Combination boilers

Advantages: Good where there is a lack of space.
Disadvantages: Not always the best option.

...Combination boilers (also known as combi boilers) are the most popular boilers in the UK. With a combination boiler you have one unit which supplies both your heating and hot water, there are no separate tanks. Advantages of a combi boiler: Hot water supplied on demand. No hot water cylinder required thus saving space which is why a lot of people choose to have a combi. Hot water supplied at mains pressure. Disadvantages: Most combi boilers can only supply one tap at any one time. You will be left with no hot water if the boiler was to break down. Not the best option for larger homes. Cannot supply hot water and heating simultaneously. With a combi boiler, the water is supplied on demand, which means when you open a hot water tap the boiler will fire up to heat the cold water entering the boiler, the water is heated by what...

economy 29.03.2009 (05.04.2009) · Read review
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Review of Combination Boiler System

Good boiler lousy digital thermostat

Advantages: pumps heat out, when the thermostat isnt fault which is often
Disadvantages: two new thermostats within three months of new- can't be coincidence

...The boiler is fine -- I had one fitted at the end of October 2007 and it's excellent. The digitizing thermostat (wireless) is so unreliable it is next to useless. Give Worcester their due - their jolly little call centre does call back and arrange a visit and replacement very quickly but . . The thermostat began to dysfunction on 21st Dec- by 29th Dec I'd had enough of no heating, coming home to an icy home. Once I reset the receiver it worked fine. . Until the next time - two or three times a day I had to reset it. Waste of money! Worcester replaced the thermostat and receiver in 8th January 2008, that one first went wrong on 19th January 2008 - eleven days from being fitted- same problem with the receiver - signal going and then switching the whole system to "off". No, there haven't been any power cuts! It's the part - and they...

Muvvs 22.01.2008 · Read review
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Review of Worcester Combi Boiler

Electrastream boiler - an alternative to gas and oil.

Advantages: No unsightly tanks and more efficient than storage heaters.
Disadvantages: None so far.

...garden. Because it doesn?t use gas or oil there was no need to have a boiler installed in my kitchen. The system uses conventional water filled radiators which are far more attractive than the storage heaters. I can get heat on demand 24 hours a day whenever I want it. I can take advantage of the economy 10 tariff and have the control unit system that controls the hot water and the heating On/Off times programmed accordingly. I have a far more flexible heating control than I did with storage heaters because of the thermostat control. There is a 25 year guarantee There is also a frost free protection setting that can be used if I should go away over the winter months. The system consists of a large white cylinder measuring 115cm high with a diameter of 50 cm approximately with a capacity of 150 litres. Copper pipes are attached to it in...

colliedog2 24.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of GAH Heating Electrastream Electric Boiler

Worcester / Bosch Combi Boiler Greenstar 30CDi

Advantages: Excellent energy efficiency and money savings over older versions
Disadvantages: Time lag to generate hot water on economy mode

...aided the fitters as they had to put new Copper heating pipes under a few of the floorboards. The boiler itself has a rather stylish look over the older "square brick" look and it's only 760x440x360 in size so leads itself to mounting in either an airing cupboard, as we did, or for mounting in the kitchen. The 30CDi si an A rated efficiency condensing combi boiler and we have allready noticed the improved efficency and savings over the boiler we had fitted in our previous house We have now had the boiler fitted for just over Six months and we have noticed that the delivery of hot water to the downstairs taps can take upto 30 seconds this is not a problem to us as we had the boiler fitted upstairs in an airing cupboard however hot water to the adjacent bathroom is well under this time. We could have switched the boiler from Ecomomy mode...

pselby 24.06.2006 · Read review
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Review of Worcester Combi Boiler

First experiences of a combi/condensing boiler

Advantages: Hot water on demand. Cheaper bills, Great showers
Disadvantages: Central heating is slow to perform. A little more expensive to install.

...Just as winter was starting, our boiler decided to pack up. I managed to conclude that the problem was with the pump but as the boiler was about 30 years old and some (we inherited it when we moved in) we decided that the best investment was in a new one. The decision was helped by the various shaking heads and lack of definite price estimates for repair from the succession of engineers who had a look. We had also spent about £350 reparing it the year before. The question then is which one to go for. The system being pretty old, also needed new hot,cold and header tanks as well as a few rads. We therefore decided to spend a bit more on the boiler and went for a new Bosch condensing/combination version. We knew that the water pressure would be the key to it working effectively. We were advised by two companies that the pressure...

smithid 07.03.2004 (08.03.2004) · Read review
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Review of Combination Boiler System

There can't be a worse boiler on the market today.

Advantages: When it breaks down (as it often does) my gas bill is lower
Disadvantages: It doesnt work

...I also have a dreaded Ravenheat combi condensing boiler (85T). It was the worst purchase I ever made. Unfortunately my trusty Vaillant broke down after 15 years and we needed a new boiler quickly. At the time they were being sold at B&Q for much less than others and seemed a good deal. The saying "you get what you pay for" must have been made for Ravenheat boilers. This bane of my life has broken down numerous times in the three years I have had it and now it keeps cutting out and the red overheat light keeps coming on. I can usually restart it and it might keep going for half an hour and then it cuts out again. The causes might be numerous. Dodgy sensor, sticky valve, fan cutting out, PCB board etc., Who knows? Corgi engineers don't seem to. Whatever you do, do not throw your money away on Ravenheat. You will regret it....

Keilyn 02.04.2008 · Read review
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Review of Ravenheat Condensing Combi Boiler

Baxi Barcelona condensing boiler- never ever

Advantages: none
Disadvantages: read on

...Sounds as if was me writing that. Same story commisioned this boiler on the day of my 40th birthday, 7 years ago, I have just ripped it out and installed a new (not Baxi.... ever) boiler. Never again will I go with such a pig in a poke boiler as this. Sounded like a nuclear explosion then a jet taking off before getting any heat. I am a shift worker and had to programme the timer so as the boiler didn't waken me!!! The first sign of trouble was when the boiler box door slackened off (becuase of the explosion/vibration) this caused excess gases to leak into the box, corroding the screw catch. This worsened the explosions. The aluminuim heat exchanger constantly gave off particles of aluminium oxide which polluted the condensate trap, causing me more grief and money. Then finally, the last straw. Living in Scotland, the weather is...

doopherdaffer 15.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of Baxi Barcelona Gas Boiler

Good but overrated

Advantages: Customer service
Disadvantages: Everything else.

...The Worcester Greenstar boilers are probably the most overrated boilers on the market. Often people argue that the boilers are very good quality German boilers, in reality these boilers are not German but are actually made Worcester, UK! I would not describe these boilers as "rubbish"or "unreliable" but rather over hyped and not worth how much there are. Another thing about these boilers is that if you really wanted to get this boiler you would have to get the top of the range model to make your purchase worth it. The problem is that the standard and budget models are often not of the best quality. (i,Si and Junior ranges). Durability: The boilers are not the most flimsy but there are flimsy for their price; the lid of the controls is made of plastic which will eventually break and fall off, the key that is used to re pressurize...

economy 03.02.2009 (05.04.2009) · Read review
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Review of Worcester Combi Boiler

30CDi - Superb Condensing Combi

Advantages: Great Service/Warranty Package; easy to use
Disadvantages: Nothing yet.

...We had the Worcester / Bosch Combi Boiler Greenstar 30CDi installed in May this year, having recently moved into a house with a pre-historic back boiler. Having had over 8 heating engineers round to quote for the job and provide advice on their preference of boiler for our 3-bed semi, and then having reviewed the various boiler recommended (Valiant etc) we opted for the Worcester / Bosch Combi Boiler Greenstar 30CDi primarily on family recommendations, the fact that it came with 2 year warranty (3 years if installed by a Worcester installation engineer - as ours was) but the winning factor - that Worcester provided an extended warranty to 5 years, with the inclusion of a yearly service for 5 years for only £230 approx. You pay more than that in servicing alone for 3 years - let alone servicing by an approved technician for 5 years...

mesci 07.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of Worcester Combi Boiler

Controls on worcester bosch greenstar 30Si combi central heating

Advantages: none
Disadvantages: Controls not included in guarantee

...Be warned- I had the above boiler installed sept.2008- guaranteed for 5 years- the boiler has been repaired twice in less than 6 months- now however now . it is the controls that are not working - contacted worcester bosch- and they informed me THEY DO NOT GUARANTEEE THE CONTROLS- these do not come under the guarantee- was told to contact the installer- Delta ne. Contacted them -after waiting for a week with no response-contacted them again and was informed by the installer- he has no intention of coming - it was up to me to contact SIEMENS. The worcester bosch engineer that came - did isolate the controls so we can manually turn the heating on and off-. Now I have a central heating system- that is manually controlled- . DELTA NE did guarantee a 5 year parts and labour warranty- but it seems this is not worth the paper it is written...

bepete 10.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Worcester Combi Boiler