The best boiler for your home will depend on the size of your property and typical heating and hot water usage 

In an ideal world, there would be a one-size-fits-all boiler solution but, sadly, this isn’t the case. As each household is unique, boilers must come in various types and lot of different sizes to suit the needs of each home and its inhabitants. When it comes to finding your perfect boiler, many important things need to be taken into account, such as your budget and the size of your property, as well as your heating and hot water requirements.

To help you determine which boiler is best for you and your home, we’ve put together a guide on the main boiler types and some of the leading boiler brands.

The Best Type of Boiler for Your Home

There are three main boiler types including combi boilers, system boilers and regular boilers, all of which have their own set of advantages. We’re now going to look at each boiler type in more detail so that you can find out which is best for your property. Please be aware that the prices listed in the tables below are for the boilers only and do not include the cost of installation.

Combi Boilers

Combi boilers (or combination boilers) provide heating and hot water from one compact unit, meaning they don’t require a separate hot water cylinder or any tanks. They are the most popular type of boilers in the UK because combi units are easier to install and usually cheaper than system and regular models. Available in a wide range of sizes (kW outputs), combi boilers are generally best for smaller homes. As combi boilers tend to struggle to cope with two showers or baths running at the same time, they are not really suitable for properties with multiple bathrooms.

The advantages of combi boilers include:

• Instant and unlimited heat and hot water
• Heat water on demand
• Extremely energy efficient
• Great for homes with limited space as no cylinder or tanks required
• Easier to install (saves you money)

Let’s take a look at some of the best combi boiler models on the market today.

BRAND	MODEL	OUTPUT	MAX FLOW RATE	EFFICIENCY	TYPICAL PRICE
Ideal	Logic+ 30kW Combi	30kW	12.4 l/min		£800.82
Potterton	Gold 33kW Combi	33kW	13.5 l/min		£883.86
Vaillant	ecoTEC Plus 832 Combi	32kW	13.0 l/min		£1,185.65
Worcester Bosch	Greenstar 34 CDi Classic Combi	34kW	14.3 l/min		£1,256.57
Viessmann	Vitodens 200-W 26 Combi	26kW	14.0 l/min		£1,516.24

System Boilers

System boilers need a separate water cylinder for storing hot water, which is usually found in the airing cupboard. They don’t require any additional tanks in the loft though, making them ideal for homes with minimal loft space. Like combi boilers, system boilers are easy to install, energy efficient and economical to run. The major difference is that these boilers are a great choice for properties with high demands and more than one bathroom because they can provide a constant supply of hot water to all of your taps at once.

The advantages of system boilers include:

• Can provide hot water to multiple taps at the same time
• Built-in components make installation quick and easy
• Ideal for larger homes with two or more bathrooms
• No need for separate tanks in the loft
• Compatible with solar thermal solutions

Here are just some of the best system boilers that may be suitable for your home.

BRAND	MODEL	OUTPUT	MAX FLOW RATE	EFFICIENCY	TYPICAL PRICE
Ideal	Vogue 26kW System	26kW	N/A		£980.00
Worcester Bosch	Greenstar 24i System	24kW	N/A		£1,047.63
Worcester Bosch	Greenstar 30 CDi Classic System	30kW	N/A		£1,155.06
Viessmann	Vitodens 100-W 35 System	35kW	N/A		£1,181.23
Vaillant	ecoTEC Plus 630 System	30kW	N/A		£1,228.03

Regular Boilers

Also known as conventional, traditional or heat only boilers, regular boilers are generally recommended for homes with multiple bathrooms and properties in areas where water pressure is low. As regular boilers require a hot water cylinder and a feed and expansion tank, they are best for homes with a sufficient amount of airing cupboard and loft space. What’s more, these boilers can provide a consistent supply of hot water, regardless of how many taps you are using simultaneously.

The advantages of regular boilers include:

• Cope well with any number of taps running at the same time
• Perfect for larger properties with two or more bathrooms
• Best for homes with a traditional central heating system
• Can be installed alongside an immersion heater (in case the boiler breaks down)
• Compatible with solar thermal solutions

If it turns out that a regular boiler is the best option for your home, you may want to consider some of these top-rated models.

BRAND	MODEL	OUTPUT	MAX FLOW RATE	EFFICIENCY	TYPICAL PRICE
Ideal	Logic+ 30kW Heat	30kW	N/A		£995.99
Worcester Bosch	Greenstar 27Ri Regular	27kW	N/A		£998.40
Worcester Bosch	Greenstar 30 CDi Regular	30kW	N/A		£1,155.80
Viessmann	Vitodens 100-W 35 Open Vent	35kW	N/A		£1,159.05
Vaillant	ecoTEC Plus 435 Regular	35kW	N/A		£1,522.42

Please note: This information is to be used as a guide only. We recommend you always consult a qualified heating engineer who can offer professional advice on which boiler is best for your home and lifestyle.

Best UK Boiler Brands in 2018

With so many boiler brands around today, it can be hard to tell which is the most trusted when it comes to producing dependable boilers. To be fair, most boiler manufacturers offer great solutions for UK homes of all sizes but some brands have particularly excellent reputations, such as:

• Worcester Bosch
• Viessmann
• Vaillant
• Ideal
• Potterton
• Glow-Worm

All of the names listed above are well-known for manufacturing high-quality boilers that are consistently reliable. This isn’t to say that every single boiler these brands have ever built hasn’t run into a problem as this would be impossible to achieve. Nevertheless, these manufacturers and their boiler models are popular among consumers and heating engineers because they score high in terms of build quality and reliability. No matter which boiler you are looking at purchasing, just make sure you do some research to find out what others are saying about the brand and model that might be of interest to you.