Which Oil Combi Boiler is best

[Alex61]

Hi Guys
New to this forum so excuse me if this question has already been raised.
I am about to install an oil central heating system and wondered which boiler you guys recommend I have been quoted for both Warmflow UC120 HE and a Worcester Greenslave Heatslave 25/32 but some reviews favour a Grant Vortex so all in all I'm finding it confusing hence I'm needing your advice please.

Also so I wondered if anyone has used or any experience of skirting heating as opposed to the tried and tested tradition of using radiators

 

[johnf]

Hi
Out of the above boilers you have mentioned I would go for Grant. Worcester oil boilers used to be good before condensing boilers came around and then they went downhill. They have recently been redesigned so they could have improved. I don't know as we have not seen any of the new ones. Warmflow used to be terrible but are improving so I hear. Again too scared from all the repairs we have done on them to be tempted to fit one of the current range. We almost exclusively fit Grant boilers as they are the best of the bunch but by no means perfect.
With regards to perimeter skirting heating- it works but make sure you have done your heat loss calculations properly beforehand as it would be pointless fitting this and then having to have supplementary heating if it did not heat the room!
Cheers
John

 

[Best]

No idea about the latest skirting heating, but it used to be done 50, 60 years ago and was a failure.
As for combi oil boilers, if you can, avoid them. Fit a heat only boiler and either a gravity fed copper cylinder, or if you have proper pressure and flow rates, an unvented hot cylinder.

 

[johnf]

Have to agree with Best. Don't fit a Combi if you can. More to go wrong. Keep things simple and it costs less to repair.

 

[Dotty]

No idea about the latest skirting heating, but it used to be done 50, 60 years ago and was a failure.
As for combi oil boilers, if you can, avoid them. Fit a heat only boiler and either a gravity fed copper cylinder, or if you have proper pressure and flow rates, an unvented hot cylinder.

Agree 110% with this. Every time there's a major issue with an oil boiler it's a combi.

 

[Jay The Plumber]

Have to agree with Best. Don't fit a Combi if you can. More to go wrong. Keep things simple and it costs less to repair.

same with servicing, I hate servicing combi's, there is always an issue that I have to go back to, I will be raising my service costs for combi's this year cos they are a total PITA.

 

[Alex61]

Thanks for the sound advice guys
As a matter of interest what would the average service charge be for Combi v Heat only boiler

 

[johnf]

It depends on where you are in the Country. We don't charge more for servicing Combi's. We make more in repair charges over the life of the boiler than we would with a heat only and unvented setup for instance. So although I would not have one myself we do make money from repairing them! All my costly repair bills recently have been for work on combi boilers.
Saying that get a good warranty and a good installer to fit it and you may stand half a chance. Don't go with the cheapest quote just because it is.