Having plenty of choice can never be a bad thing… can it?
But when you’re faced with a plethora of Greenstars, highflows, i, si, cdi, compact and classic… sometimes things can get a bit confusing when choosing the right boiler for your home.
That’s precisely why I’m welcoming you to the first in a very special series of blogs, where I’m not only going to be reviewing specific models of Worcester Bosch and Vaillant boilers – I’m also going to be pitting some of them against each other.
Basically, I’m going to be doing all the hard work, so you don’t have to!
So, let’s start by taking a closer look at the most recent additions to the Worcester Bosch range; the Greenstar 25i and 30i combi boiler.
Introduction
So, Worcester Bosch recently waved goodbye to its bestselling Greenstar Junior boilers, and rolled out these latest, new and improved, energy efficient models.
And you should be particularly happy about that, as now you can look forward to the same quality you’ve come to expect from Worcester Bosch, only with better flow rates than ever before. They’re also very easy and straightforward to fit.
Plus, because Greenstar i boilers fall in-line with the new standards set by the ERP directive (kicking into place on the 26th September), you’ll also save money on your energy bills. What’s not to love?
Output and flow rate
I like to think of the Greenstar i as the Vauxhall Corsa of boilers. The 25i is the city car version; small, and very economical and does all the basics you need it to. The 30i on the other hand, has a bit more punch to it – it’s good for going down the bypass (although still not exactly a motorway cruiser).
What I’m trying to say is, these boilers are designed to best suit small to medium-size properties, and the hot water output is really the deciding factor with these boilers.
The 25i will quite easily heat your one or two-bedroom home and run your shower, but at only 10.2 litres of hot water per minute, it’s not ideal if you want to run a bath. The 30i is your bath option, and supplies 12.3 litres of hot water per minute, whilst actually being just that tiny bit more energy efficient, too.
Size
The 25i and 30i boilers are 330mm deep, so not exactly the smallest option available – you’ll find they won’t fit inside a standard kitchen cupboard or Edinburgh press.
If you don’t have any other options, and absolutely must fit your boiler in a small cupboard, I’d recommend fitting one of Worcester Bosch’s compact models, as an alternative.
Guarantee
Worcester Bosch has one of the best no-quibble boiler guarantees on the market, which is one of the reasons I recommend them to all my customers. And you’ll be happy to learn that both Greenstar i models come with 8-year guarantees.*
Although you may find other boiler companies offering slightly longer guarantees for very similar models, you’ll find there’s often a catch in the small print, or extra credit card charges before they’ll even agree to a call-out.
At a glance
Below, you’ll find a run-down of the tech specs for each boiler:
The 25i
- Heating output: 24kw
- Hot water output: 25kw
- Ideal for: Small to medium-sized properties with one shower room (not ideal for baths).
- ERP rating: A, 93% efficiency
- Guarantee: 8 years*
The 30i
- Heating output: 24kw
- Hot water output: 30kw
- Ideal for: Small to medium-sized properties with one bathroom (will easily run a bath)
- ERP rating: A ,93% efficiency
- Guarantee: 8 years*
Conclusion
There are so many different models of boilers on the market, which can make things confusing when you don’t know which to choose. That’s why I’m going to make it just that bit easier, by comparing popular Worcester Bosch and Vaillant models.
Worcester Bosch’s new Greenstar i combi boiler range was recently introduced to meet the new standards set by the ERP directive, and because of that they’re super energy efficient and provide much better flow rates than the old Greenstar Juniors.
The 25i will easily heat your one to two-bedroom home, and will supply hot water to one shower room at 10.2 litres per minute – however, if you want to run a bath, the 30i is your best bet.
Have you decided which Greenstar i is right for you?
* 8 year guarantee is when installed by a Worcester accredited installer and fitted with a Worcester Greenstar central filter
I have just had a 25i installed and it was a big mistake I was persuaded to have my Vaillant replace with this Boiler I have a small bath (1500) and it takes 17 and a half minutes to fill it my old boiler took half the time it takes 40 seconds to get any hot water at the sink and this is with the eco turn off! All so they have fitted a magnetic filter to extend the guarantee this protrudes from the wall approximately 240 millimetres which prevents decent boxing in of pipework
I am thinking of having a 30i. Is it big enough to supply a small 3 bed semi-detached house? Two medium sized bedrooms a box-room size bedroom and a similar sized bathroom with a bath and shower. 8 radiators in all.
I have just had a Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30i fitted to replace my old boiler which was about 8 years old. The new 30i is superb, I have had the Hive hub and wireless thermostat and it can all be worked from my iPhone, it’s a gadget guys dream. About the boiler itself it is as quiet as a mouse, it heats the water instantly and my rads are super hot, with my old boiler the thermostat was always around the 22-25 mark with this 30i it’s down to 20 and the rads seem hotter, my shower is a dream to get into with tons of hot water raining down on me with no dropout of hot water at all. My boiler was fitted in less than a day by British Gas and I recommend them highly, my engineer knew exactly what he was doing and had obviously fitted a lot of these units before, he recommended the boiler too. Yes it was expensive but with children in our home it was a no brainer.
sounds like your installer didnt advise you properly..
you cant blame the products for the length of your poor water pressure pipe runs or position of the boiler. if your previous boiler was more powerful it will take longer for the new one to fill a bath or the new one is just not set up correctly
all boilers need a filter now so is unavoidable and is part of building regulations.it could have been installed under the worktop maybe but involves a bit more time if accessible.
i expect you went for the cheaper less experienced installer and are blaming the product. very common im afraid…
its important for the installer to listen to the customers requests and issues before specking the job.
i doubt that, your old boiler would have to have a flow rate of over 20 litres a minute the only boiler that can do that is a high flow boiler which has a small cylinder built inside(approx 60 litres. Most boilers do 10.2 to about 13 litres a minute which takes about surprise surprise 17 minutes .
I am a bit concerned. British Gas have recommended a 25i Erp boiler, I have a three bedroom house with lounge and a small family room. Although I have an electric shower, looking at your description I am concerned this boiler might not be big enough.
Hi
I am thinking of getting the same combi boiler from swale,I am worried now ,are they just pushing this combi on customers,could you tell me if you have had any other problems please.
Thank you in advance for your help and honesty.
Hi Sean,
I’m was about 95% decided on getting one of these for a 3 bedder until I read your comment. bit thrown by it as these give a flow rate of over 10 litres per minute. Have you had your problem sorted. Was it anything to do with your boiler/ mains pressure by chance?
Thanks
John
I am having a Worcester greenstar 30i. I hope Ipicked the right one.
We leave in a Bangalow 3 bedroom.
We had a 30i fitted by Br Gas in October 2015. We found the time it took to begin to get hot water lengthy about 45 seconds and of course wasteful. Br Gas fitted a “combi save” to reduce on the water waste and time which worked to a point. Winter 2015/16 was not as cold as this year and we found the heating fine for our detached 5 room bungalow.
However this year it has been colder and we are finding that although the heating is efficient it takes a while to raise from say 19c to 22c Being not too bright on technology I also find it a pain to keep having to manually override the controls on the thermostat…..but that’s down to me to get someone to programme it to our requirements
Overall the boiler (situated in the garage) is neat, easy to understand (when required) and seems to do all it says on the tin. We also got it on a Br Gas promotion so can’t complain as it seems good value for money when looking at the cost of other makes /models
Just had a 30i installed in our relatively large four bedroomed house. This replaced an old Ideal RS260. Seems to be working very well along with the Nest learning thermostat. We do have two electric showers. Overall seems to be the right choice for us.