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Combi Boilers - our recommendations!
We often get asked “what’s your best combi?”
That’s a difficult question to answer, because it depends on what you want it for.
The right combi for a 4 bed, 2 bathroom, luxury house would be a bit over-spec
for a 1 bed rental property. So we have divided the market into 5 segments,
and offer a brief review of some of our most popular boilers.
Inexpensive Band A Combis
Although Band B boilers do satisfy current
regs, many public sector clients, and some
householders insist on Band A boilers.
Whereas Band B appliances are usually
older, non-condensing appliances with
a face-lift, Band A boilers are designed
from scratch as high-efficiency products.
You don’t have to spend a fortune to help
save the planet - here are two boilers
that deliver Band A performance without
breaking the bank.
Heatline
Solaris 24
£475.80
Mid Range Combis
Main Eco 25 Combi
A relatively new offering from Baxi-Potterton’s
little brother, designed specifically for the UK
market. The engineering is solid, the price
is attractive for a big-brand manufacturer,
and, like all Main appliances, installation is
straightforward. Buying
a Main is a bit like
buying a Ford - you
know you could get
something flashier, but
you wonder if the
extra price is
worth it.
Heatline Solaris/Sargon
Two names for the same appliance, as the Sargon
is mostly a cosmetic upgrade to the Solaris, although we understand
that more of the internals are now Vaillant parts. The usual Heatline
2 year warranty applies, although reports from Solaris users
suggest that this appliance has higher-than-usual reliability.
You get an awful lot of hot water for your money, with even
the 35kw model coming in only a fraction over £500.
These are the 4 door family saloons of the boiler market - there are lots of
appliances out there, mostly pretty good, with slightly different features, but all
doing much the same job. We have chosen a couple of boilers that typify the
market, and have excellent reputations.
Glowworm Ultracom Cxi 30
A decade ago, Glow-worm were infamous for a series of poor
combi boilers. More recently, their family of XI branded boilers
have more than made up for past short-comings. The Ultracom
Cxi has built a loyal following from experienced gas installers
for performance, reliability and ease of installation and
servicing. Glowworm have just upgraded their warranty to a
full 2 years for parts and labour bringing it in line with other
manufacturers. A good choice for mid-range installations.
Potterton Gold/ Baxi Duotec
The Potterton Gold was voted “best combi boiler” in a Which? magazine review of most
leading appliances, based on a range of factors, including price and quality. These two
boilers share more-or-less the same internals, differing mostly in external design
and appearance. The Potterton version is slightly dearer, but benefits from a
class-leading 3 year warranty. The Baxi version will save you a few quid but
with a two year warranty. You pays yer money, and takes yer choice!
Baxi
Duotec 28
£725
Potterton
Gold HE 28
£749
Glowworm
Ultracom Cxi 30
£709
Main
Eco 25
£530
Baxi
Platinum 33
£919
Budget Combis
There will always be an entry level
market, where price is the driving
factor. However, you don’t want to
get stuck with a lemon, regardless
of how cheap it was. We suggest:
Main
HE 24
£455
Main HE 24
(Band B)
Combi Boiler Selector
Heatline
Capriz HE 28
£379
3
Heatline Capriz 28
(Band B)
Heatline is the budget brand of the
Vaillant Group, and this compact combi
has been one of our fastest selling
boilers since the HE regs came in. With
the 28kw model selling at the same
price as the 24kw, you may as well
benefit from the higher flow rate of the
28kw. A 2 year warranty reassures you
that the bargain basement price hasn’t
come from sloppy engineering. It’s no
Vaillant, but it is a solid workhorse.
This boiler is based on the
old Potterton Performa,
up-rated to a condensing
model. The technology may not be cutting edge, but it is tried
and tested. The back up of the Baxi-Potterton group and a 15
month warranty puts it ahead of many other budget boilers, and
our customers tell us it’s a doddle to fit.
Premium Combis
When quality really counts, pinching
pennies is not possible. These boilers
are not cheap, but look at what you
get for your money.
Vaillant Ecotec Plus 831
Vaillant have always delivered classy products,
and the flagship Ecotec 831 is no exception. The
engineering quality is apparent as soon as you
open the box, backed up by a seven-day-a-week, 2
year warranty as standard.
Every boiler manufacturer
add bells and whistles
to their appliances - the
difference is that Vaillant
do it better than most.
Vaillant
Ecotec Plus 831
£836
Once an engineer
starts fitting Vaillant,
it’s very rare that
they change brand.
Baxi Platinum 33
Building on the same core
technology as the Potterton
Gold/Duotec, Baxi have
taken their premium offering
very seriously. A FIVE year
warranty demonstrates the
commitment to quality.
When long term peace of
mind is important to you and
your client, this is well worth
considering.
Massive Flow-rates
Until recently, combi boilers were only usually suitable for single
bathroom properties. With 2nd bathrooms now commonplace, the
boiler manufacturers have some uprated appliances capable of meeting that
demand for more hot water.
Vaillant Ecotec Plus 837
Baxi Duotec 40
The only way of getting high
flow-rates without storing hot
water is to make BIG burners
and heat-exchangers. At 40kw
(136,000btu) DHW output,
the Duotec is a real monster,
and churns out the hot water
at a gob-smacking 16 litres
per minute. Just make sure
that the incoming cold water
main is big enough to cope!
Baxi
Platinum 33
£919
The growth of the combi
market was led by Vaillant
with their iconic SINE 18
boiler back in the 1980s.
This 5th generation Ecotec
Plus has a domestic hot
water output getting on for
twice that of its illustrious
Vaillant ancestor, making it a
Ecotec Plus 831 practical choice for
the two bathroom
£836 property.