Are you on the lookout for a new combi boiler, but don’t know where to start? Home investments can be a pain, and whether you’re purchasing a new bathroom or kitchen, or even just splashing out on a new appliance, the market is huge and it can be difficult finding the best place to buy from.
When it comes to boilers, you have two main choices: buy your boiler separately, or purchase it directly from an installer.
I’m going to help narrow it down a little bit for you by discussing some of your main options, as well as things to look out for when purchasing your new combi boiler.
Warehouse/local DIY store
You could easily purchase a new boiler from a warehouse, or your local DIY store (think B&Q). However, local stores tend to sell very cheap brands, or budget boilers that have been re-branded for the store’s purpose. An example of this would be B&Q’s Heatline, which is actually supplied by Glow-worm.
The major disadvantage with this is that you’ll probably lose out on an extended guarantee, and you’ll also have a less reliable boiler that may be manufactured with cheaper components.
So, you may save money now, but later down the line you might have to fork out for expensive repairs that aren’t covered under warranty.
Plumbing merchant/online plumbing store
There are many plumbing merchants and heating engineer suppliers around – namely City Plumbing supplies. Their online sister company is called PlumbNation and has lots of resources if you’re looking to buy plumbing supplies and boilers.
The benefit of buying from an online store is that you’ll have the comfort of browsing from your own home, and you can also get some very good discounts – assuming you’ve done the research first and know exactly what you’re buying.
However, the downside means that you may have to pay for extra parts separately (controls, flues, pipework, fittings etc.) and also, you’ll only get a standard manufacturer guarantee.
You may get a good price, but watch out for extra charges, as some companies can charge anything up to £60 just for delivery. Also, you won’t have an installer to fall back on if there are any problems with the packaging, delivery or parts.
TIP: If you’re buying a boiler separately (via a warehouse, DIY store or merchant), it will still need to be fitted by a gas-safe engineer. Fitting it yourself would contravene gas-safe regulations, and no engineer would commission your boiler for you.
It’s also wise to note that not every installer will want to fit your purchased materials, as they like to make a decent mark-up from fitting their own supplied materials.
Installer
I personally believe that the best way to buy a new boiler is through a specialist heating contractor. This is mainly because they supply and fit everything as a package, and can guarantee everything they supply and fit.
Also, accredited installers will often be able to provide you with an extended guarantee, which could save you money later down the line if you ever run into any difficulties with your combi boiler.
You could also get £400 cashback on your old boiler, if you choose the right installer.
Conclusion
There are many tempting deals for cheap boilers online, but be sure to check you’ll have all the parts you need. The benefits of going through an accredited installer mean that you’ll often get an extended guarantee, along with all the parts you need fitted and supplied as part of a package deal.
And don’t forget, your new boiler must always be fitted by a gas-safe registered engineer.
