DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

I am replacing a very old boiler for a new one. This is for a 4 bedroomed house with two showers. It can be a system boiler or an open vent boiler.

I have been recommended Vaillant Ecotec Plus 630, Glow-Worm Ultracom 30 SXI and Worcester Greenstar 30Cdi. Other brands that have been mentioned are Keston, Potterton and Baxi. I am quite confused as to which to choose. Reliability and efficiency are most important. Which one should I go for?

Most of my radiators are 15 years old. Will these radiators cope with a sealed system, or should I go for the open vent (expansion tank) system?

Separately, should I also fit Magnaclean Professional – is this effective and worth it for the cost involved? If you recommend it, should I get a 22mm version or the 28mm version? I appreciate that if one has it installed, the best time for me is now, as the system will be power flushed to fit the new boiler.

Many thanks for your help.

vaillant all the way. glowworm are part of the vaillant group so not bad, but i'd still go for the vaillant (there are some differences, vaillant use slightly better parts in certain areas). other than that i'd go worcester.

baxi and potterton will be exactly the same boiler (the company is called baxi-potterton). keston, well, i'll sum their boilers up by saying they're ******* piles of ****

age of pipework and rads should be fine.

the magnaclean, yes i'd recommend it, i've got one and have fitted/serviced many others, great bit of kit. as for 22mm or 28mm that only matters for the size of the pipework. if you've got 22mm pipework you have a 22mm one, 28mm pipework a 28mm one. it's only the fittings that are different.

[quote="screech"]vaillant all the way. glowworm are part of the vaillant group so not bad, but i'd still go for the vaillant (there are some differences, vaillant use slightly better parts in certain areas). other than that i'd go worcester.

baxi and potterton will be exactly the same boiler (the company is called baxi-potterton).

age of pipework and rads should be fine.

the magnaclean, yes i'd recommend it, i've got one and have fitted/serviced many others, great bit of kit. as for 22mm or 28mm that only matters for the size of the pipework. if you've got 22mm pipework you have a 22mm one, 28mm pipework a 28mm one. it's only the fittings that are different.[/quote]

Thank you Screech. Useful advice. One further thought - my wife mentioned (after liaising with the previous owners) that the pipework is probably approximately 20 - 23 years old. Almost all the radiators are approx 8 years old. Will this system stand the powerflush? Note that the powerflush will be with cold water as the boiler has packed up.