Ideal Boilers Reviews: Best Ideal Boiler Prices and Comparison to Worcester

Ideal Heating are a top UK brand, pushing out 10,000+ units per year. But how do they compare to market leaders like Worcester Bosch? And more importantly, should you buy an Ideal boiler?

Our 10-minute guide has the answers.

Are Ideal Boilers Any Good?

Yes — Ideal produce quality boilers. In fact, their design, specifications, efficiency, and durability make them a direct competitor of the other big brands like Worcester or Viessmann. Their warranties are decent, typically ranging between 7 and 12 years, depending on the model.

Despite all these good things, boilers from Ideal are also less expensive than you’d expect.

Since we’re big fans of Ideal Heating, we’ve already created a tonne of write-ups covering their combi models. Below are the few that are relevant to this guide:

• Ideal Logic Plus 24KW Review
• Ideal Logic Plus 30KW Review
• Ideal Vogue Review

What we haven’t written about just yet, is the new Ideal Max range. We plan to review this as soon as possible.

Essentially, the Ideal Max boilers have up to a 12-year warranty. Now, that’s a market-leading warranty length. Most other boiler brands sit in the 2-7 year range, with some extending to 10-years, like the Worcester boilers on Heatable.

How Ideal Prices Compare to Worcester

Worcester Bosch are a household name with a price tag to match the popularity. That means you’ll be able to save a chunk of cash when opting for a boiler from Ideal instead of a Bosch.

However, there are ways to get Worcester boilers cheaper. Worcester have great connections with Heatable — an online boiler installer whose tiny overhead helps them keep prices dirt-cheap.

Naturally, Worcester Bosch supply these boilers to Heatable at incredibly low prices. For instance, the comparable Worcester boiler is similar in installation cost to an Ideal Logic combi 24:

If you’d prefer a Worcester boiler over an Ideal, you can fill out Heatable’s anonymous questionnaire to get your fixed quote on the screen now.

Or, you can get up to 3 quotes from local installers for free here.

The Ideal Boilers Range

The most popular boilers from Ideal Heating include the following:

1. Ideal Logic Plus — includes Ideal Logic combi 24, 30, and 35
2. Ideal Logic Max –much like the Plus, but with an additional system filter
3. Ideal Vogue — slightly larger and heavier than the Plus range, but with a similar output
4. Ideal Vogue Max — includes an additional system filter

Here are a few key features that give these boilers their acclaim:

Compact Fit

The Ideal Logic combis above are “compact”. This means they’ll easily fit into an average size kitchen cupboard. Of course, you can still hang them on the wall if you prefer.

Even if you don’t need a compact boiler, opting for one isn’t a bad idea. Boilers are typically installed in incredibly tight spaces, and the more clearance they’ve got around them, the easier they are to service. And the more straightforward the repairs, they less you’ll pay for them.

For your reference, here are the dimensions of the Ideal Logic Plus:

Frost Protection

Frost protection isn’t a feature most boilers offer, but you will get it with all the Ideal combi boilers mentioned above. The function is essential for keeping your pipes from freezing when outdoor temps drop 2 degrees or so below zero. Its mechanism is simple — when the water temperature in your heating system falls below a certain level, the boiler heats it back up.

If you don’t have frost protection and your pipes freeze, your boiler will lock out. Not only will you be stuck without heat and hot water, but you’ll also need a repair company to come and fix the issue — a service that you’ll have to pay for.

Ideal Boiler Prices

Ideal boiler prices are a lot lower than you’d expect from a leading brand. Below is a list of what you should expect to pay for the boiler only — the full costs of fitting the boiler are roughly double the sums below. Please take this as a guideline — price hikes and promotions happen often, so the numbers below may no longer apply.

Ideal Combi Boiler Warranty

If you’ve read any of our other boiler reviews, you’ll know we put an emphasis on warranty.

If a boiler manufacturer thinks their boiler will last, they’ll offer a long warranty. If they don’t, you’ll be stuck with a mere 2 years, after which you’re on the hook for repairs.

The Ideal combi boiler range now offers warranties that start at 7 years for the Ideal Logic Plus and extend all the way to 12 years with the Ideal Vogue Max. An additional bonus thrown in with the Ideal Logic Plus base model is the 10-year heat exchanger warranty. And let me tell you, that’s a good thing, especially if you don’t have a solid boiler cover plan, as these components can cost upwards of £400 to replace.

Which Ideal Combi Boiler Do You Need?

The first thing you need to do is to determine what size boiler you need. The easiest way to find out is to use this boiler size calculator; alternatively, you can ask a Gas Safe heating engineer to survey your central heating system and make a recommendation.

Once you’ve determined which size boiler you need, it really comes down to price and warranty.

We think 7 years is already a good warranty, especially with a 10-year warranty on one of the most expensive parts (the heat exchanger). With that in mind, we’d be heading for the Ideal Logic Plus.

But, you also need to determine which type of boiler you need, as there are 3 to choose from:

• Combi
• System
• Heat-only

The type of boiler you choose is going to depend on your current heating setup.

Combination Boilers

Combination boilers heat hot water on demand. If you DON’T have a hot water storage tank, this is the boiler you need.

System Boilers

System boilers don’t heat hot water on demand. Instead, they fill up a hot water cylinder. So, if you have a hot water cylinder, this is the boiler you need.

Heat-Only Boilers

Heat-only boilers require a cold-water feed tank (usually installed in loft spaces). If you have a cold-water tank in your loft, you’ll need a heat-only boiler.

Of course, you can get a Gas Safe engineer replace your existing heat-only or system boiler with a combi and save tonnes of space.

Complying With Boiler Plus

Alongside your A-Rated boiler, you’ll need some other things to ensure you comply with Boiler Plus.

We’ve created a full guide to Boiler Plus rules here and included a graphic of what you need to do below.

Ideal Boiler Reviews

Overall, the British public seems to be quite content with boilers from Ideal Heating. Trustpilot reviews typically offer a good glimpse into consumers’ satisfaction with a product, and based on over 11,000 reviews, Ideal scored 93% for Great and Excellent.

Ideal Boilers Installation Costs

Typical costs of installing a boiler start as low as £500-1,000. They depend on the complexity of the installation, as well as additional materials needed.

With this in mind, expect the installation costs for a Logic combi 30 to be in the region of £2,500, including the price of the all materials and labour, depending on the size of your boiler and the complexity of the installation. Models with lower capacity can cost significantly less, around £1,800.

You can go ahead and compare Ideal Boiler prices and Worcester back to back using this clickable form.

FAQs About Ideal Boilers

Below, we’ll answer a few questions we often hear about Ideal Heating boilers.

Are Ideal system boilers good?

In short — yes, a system boiler from Ideal Heating is an excellent option if you feel that a combination boiler won’t meet your heating needs.

Ideal system boilers, such as the Logic Max and Vogue Gen2 are all compact (meaning you can fit them into a kitchen cupboard), incredibly efficient, and come with an impressive,10-year warranty. And if you opt for the Vogue Max, you’ll get an ever juicier, 12-year warranty on parts and labour.

Speaking of warranties — they provide an excellent way to measure a boiler’s reliability. The longer the coverage period, the more faith boiler manufacturers have in their product. And in the boiler world, a 10-12 year warranty is pretty well as good as it gets.

What is the difference between Ideal Logic and Vogue?

Both ranges include gas boilers of different types — combis, system boilers, and regular boilers (such as the Logic Heat).

The difference is that Vogue is Ideal’s premium range, whilst Logic is far more budget friendly.

Vogue boilers come equipped with top-of-the-line features, are covered by a massive, 12-year warranty, and have a price tag to match.

Meanwhile, Ideal Logic boilers still offer all the essentials, such as frost protection, modulation, compact size, and a 10-year warranty, but are much easier on the wallet. You can read our boiler review of the Ideal Logic Plus combi here.

Are Ideal boilers noisy?

Over the years, there have been some complaints that Ideal Logic boilers produce excessive noise while operating. Unfortunately, there’s a whole host of factors that could cause boiler noise to happen; you can read about common boiler noise issues here, but a Gas Safe engineer can do a better job of pinpointing the source of the noise.

If you’d like to get an Ideal boiler that’s known not to make much noise, we’d suggest the Ideal Logic Plus range. The boilers in this range have been awarded the Quiet Mark — an independent certification awarded only to low-noise appliances.

Is Ideal Boilers a UK company?

Yes, Ideal Heating is one of the better known UK boiler manufacturers. They’ve been serving the nation since 1906, but have since expanded to other markets globally.

Are all Ideal boilers condensing?

All boilers that are (legally) available on the UK market — including those from Ideal — are condensing. Older, non-condensing boiler were banned from new installations because of their inefficiency.

Whilst a condensing boiler typically provides ~90% efficiency (90p converted into heat from every pound spent on gas), a non-condensing variant could have an efficiency as low as 60%. This means that 40p would be wasted for every pound you spend on gas. Simply put, condensing boilers are better for both the environment and you energy bills.

What is the warranty on an Ideal boiler?

Warranties on boilers from Ideal range between 7 and 12 years. We’d recommend going for a 5-year warranty as an absolute minimum when getting a replacement boiler, so Ideal Heating goes above and beyond this benchmark.

Note that for the warranty to remain valid, you’ll typically need to perform annual boiler service. To this end, make sure you study the terms and conditions thoroughly before installing a new boiler.

What’s Next?

Thanks for reading our guide to Ideal Boilers.

Still got questions? Leave a comment below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

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