Best Boiler For A 5 Bedroom House?
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Best Boiler For A 5 Bedroom House?
Large houses need high output boilers in order to keep up with central heating demand from lots of radiators. Alongside this, they'll need to be able to provide hot water to taps, as well as 2+ bathtubs / showers.
Because of the high demand from multiple bathrooms, typically, a system or regular boiler is best suited to 5 bedroom houses. However, in some instances, a large combi boiler can be used.
If you think you have a combi boiler fitted and want it replaced, check out our guide to the most reliable combi boilers here.
Or, continue to read our big guide where we'll explain:
Boiler Output (kW) Guide
To pick the most suitable brand and model, you’ll need to know what size boiler you need for your 5 bedroom house.
An average property (2-3 bedroom) is likely to need a 25kW-30kW combi boiler. This is enough to power up to 10 small-medium sized radiators and one shower.
Large 5 bedroom properties are going to need a much bigger boiler thanks to their larger floor area, more radiators and in general, 2-3 showers.
And remember, if you have a system or regular boiler, that's going to use a hot water cylinder. Water will be heated before it's needed, taking a lot of the strain off your boiler. This means you'll need a much lower kW output system / regular boiler than you would if your property uses a combi.
Combi boilers heat hot water on demand and don't utilise a hot water cylinder.
The table below offers guidelines for kW output needed for a 5 bedroom property.
As you can see, expect to need a system or regular boiler (utilising a hot water cylinder) in the region of 25-30kW for an average 5 bedroom house. If your property uses a combi, expect to need a boiler with an output in the region of 32-38kW.
Our clickable boiler quote tool here will take into account your property size and current heating setup to suggest the best boiler for your property.
The Best Boilers For Large 5 Bedroom Houses
Most boiler manufacturers selling in the UK have a boiler to suit 5 bedroom houses, whether that be a combi, system or regular boiler.
A boiler engineer can help pick the exact model that best suits your property. To do this, they'll look at both your hot water and heating demand, as well as the type of boiler you need (combi, system or regular).
Below is a list of the best boilers for 5 bedroom houses.
- Worcester Bosch 4000 & 8000 Life
Worcester Bosch is the most well known boiler brand in the UK. Within their range, there's both the Greenstar 4000 and Greenstar 8000 Life.
The 4000 and 8000 Life range has system boiler outputs of 12-30kW and combi boiler outputs of 25-40kW. Taking the 40kW combi as an example, you'll get up to 16.4L per minute flow rate, which is one of the highest in the industry.
If you're looking for a boiler that can keep up with high hot water and heating demand, the Worcester Greenstar Life is an excellent choice. As with most Worcester Bosch boilers, the Life range comes with a warranty of up to 12-years.
- Vaillant ecoTEC Plus
The next boiler on our shortlist is the ecoTEC Plus, the flagship model from Vaillant. Like the Worcester Life range, there are combi and system boilers suitable for large 5 bedroom houses on offer.
For system boilers, there are outputs from 12-35kW available. For combis, you've got options from 26-40kW, so you'll be looking at the higher end for a 5 bed house.
The focus on the ecoTEC Plus range is meeting high hot water demand, partly helped thanks to the up to 16.3L per minute flow rate on offer. Model dependent, the warranty on offer is between 5-10 years.
- Viessman Vitodens
If you're looking for efficiency combined with reliability, Viessmann is an underrated brand worth looking at. And of all their models, the Vitodens 100 is the best value.
System boilers on offer sit in the 11-32kW range, with combi boilers on offer with 26-35kW output. Flow rate here is lower than both the Worcester and Vaillant, at just 14-15L per minute (model dependant).
However, what Viessmann does offer is a lengthy warranty. The warranty on offer will sit in the 7-12 year range depending on the exact model you choose.
- Ideal Logic Plus
The Ideal Logic Plus is available in a combi, system and regular (heat-only) setup.
- Combi: 24-35kW
- System: 12-30kW
- Regular (heat-only): 12-30kW
The 30kW system and regular boiler is a fairly standard choice for large 5 bed properties, whereas the 35kW will be needed if you're looking to replace a combi boiler.
Ideal Logic Plus boilers feature power modulation, meaning they don't work like an on/off switch. They can modulate power to reduce gas consumption and therefore, save you a chunk on your gas bills!
Standard warranty sits at 7 years which is reasonable. However, you can extend the warranty on Ideal Logic Plus boilers to 10 years; simply use an accredited installer and have an Ideal magnetic boiler filter installed.
Get a quote on your combi, system or regular boiler using our boiler quotation tool here.
How Much Does A Boiler For A 5 Bed House Cost?
If you’ve already received quotes for a boiler, it’s likely you’ve seen prices as high as £6,000 including installation costs from well known national installers. Obviously cost is going to vary depending on:
- The type of boiler you need (combi, regular, system)
- What size boiler you need
- Brand and specific model
- Warranty
- Whether or not your want to upgrade (system to a combi, for instance)
The good news? You should be able to get your boiler fitted for £2,650-£4,000 from a competitive installer, even in a large 5 bedroom property.
As an example, we fit the Worcester Bosch Greenstar 8000+ 30kW system boiler for under £3,500. Like most A-rated boilers, you’ll get 94% efficiency, so expect some energy bill savings. And as part of the installation price, you’ll get a 10-year warranty directly from Worcester Bosch.
Compare prices on combi, system and regular units using our clickable boiler quotation tool here.
Combi vs System vs Regular Boilers
Before buying a boiler, you need to know which type you currently have. Whilst you can upgrade (swap a system for a combi etc), it's generally much cheaper to stick with the current type of boiler you have.
Due to high hot water demand, the majority of large 5 bedroom houses tend to have a system or regular (heat-only) boiler that uses a hot water cylinder and cold water storage tanks (regular boilers only).
Combi
A combi heats hot water on demand. If you have a combi boiler you won't have a hot water storage tank. If you're looking to save space, a combi boiler is the most suitable unit to install.
System
A system boiler does use a hot water cylinder. If you have a hot water cylinder but don't have cold water storage tanks, then it’s likely you have a system boiler.
Regular (heat-only)
Regular (heat-only) boilers use a hot water cylinder, just like a system boiler does. However, as this is a gravity fed system, it also utilises cold water storage tanks. These are usually located in a loft space.
Whilst regular boilers are perfect for large houses consuming lots of hot water, due to needing both a hot water cylinder and cold water storage tanks, they take up a lot of space.
Know the type you have and want a replacement? Check the cost of a new boiler using our quote tool here.
Hot Water Demand & Cylinder Sizing
If you're replacing a combi boiler, you won't need a hot water cylinder. However, most large 5 bedroom houses use a system or regular boiler, both of which need a hot water cylinder.
This is simply because using multiple showers at once can exceed the flow rate of a typical combi boiler. A hot water cylinder works as a "back up" for when your hot water consumption is at its highest.
Here's a guideline to what size hot water cylinder you'll need:
Still got questions about the best boiler for your 5 bedroom house, or, what size cylinder you need? Speak to our boiler experts here.
Ready to get a free boiler quote? Use our clickable boiler quotation tool here.
