harry wrote:
On Mar 11, 9:10 am, sm_jamieson wrote:
OK, this changes from time to time I guess.
I may be getting a new combi boiler , about 30kW.
Up to a 1000 quids.
What is the most reliable boiler around at the moment for that spec ?
I.e. one that has the vaguest hope of lasting 10 years (I know its
ridiculous !)
Gas chap recommends Vaillant ...
Cheers,
Simon.

Don't bother with a combi. They are ****e of the devil. Put in a
conventional system ie with roof tanks and the HW storage tank (well
lagged). There's such a thing as too much technology. You will still
have to have a condensing boiler. It will cost you more but there
will be far less trouble and expense with repairs and spare parts.
This also means you can install a solar hot water roof panel which you
can't with a combi. Also your bath will fill quickly.

But...

Every day you are paying out good money to heat up a whole tank of hot
water - that you may never use. Your boiler, first thing in the morning, is
having to work overtime heating both the radiators *and* the tankful of
water that you will probably only use a fraction of.

Prior to switching I was of the 'don't touch a combi with a barge-pole'
school of thought. I was persuaded by the argument that modern condensing
combis are a dramatic improvement on the earlier efforts.

We have had the combi for three years now and have no regrets. I was able to
remove all the plumbing and tanks from the loft. Got rid of the noisy
power-shower, got rid of the hot water tank, ripped out the airing cupboard
from the bathroom and replaced it with an offset-quadrant walk-in shower,
and now enjoy significantly lower fuel bills, a better and quieter shower,
and faster heating radiators.

It *does* take a bit longer to fill the bath - but I opted for a larger than
necessary boiler with a high flow-through of hot water - and the extra time
is really not an issue, particularly when my wife and I shower every day and
only usually have a bath when we want a 'warm-up' soak!

--
Triff