Gas Boiler Recommendations?

I had a quick Google and the controls with the outside weather comp sensor were about £200 for valiant assuming you don’t have the required main controller already and are just missing the sensor, works on all ecotech boilers apparently.

Do your own research of course!!
 
b0rn2sk8 said:
I had a quick Google and the controls with the outside weather comp sensor were about £200 for valiant assuming you don’t have the required main controller already and are just missing the sensor, works on all ecotech boilers apparently.

Do your own research of course!!
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Yeah thanks for the nudge - been Googling all morning. Seems the EU Tado version has proven compatibility too; just as good. I can see a listing on eBay where someone has bought the Vaillant control then gone with Nest. There are some non-smart Vaillant controllers with physical weather comp sensors that look good, too.

I guess if I am going vSmart with online weather comp, I may as well go Tado or Nest (lower cost, perhaps a bit more ubiquitous?). I never rate traditional firms doing clever IT stuff lol.
 
Do you have a hot water cylinder ? Valiant controls work well with this as it allows dual flow temps so you can still heat the hot water cylinder at 50-80C Flow temps with weather compensation control the heating flow temp.

The controls are great once you've done a bit of experitmenting with the heating curves. We moved from a large old open flu storage combo boiler to a system boiler/unvented cylinder and it reduced our gas usage by a smidge over 40%.

When you are looking for a new boiler you want one that can run the burner at the lowest output possible as you don't want the boiler to start cycling the burner as each time it stops the heat goes out the flu. This can also mean it can be more efficient heating more rooms to stop the boiler cycling than heating a single or a couple of rooms and having the boiler cycling frequently.

We have a busy house so we'd never get away with only heating a couple of rooms but I did try with 3/4 and it used less gas heating the whole house 06:30 to 21:00 than trying to heat up 3/4 rooms at different times as the boiler would cycle where heating the whole house it runs at minimum burn without cycling the burner.

By moving from heating the cylinder on demand to heating a couple of times a day when it's near empty the extra control over the hot water flow temps with a 22kw coil in the cylinder also allowed with a lower hot water storage temp of 50c to heat the cylinder with the boiler condensing the whole time only twice a day from multiple sorter bursts heating the cylinder back to full knocked another 10% ish off the summer gas bill which is only heating the water with fairly static gas cooker use, should have done this earlier.
 
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Dangerous Dave said:
Do you have a hot water cylinder ? Valiant controls work well with this as it allows dual flow temps so you can still heat the hot water cylinder at 50-80C Flow temps with weather compensation control the heating flow temp.

The controls are great once you've done a bit of experitmenting with the heating curves. We moved from a large old open flu storage combo boiler to a system boiler/unvented cylinder and it reduced our gas usage by a smidge over 40%.

When you are looking for a new boiler you want one that can run the burner at the lowest output possible as you don't want the boiler to start cycling the burner as each time it stops the heat goes out the flu. This can also mean it can be more efficient heating more rooms to stop the boiler cycling than heating a single or a couple of rooms and having the boiler cycling frequently.

We have a busy house so we'd never get away with only heating a couple of rooms but I did try with 3/4 and it used less gas heating the whole house 06:30 to 21:00 than trying to heat up 3/4 rooms at different times as the boiler would cycle where heating the whole house it runs at minimum burn without cycling the burner.

By moving from heating the cylinder on demand to heating a couple of times a day when it's near empty the extra control over the hot water flow temps with a 22kw coil in the cylinder also allowed with a lower hot water storage temp of 50c to heat the cylinder with the boiler condensing the whole time only twice a day from multiple sorter bursts heating the cylinder back to full knocked another 10% ish off the summer gas bill which is only heating the water with fairly static gas cooker use, should have done this earlier.
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Yes I have a kingspan tank. That's useful to know. Might be best sticking with Vaillant then and just sinking the additional cost (there is a weather comp ecocomfort for sale on eBay and then I'll need to add an internet gateway I think).
 
If you are going for the full control system you'll need the VR66/2 wiring centre, the control valves for the heating/hot water cylinder and the temperature sensor for the cylinder connect to this and then ebus to the boiler.

It is easy to wire up, they don't use the trigger switch in the valves. It is better for the valves as it can open the valves before starting the pump and vice versa it also cycles them through out the year if the circuit isn't being used to help prevent them sticking.
 
Dangerous Dave said:
If you are going for the full control system you'll need the VR66/2 wiring centre, the control valves for the heating/hot water cylinder and the temperature sensor for the cylinder connect to this and then ebus to the boiler.

It is easy to wire up, they don't use the trigger switch in the valves. It is better for the valves as it can open the valves before starting the pump and vice versa it also cycles them through out the year if the circuit isn't being used to help prevent them sticking.
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Thanks, really appreciate this guidance..apols to op. I've seen a few sensoComforts on eBay with the box, so I assume that'll get me going. I can also see the vsmart ones which look a bit less sophisticated standalone but smart out of the box. Will do some reading.
 
Used Google's code and got a Nest Thermostat for £160. The Vaillant controller is about 4x the cost including internet gateway.
 
Just had Vaillant combi installed, happy with it but can't get my old Tado to work with it. Tried everything but no luck, strange as it worked with our old Vaillant combi in our previous house.

So have decided to go with Vaillant own thermostat, comes with external sensor.

sensoCOMFORT heating control - Wired and wireless controls for heating and hot water - Vaillant

Highly efficient with ErP Class VI rating | Fully modulating with load and weather compensating technology | Multi-zone heating and hot water controls | The touch interface provides a simplistic method of navigating the control | Flexible time programs
professional.vaillant.co.uk professional.vaillant.co.uk
 
oggiet said:
Just had Vaillant combi installed, happy with it but can't get my old Tado to work with it. Tried everything but no luck, strange as it worked with our old Vaillant combi in our previous house.

So have decided to go with Vaillant own thermostat, comes with external sensor.

sensoCOMFORT heating control - Wired and wireless controls for heating and hot water - Vaillant

Highly efficient with ErP Class VI rating | Fully modulating with load and weather compensating technology | Multi-zone heating and hot water controls | The touch interface provides a simplistic method of navigating the control | Flexible time programs
professional.vaillant.co.uk professional.vaillant.co.uk
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How much did you pay? I was looking at SensoComfort but it's an extra 150 odd quid for remote control.
 
dlockers said:
How much did you pay? I was looking at SensoComfort but it's an extra 150 odd quid for remote control.
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I paid £250. As we both work from home don't need remote access and geofencing. Will arrive next week, when installed will let you know how we get on.
 
oggiet said:
I paid £250. As we both work from home don't need remote access and geofencing. Will arrive next week, when installed will let you know how we get on.
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Awesome thanks. I'm getting conflicting info on Vaillant supporting opentherm so might just bite the bullet on the SensoComfort...
 
Stu999 said:
I think they’re supposed to be ok, just other brands are better rated.
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Not really mate.

Worcester are still amongst the best rated and have been consistently for decades. The idea that other brands are better rates has no actual basis whereas as Which has had them as best buy for years.

You'll always get the anecdotal "they are harder to maintain than Vaillant" but the reality is that, whatever parts they use they are very reliable.

Worcesters issue is competition and pricing and, let's be honsest, Boilers are a perfected technology now - most brands are solid.
 
Jumping on the thread. The mechanical timer on my Worcester boiler doesn't seem to be working. As in it's not ticking or moving time. Looks like I can source a replacement for about £70. Or is it worth grabbing a Hive (or similar) style thermostat?
 
dlockers said:
Awesome thanks. I'm getting conflicting info on Vaillant supporting opentherm so might just bite the bullet on the SensoComfort...
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Just installed it as it came early, seems to be working great so far. At first I thought it wasn't working properly but it is. I'm just use to to having boiler go full pelt and off, currently it's adjusting flow temp according to outside temp so hardly feel it but keeps inside temp great.
 
oggiet said:
Just installed it as it came early, seems to be working great so far. At first I thought it wasn't working properly but it is. I'm just use to to having boiler go full pelt and off, currently it's adjusting flow temp according to outside temp so hardly feel it but keeps inside temp great.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I've started a return on nest. Where did you get your control from? Was there any additional bits needed?
 
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