Are you looking for the perfect combi boiler that’s up to the job of heating your large home?
If so, you may already have been comparing various brands. A lot of my customers are attracted to brands such as Worcester Bosch, Ideal and Baxi.
Luckily, all of these brands have some great boilers with high outputs to cater for most large homes. Which is why I’ve decided to review three choice offerings:
- The Worcester Bosch 42cdi Classic
- The Ideal Vogue 40
- The Baxi Platinum 40
That’s right, this blog is a TRIPLE WHAMMY! I’m going to be using my 20+ years’ experience as an Edinburgh heating engineer to tell you how all three of these boilers compare to each other – so you can be sure you’re making the right choice for your home!
Introduction
Where to start?! Well, all three of these boilers are from well-known, reputable brands. Worcester Bosch is currently the market leader, and can not only boast the Which ‘Best Buy’ Stamp of Approval, but also the longevity to prove that their boilers last 18 – 20 years. So in terms of value for money, you know that even after the 10-year guarantee is up, you’ll still be confident in your purchase.
However, in the past year, Baxi and Ideal have gained the most in terms of market share, for good reason. They’re currently offering great value boilers that tend to have a little bit more bang for your buck, and not only that, but they also work out around £240 – £300 cheaper than the Worcester Bosch equivalent. That’s not including the controls and filter you’d need to buy to get the same level of guarantee.
This price difference is causing a lot of my customers to reconsider their options, and many are now choosing to invest in an Ideal or Baxi, whilst investing the extra cash on things like smart controls, or new radiators. Tempting, isn’t it?
So, let’s now take a look at what you can expect from each of these three boilers in terms of the outputs to your radiators and taps.
Output and flow rates
The Worcester Bosch Greenstar 42cdi Classic combi has an output to the central heating of 30kW – this is 2kW less than both the Ideal Vogue 40 and the Baxi Platinum 40kW. I’d say it’s still enough to happily heat 10 – 16 radiators, and is perfect for a large five-bedroom home with 2 bathrooms, and 10-16 radiators.
On the other hand, with the Ideal Vogue 40 and the Baxi Platinum 40kW’s central heating output of 32kW, you can heat around 12 – 17 radiators. So, if your home is particularly large, you may want the extra peace of mind you’ll get with the slightly higher output.
However, as for the output you’ll get to your taps, the Worcester Bosch 42cdi slightly beats the other two, with an incredible output of 17.1 litres per minute. The other two still pack a punch though, at 16.4 litres per minute. I’d say all three of these boilers can probably run two showers at once, or a bath and shower simultaneously. However, you may notice a very slight decrease in pressure.
Size and special features
These boilers are all very similar in size, making them wall-hung boilers. Unfortunately, they aren’t compact, so won’t fit in a standard kitchen cupboard or Edinburgh press. They will, however, look at home on your kitchen wall or larger cupboard.
One special feature of note, is that the Baxi Platinum 40k does come with the option of an extra-long twin-flue. This can give you more options when deciding where to fit your boiler (also more about that below).
Guarantee
All of these boilers come with a 10-year no quibble guarantee. However, Baxi offer this with no strings attached – unlike Ideal where, you have to fit an Ideal magnetic central heating filter, and Worcester Bosch, where you have to fit both the brand’s own controls and filter to be able to get that deal. In the case of the Worcester Bosch, it could mean you’re paying around £400+ extra.
But remember, your boiler will only be guaranteed as long as it’s serviced every year by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
At a glance
Does the above seem like a lot of information to take in? I don’t blame you! That’s why I’ve given you a brief summary of each of these boilers below:
First, let’s take a look at the Worcester Bosch Greenstar 42cdi classic:
- Heating output: 30 kW
- Hot water output: 42 kW, with a flow rate of 17.1 litres per minute
- Ideal for: A large five-bedroom home with 2 bathrooms, and 10-16 radiators
- Size: 445mm x 740mm x 330mm
- Guarantee: 10 years (when fitted with own-brand controls & filter and installed by an accredited installer)
- ERP rating: A
Now, let’s compare with the Ideal Vogue 40:
- Heating output: 32 kW
- Hot water output: 40 kW, with a flow rate of 16.4 litres per minute
- Ideal for: A large five-bedroom home with 2 bathrooms, and 12-17radiators
- Size: 740mm x 445mm x 330mm
- Guarantee: 10 years (when fitted with Ideal magnetic system filter)
- ERP rating: A
And finally, let’s look at the Baxi Platinum 40:
- Heating output: 32 kW
- Hot water output: 40kW, with a flow rate of 16.4 litres per minute
- Ideal for: A large five-bedroom home with 2 bathrooms, and 12-17 radiators
- Size: 450mm x 780mm x 345mm
- Guarantee: 10 years
- ERP rating: A
Advice from an experienced heating engineer
It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of Worcester Bosch. My opinion is that if you’re spending money on a really big output of combi boiler, I’d spend a little extra and go for the Worcester Bosch. Mainly because of the fact that it’s a big investment to make, and these boilers are proven to last up to 20 years, or even more.
My mind might change over the next 3 – 5 years, once we start seeing evidence of the longevity of Baxi and Ideal boilers. However, if you only really care about the 10-year guarantee and want to save a little money, you do still have that option.
There is another scenario where you might consider a Baxi, though. It’s the only brand offering an extra-long twin-flue system for your home. We actually fitted a Baxi for a customer today who had a boiler installed in her hall cupboard. Unfortunately, because of the boiler’s large output, the only way to fit a direct replacement was with a twin-flue system.
This meant that although the customer wanted a Worcester Bosch, we couldn’t possibly fit one without moving her boiler location to the other side of the house. In the end, she went for the least amount of upheaval, and chose the Baxi Platinum 40.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve found this blog helpful when stuck between the Worcester Bosch Greenstar 42cdi Classic, the Ideal Vogue 40 and the Baxi Platinum 40. It’s not an easy decision, as all three can easily tackle the heating demands of a large household.
However, the price difference may swing it – that is, unless you need the extra long twin flue option only Baxi can provide!
Do you have any specific questions about any of these boilers? Please leave a comment below – I promise to reply!
