

Had both WB and ideal, ideal was a bit noisier.

Valient are good too.

Avoid ferroli I've been told - think fiat!


----------



## chris-suffolk (10 Dec 2022)

We've had a Viessmann boiler for a few years now, seems very good. Plumber fitted it at cost, so very reasonable price to us.


----------



## wiggydiggy (10 Dec 2022)

I've got a local coming on Tues for me, oddly he wouldn't recommend Valiant and instead has convinced me on a Baxi.

Just bought some thermals to wear under my normal stuff, have also got an oil filled radiator to heat one room.

I'll be boiling some water tomorrow for a wash, don't fancy a cold shower at all!


----------



## PK99 (10 Dec 2022)

Our 12 year old BG branded boiler failed its annual service check and was tagged "unsafe do not use" a few weeks ago. Failed seal at the back. Contractor said most companies would condem and recommend new boiler. But BG carry spares and he was back the next day. Full strip down, seal replaced, other bits and bobs sorted in the process. Took over 1/2 day

Zero cost. All covered by BG annual cover.


----------



## wiggydiggy (10 Dec 2022)

PK99 said:


> Our 12 year old BG branded boiler failed its annual service check and was tagged "unsafe do not use" a few weeks ago. Failed seal at the back. Contractor said most companies would condem and recommend new boiler. But BG carry spares and he was back the next day. Full strip down, seal replaced, other bits and bobs sorted in the process. Took over 1/2 day
> 
> Zero cost. All covered by BG annual cover.



It's definitely a service I want to buy, especially if I'm now buying a new boiler.

Ihadhome emergency cover on my insurance, absolutely useless as I called once and got cut off after 45 mins, the 2nd time was over an hour and cutoff again.

This was from *Admiral Insurance *who i would not now recommend at all, I'll be calling Monday to request a refund and to cancel as the service was abysmal.


----------



## slowmotion (10 Dec 2022)

Vaillant or Worcester Bosch.
Installers/specifiers tend to steer you towards a particular manufacturer because they get "points" every time they buy their boilers. The "points" can be traded for holidays, shopping vouchers etc.


----------



## wiggydiggy (10 Dec 2022)

slowmotion said:


> Vaillant or Worcester Bosch.
> Installers/specifiers tend to steer you towards a particular manufacturer because they get "points" every time they buy their boilers. The "points" can be traded for holidays, shopping vouchers etc.



Both of whom the guy that is coming has not recommended, though that be because of a loyalty scheme like you say.


----------



## slowmotion (10 Dec 2022)

wiggydiggy said:


> Both of whom the guy that is coming has not recommended, though that be because of a loyalty scheme like you say.



Some people call it a loyalty scheme, some people call it a bribe.....


----------



## wiggydiggy (10 Dec 2022)

slowmotion said:


> Some people call it a loyalty scheme, some people call it a bribe.....



I'm actually OK with the idea, we have loyalty cards when we go shopping for food so why not boilers too😁


----------



## gbb (10 Dec 2022)

Worth checking what finance deals can be done if short term financial are an issue.
BG for instance ( I know everyone hates them but they do only generally install reliable boilers...bearing in mind they also do aftercare...and they don't fit rubbish boilers that will end up costing them money if they're unreliable) do a 4 year interest free plan. 

As an idea of cost, ours (veissman boiler and new HW tank) was £3300, kinda mates rates. My son said had BG fitted it, probably £5.5k, maybe a bit more. The mates rates deal..if the guy had fitted it to general public, it would have probably been £5k

it all seems expensive for a boiler that cost less than £2k , add on a tank, powerflush which can take the best part of a day, sundries, chemicals, Installation time etc.
Up posts is questioning plumbers recommendations...being a cynic, I wouldn't take what they say at face value, they have their preferences for their reasons too.
We went veissman because
A . recommended as good by my son (BG engineer)
B . Did the homework, they come out very well in reviews by owners and the industry, plus one of the only manufacturers to have a stainless steel heat exchanger, alloy exchangers failing will condemn a boiler generally...and they do fail, the alloy eventually gives out to to continual expansion / contraction. Mind, how stainless actually fares seems to be an unknown...yet the industry seem to think it will be better.
C. I don't personally try to do stuff cheap, there's a reason stuff is cheap.


----------



## presta (10 Dec 2022)

I like Skol said:


> My BW boiler started leaking shortly after the 5yr warranty


5years? My Worcester Bosch (installed June 2017) is guaranteed for 10.


----------



## I like Skol (10 Dec 2022)

presta said:


> 5years? My Worcester Bosch (installed June 2017) is guaranteed for 10.



Mine was fitted end of 2012. I think the warranty got extended shortly after that .


----------



## wiggydiggy (10 Dec 2022)

gbb said:


> Worth checking what finance deals can be done if short term financial are an issue.
> BG for instance ( I know everyone hates them but they do only generally install reliable boilers...bearing in mind they also do aftercare...and they don't fit rubbish boilers that will end up costing them money if they're unreliable) do a 4 year interest free plan.
> 
> As an idea of cost, ours (veissman boiler and new HW tank) was £3300, kinda mates rates. My son said had BG fitted it, probably £5.5k, maybe a bit more. The mates rates deal..if the guy had fitted it to general public, it would have probably been £5k
> ...



Luckily I'm getting some family help on it, I have savings though those would be wiped out if I used them for this. It's a straight replacement, no tank involved. I'd have preferred to do this next year and move the boiler into the loft (I live in a bungalow and the current boiler takes up a big space in the kitchen) but for now just replacing is the priority.


My quote is for £2.5k which I understand is about average for what I want. Recent life events have meant I've not been at home so much and might have found out it needed replacing earlier but we don't get to choose when bad stuff happens.


----------



## Jameshow (10 Dec 2022)

wiggydiggy said:


> It's definitely a service I want to buy, especially if I'm now buying a new boiler.
> 
> Ihadhome emergency cover on my insurance, absolutely useless as I called once and got cut off after 45 mins, the 2nd time was over an hour and cutoff again.
> 
> This was from *Admiral Insurance *who i would not now recommend at all, I'll be calling Monday to request a refund and to cancel as the service was abysmal.



Ideal got funny with us and wouldn't honour the guarantee because one service was 3months out. ( New baby iirc!)


----------

