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On the lookout for a new boiler, but don’t know where to start?
Buying a new boiler can be confusing, not to mention an unexpected expense. Our aim is to remove any confusion during the decision making process.
Below we will cover:
At Dwellow, we know the frustration of buying a new boiler isn’t just the expense, it’s the time. If you’re strapped for time, simply bookmark this page for later, and read this summary which quickly outlines the whole post.
There are hundreds of boilers, offered by dozens of brands, with varied warranties and at different price points. So which one is the best boiler brand? And which one is suitable for your home?
Put simply, it’s not a one size fits all approach. The size of your heating run, amount of radiators, bathtubs, showers and more, all have an impact on which is going to be the best combi boiler brand for you to choose.
The main focus here should be on warranty. A boiler manufacturer (or fitter for that matter) offering a 1-2 year warranty doesn’t instil us with much confidence.
We only fit boilers from the top manufacturers and they come with a 10-12 year warranty included in your fixed price. These brands include:
From these top brands, our favourite boilers are:
Below we give an overview of the 5 most reliable combi boiler brands, all come with extensive warranties.
Whether you decide to pick from this list or not, we can’t stress how important warranty is. You’ll want to pick a boiler that has a minimum of 10 years (more if possible). And this is what we provide when installing any of the 5 brands we mention below.
You can get prices on top boiler brands using our boiler installation quote tool here.
1. Vaillant
When people think of boiler brands, typically they'd think of Worcester Bosch. Vaillant being one of Worcester Bosch's main competitors for decades speaks to the quality of the boilers they're producing. Alongside that, they've been one of the big innovators in the air source heat pump space.
One of the most reliable and best combi boilers coming out of the Vaillant factory right now, is the Vaillant EcoTec. Whilst this only comes with a standard 5-year warranty, fitted using a Dwellow installer gets that warranty boosted to a massive 10-years...and we like big warranties!
As with all boiler manufacturers on this list, Vaillant has thousands of positive reviews on Trustpilot; over 22,000 averaging 4.6/5 stars.
2. Ideal Heating
Like Alpha, you'll struggle to find a fitter or plumbing merchant that doesn't supply combi boilers from Ideal Heating. With over 100 years in the industry, they're established as one of the market leaders. And that's not just in terms of sales figures, they’re known for producing some of the most reliable combi boilers in the UK.
Similar to other brands in our list, Ideal Heating has won a raft of awards, including prestigious ones from Good Housekeeping and the Heating & Plumbing Monthly. They continue to win awards year on year.
Awards are great, but realistically, you want to see what customers of Ideal Heating have to say.
Ideal Heating has over 64,000 reviews on Trustpilot with an average of 4.8/5 stars. In comparison, a couple of manufacturers not mentioned on this list (boiler brands to avoid, basically), are down at 3.6-3.9 stars on their Trustpilot review page.
3. Alpha
Alpha is a combi boiler brand that needs little introduction in the UK, offered by most reputable boiler fitters and plumbing merchants.
One of their most reliable boilers is the Alpha E-Tec Plus, which isn't just "Good Homes Approved", it also comes with a 10 year warranty as standard.
Alpha has now launched their "Premier Pack". Why do we like their Premier Pack? Because when it’s fitted alongside the Alpha E-Tec Plus combi boiler, you'll see your warranty bumped from 10 years, to a massive 13 years!
The company has sold over 8,000,000 boilers to date in 30 different countries, leading to a wealth of positive reviews both on and offline. With over 5,000 reviews on Alpha reviews on Trustpilot, they average 4.8/5 stars, making this one of the most popular boiler manufacturers in the UK.
4. Viessmann
Viessmann are typically a brand that's lesser known by the general public, and are completely underrated. What that does mean is you'll be getting plenty of bang for your buck, from a manufacturer with over 100 years experience in the heating sector.
Among their range, the Viessmann Vitodens combi boiler is the most reliable, and the most popular. From your average local fitter, you'll get a 7-year warranty as standard. As with all of our boiler installations, we'll bump this warranty to 10-years for all Dwellow customers buying a new Viessmann boiler.
In comparison to the likes of Ideal Heating (4.8/5 stars), Viessmann definitely is lagging on Trustpilot.
That said, a lot of the negative reviews seem to be installer related rather than brand/quality related and they still achieve a rating of 4.4 from their reviews.
5. Worcester Bosch
Finally, we have Worcester Bosch. For decades Worcester Bosch has been the go-to manufacturer and one of the best boiler brands in the UK.
And similar to Vaillant in the air source space, they're an innovator. Boilers such as their Greenstar Life Combis are able to run on a 20% hydrogen blend.
Interestingly, but not the most important fact. As standard many of Worcester Bosch' combi boilers come with a standard 10-year warranty.
Fitted using Dwellow's boiler installation service? Your warranty is increased to 12-years.
Trustpilot shows Worcester as sitting in the mid-high range of the best boiler brands on this list, with over 42,000 reviews averaging 4.6/5 stars.
Without naming any names, you should focus on one simple thing when choosing a boiler; warranty.
Our experience suggests warranty really does reflect the quality and reliability of a boiler. Or at the very least, if your unit is unreliable for whatever reason you’ve got the peace of mind of a parts and labour warranty (and not a crazy repair bill instead).
But, what’s the average warranty? And what kind of warranty do you really need?
Up until a few years ago, 5-years was a more than respectable warranty. As boiler reliability has improved, typical warranties are between 7-10 years, with some being as high as 12.
Put simply, the combi boilers you should avoid are ones offering less than 5-years warranty.
Sure, you may save £100-200 initially on your installation, but those savings are quickly going to get swallowed up by repairs (a simple repair could be £150-300+), and even more so when the inevitable happens; you need to replace your cheap boiler for a new, reliable one.
Our list of the 5 most reliable and best boiler brands may seem limited, but we’ve chosen to only fit combi boilers from the top manufacturers (the 5 on this list). These are all brands we’d be more than happy being installed in our own homes!
Whilst the brands are on-par in terms of reliability, they all offer different solutions for different types of homes. The best combi boiler brand for a 3-bed semi with one shower, is not going to be the same as a 2-bed detached with two showers.
And that’s why we created our 60 second clickable boiler quote form.
Using that, click a couple of options and you’ll have the most suitable boilers listed on-screen (or via email if you prefer) within 1 minute, all at massively competitive prices.
Still unsure about which is the best combi boiler for your property, or, which brands you should avoid?
Get in touch via our contact form and one of our team will steer you in the right direction.
Try our free quote tool. You'll have your personalised quote in under a minute.
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