Which combi boiler / radiators ?

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GeX

GeX

GeX

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Looking to replace the heating system in our house. It's an Edwardian semi (3 bed) with suspended timber floors.

I've run the room details through http://www.bestheating.com/btu-calculator and the total heating output requirement is 28kBTU / 8.2kW. All of the rads will be replaced at the same time.

We only have one bathroom, but I want a decent flow rate in that and it not freeze me if someone runs a kitchen tap!

The kitchen as no space for a radiator, and has an electric plinth heater fitted. I want to replace that with something like https://www.plumbnation.co.uk/site/smith-s-space-saver-ss7-fan-convector---kitchen-plinth-heater/ so that it is heater as part of the CH loop. Anyone any experience of these?

Current system is an old boiler, controller by Hive that I fitted. I would like the new system to be OpenTherm compatible to I'm not stuck a manufacturer specific controller but still have the ability to control the power output / temperature of the boiler as the boiler will be going loft. This looks to rule out Bosch, which seem to be the go to.
 
My combi boiler is in the loft. I've never had any reason to adjust anything on it since it was commissioned three years ago.

If it's going in the loft get a second filling loop fitted where it's accessible or you'll be going up into the loft for that.
 
Noted, but I still want OpenTherm so the controller can control rather than just cycle the boiler.

Does the filling loop have a pressure gauge too? That can go where the boiler currently is I guess (3m below where it'll be in the loft)
 
Intergas is the popular boiler at the moment with installers, the combi models have very few moving parts to go wrong as the heat exchange runs the domestic hot water through a secondary channel so it has no diverter valve it also supports Opentherm.
 
Dangerous Dave said:
Intergas is the popular boiler at the moment with installers, the combi models have very few moving parts to go wrong as the heat exchange runs the domestic hot water through a secondary channel so it has no diverter valve it also supports Opentherm.
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Interesting, just reading up on them now. Thanks!
 
personally I would stay clear of intergas

I've changed quite a few pcbs and pressure sensors on these and there isn't many in my area considering the amount ive changed
 
The_One said:
personally I would stay clear of intergas

I've changed quite a few pcbs and pressure sensors on these and there isn't many in my area considering the amount ive changed
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What would you recommend?
 
Also personally I’ve never heard of intergas, that in itself means almost nothing of course but a colleague and I were talking to a plumber a little while back he said Ideal boilers were the go to nowadays. I was surprised and my colleague said he thought Worcester were the leaders but the guy stuck to his guns and said from a maintenance standpoint they are better (as in easier). Again that in itself doesn’t necessarily mean much as they might still be a heap of crap but they are literally everywhere now and installed in many many new builds.
 
thezappa said:
Also personally I’ve never heard of intergas, that in itself means almost nothing of course but a colleague and I were talking to a plumber a little while back he said Ideal boilers were the go to nowadays. I was surprised and my colleague said he thought Worcester were the leaders but the guy stuck to his guns and said from a maintenance standpoint they are better (as in easier). Again that in itself doesn’t necessarily mean much as they might still be a heap of crap but they are literally everywhere now and installed in many many new builds.
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they are everywhere and in new builds because they are CHEAP
 
I've got an Ideal Vogue gen2, opentherm as well via Honeywell Evohome.
Has been brilliant.

I chose the two because the Vogue has among the best modulation so suites Opentherm perfectly in that it will run a really low flow temperature, typically around 28c for my system to maintain over last winter.

Evohome because like you i want a plinth heater and i couldn't find a better system as it has relays as part of the system so i can control the plinth heater seperately.

Radiators i went with Myson Premier Compact, and sized them to each room with a delta of 30c to get that low flow temperature, so they are fairly large radiators in my house. Two benifits to a low delta system, low flow temps and fast warm up times, from being away for two weeks in winter the house was 5c, back up to 20c within 20 mins.
 
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I've had a Vokera for the last 5 years and hasn't given me a second of trouble, the new one's I believe are guaranteed for 7 years as well.
 
The_One said:
they are everywhere and in new builds because they are CHEAP
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Depends on the boiler surely, the Vogue is far from cheap. Everyone has there favorites, im a big fan of Ideal now, i actually needed them to come out, due to my systems complexities and how i was using it, they came the next morning and helped me track the issue down all for free even though there was nothing wrong with the boiler.
I couldn't find any other boilers that did opentherm and with such a good modulation.
 
robj20 said:
sized them to each room with a delta of 30c
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Can you elaborate on what this means?

Which plinth heater do you have, and how does the control work? I was intending to just have the fans on the units' own thermostat so that they kick in when the incoming water temperature is above a certain threshold.
 
Radiotors are sold with ratings at a delta 50 meaning 20c room temperature, 80 flow ,60 return 70 being the mean radiotor temp, 70-20=50.
I calculated my radiotor at 60 flow, 40 return. Hence the delta of 30. Radiotor manufacturers publish the different ratings, but basically say you have a 2kw radiotor, at 30c it's probably around 1.2kw. So you need a bigger one to achieve the same output.
 
robj20 said:
Has
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robj20 said:
I've got an Ideal Vogue gen2, opentherm as well via Honeywell Evohome.
Has been brilliant.

I chose the two because the Vogue has among the best modulation so suites Opentherm perfectly in that it will run a really low flow temperature, typically around 28c for my system to maintain over last winter.

Evohome because like you i want a plinth heater and i couldn't find a better system as it has relays as part of the system so i can control the plinth heater seperately.

Radiators i went with Myson Premier Compact, and sized them to each room with a delta of 30c to get that low flow temperature, so they are fairly large radiators in my house. Two benifits to a low delta system, low flow temps and fast warm up times, from being away for two weeks in winter the house was 5c, back up to 20c within 20 mins.
Click to expand...


Are you still impressed with the Ideal boiler..? Seems good value for the cost with a good guarantee. But I do read a lot of criticism of them and the company. Trust pilot have a poor rating of Ideal and yet Vaillant, Worcester and Baxi do quite well.

i need a new boiler, our Son will fit it, and these Ideal boiler seem to be priced pretty well at Screwfix.

Thinking of getting one and using a Hive 2 to control it.

The Baxi 630 seems pretty reasonable, the cost is pretty good - around £800 for a 30kw combi with Opentherm and Usense built in. Full SS heat exchanger and seven years warranty.
 
Vimes said:
Are you still impressed with the Ideal boiler..? Seems good value for the cost with a good guarantee. But I do read a lot of criticism of them and the company. Trust pilot have a poor rating of Ideal and yet Vaillant, Worcester and Baxi do quite well.

i need a new boiler, our Son will fit it, and these Ideal boiler seem to be priced pretty well at Screwfix.

Thinking of getting one and using a Hive 2 to control it.

The Baxi 630 seems pretty reasonable, the cost is pretty good - around £800 for a 30kw combi with Opentherm and Usense built in. Full SS heat exchanger and seven years warranty.
Click to expand...

Yes works perfectly.
 
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