How an Ariston Boiler Stacks Up Against Other Leading Brands
If you’re looking for a new boiler? Ariston boilers might be a good option — they’re reliable, efficient, and, for what it’s worth, rather sleek.
To help you decide if Ariston are worth your time and money, we’ve prepared the guide below. Here, we’ll cover online reviews, prices, and directly compare Ariston boilers to other leading brands.
The Ariston Boiler Range
Ariston offer a range of condensing boilers, including system, regular, and combi boilers.
Combi boilers tend to be the most popular boiler type in the Ariston range, due to their ability to save space in small-medium sized properties.
You’ll need a combi boiler if you don’t have a water tank or cylinder. Otherwise, you can either convert your existing system boiler to a combi, or explore Ariston’s system boilers as a replacement.
The current range of Ariston combi boilers consists of:
- Clas Net One
- Alteas Net One
- Genus Net One
- Clas HE Evo
- E-Combi Evo
- Ariston Clas One
- E-Combi One
For Ariston combi boilers, you’ll have a range of 24kW to 38kW boilers available — these should suit anything from a small flat through to a 4-bedroom house.
RELATED READING: Guide to Best Combi Boiler Models in 2024
The regular range is a little thin on the ground, with just the Clas HE Regular on offer and only a 24kW model available.
If you’re not sure that Ariston system boilers, you’ll get more choice, including:
- Ariston E-System One
- Clas System One
- Clas HE System Evo
- E-System Evo
Depending on model, there’s a good range of 18kW-30kW system boilers on offer.
Not sure if a system boiler is the right boiler type for you? You can learn more about system boilers, and whether they’re more suitable than combis for your home, in our guide here.
Which Size Ariston Boiler Do You Need?
The kw size boiler you need isn’t just dependent on the size of your property, but also the size of your heating system, number of radiators and/or towel rails, and hot water demand (for instance, one shower or two) – it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.
The easiest way to work out the size boiler you need, is to use this boiler size calculator. By using that, you’ll be offered the most suitably sized boiler for your property (although, they’re Worcester not Ariston), but also an on-screen price.
Now you know the size boiler you need and an indication on price, you can compare that with up to 3 boiler quotes from local installers on an Ariston here, for free.
Warranty
There are a range of warranties on offer here; they’ll be model dependent.
If you’ve read some of our other boiler reviews, you’ll know we focus on long warranty as being a major selling point. If a manufacturer is only prepared to offer a 1 or 2 year guarantee, there’s a good chance that there’s a reason…
An installation in a small flat could be in the region of £1,900-2,200. But, the boiler only accounts for around half of that cost. Generally, by paying around £100-200 extra for the boiler itself, you can jump from a 1 or 2 year warranty, up to 5 years or more.
Ariston boilers come with a range of warranties. Depending on model, you’ll get 2 years, 5 years, 8 years, or 12 years.
We’d suggest heading for 5 years as an absolute minimum. There’s no need to settle for anything less. For instance, you can get a Worcester Bosch boiler with a 10-year warranty and at a competitive price here.
How Do Ariston Prices Stack Up Against Other Those of Brands?
Ariston haven’t been known for offering particularly long warranties in the past, and that’s going to put people off, as it doesn’t show they have the confidence in their products that we need to have to buy them.
However, with a range of boilers on offer with the higher range of 5-12 years warranty, their offering is much better now than it used to be.
The problem Ariston have is that they struggle to compete with other leading brands on price. You’d expect a lesser known brand to be cheaper than market leaders like Baxi, Ideal, Vaillant and Worcester.
As an example, you’ll find the Clas Net One 26kw on Screwfix for around £900, around £90 cheaper than the Worcester equivalent. That was, until boiler installation company HEATABLE came to the market. Due to them getting preferential rates, you can get a Worcester with a 10-year warranty fitted at a similar price or cheaper. You can check the exact price here.
The problem is, most boiler fitters want to get products from a local merchant in case there’s a problem (so they can get it swapped instantly), and then you’re talking around the same, or more expensive than the Worcester, Ideal Baxi and Vaillant equivalent.
How Much Does an Ariston Cost to Install?
And, it doesn’t stop there. A lot of manufacturers are now venturing into installations, one way or another.
Take Worcester, for instance. The folks at Heatable — a fixed price boiler installer — get Worcester boilers dirt cheap. What’s more, their installation prices are low, since they don’t send sales reps on site visits.
This way, Heatable compete with local installers and blow national firms out of the water.
You can get a fixed price on a Worcester boiler here. Then, get Ariston prices (and other boiler options) from a local installers, although that will involve an on-site quote and a site visit from a Gas Safe registered engineer.
We’ve also wrote a full guide on boiler installation here that’s worth a read, including the difference in prices between local and national installers.
Ariston Boiler Reviews
I like to dig out some reviews before buying any product, let alone one that might cost £2,000 or more. The problem with smaller companies like Ariston is the volume of reviews just isn’t out there.
Trust Pilot is a good place to start. Most here are negative, but due to the lower volume, that might not be a true representation of Ariston’s products or the service on offer. Either way, it doesn’t exactly fill the mind with confidence.
There’s a more varied set of Ariston reviews over on the Review Centre.
More interestingly, there’s a review that includes a customer survey over at Good House Keeping.
84% of readers there rated Ariston boilers as “good” or “excellent” which is a slight contrast to what’s being said on Trust Pilot.
Review Verdict: Should You Buy an Ariston?
I wouldn’t be against an Ariston, nor be upset if one of their combi boilers was already installed if I moved into a property. However, with a lack of reviews online and prices comparable to leading brands like Baxi, Ideal Boilers, Vaillant and Worcester – I’d be sticking with one of those brands.
However, prices may vary depending on your installer. If they fit a high volume of Ariston boilers, there’s a good chance they get amazing deals, and can fit them much cheaper than your average installer.
You can get a quick site visit from up to 3 boiler installation companies in your area, and then compare that back-to-back with a fixed price online quote from Heatable.
FAQs About Ariston Boilers
As we wrap up our review, we’d like to take some time to answer common questions about Ariston boilers.
How long should an Ariston boiler last?
Depending on the model, an Ariston boiler can last up to 15 years or more. The boiler warranty that comes with a model gives a reasonable indication of that particular model’s lifespan.
For example, a 2 year warranty points to the fact that the manufacturer expects that faults may develop after 2 years of service. Conversely, a 10-year warranty signifies greater confidence on the part of the manufacturer that the boiler will operate without issues for at least a decade.
This is why it’s so vital to go with the longest possible warranty period, even if doing so costs £100-£200 more upfront.
Do Ariston still make boilers?
Yes, Ariston still produce boilers. Ariston Thermo Group is a reputable manufacturer of heating products, which has been around since the 1930s. It’s headquartered in Italy, with plants scattered throughout the globe.
And although Ariston Boilers are not made in the UK, boiler parts are still widely available at plumbing merchants nationwide.
Why is my Ariston boiler not working?
There is a number of reasons an Ariston (or any other boiler, for that matter) could stop working. For Ariston boilers, however, the most common issue is a fault with the Printed Circuit Board (PCB). If your Ariston boiler’s PCB is faulty, you may see the following error codes: 301/302/303/304/305/306/307.
Another common cause is low pressure issue. If you see your Ariston’s pressure gauge drop below 0.60 bar, the pressure is far too low for the boiler to operate. You’ll see the 108 fault code if this happens.
To learn more about Ariston problems, you can read our guide here.
Are Ariston boilers good?
Generally speaking, Ariston boilers are a good choice. The company’s newest ranges are reliable, quiet, and boasts high energy efficiency. Their most notable features include:
- Auto function — allows the boiler to adjust its function based on the central heating system temperature.
- Ariston NET — lets you control your boiler remotely.
- A+ efficiency rating — energy savings help you lower your energy bills
So, if you’re looking for an Ariston boiler, you can’t really go wrong.
How do you reset an Ariston boiler?
You’ll have to find your Ariston’s reset button and hold it for up to 10 seconds. Note that the button may not look the same, or be located in a different place, depending on the model. Typically, however, it will be near the display and you’ll clearly see that it’s labeled “reset.”
What should the pressure be on an Ariston boiler?
The ideal water pressure for a boiler ranges between 1 and 1.5 bar.
If the pressure falls below 0.6 bar, you’ll see the 108 fault code and your boiler will not be able to operate properly. We’ve outlined the primary causes of low boiler pressure in our guide here.
Likewise, if the pressure gauge rises and stays over 2 bar, the pressure is likely too high. You can learn more about boiler problems related to high pressure here.
How do I increase the pressure on an Ariston boiler?
It typically doesn’t take Gas Safe registered heating engineers to increase the pressure on an Ariston (or any other gas boiler, for that matter); you can do so yourself via the boiler’s filling loop.
However, before you proceed with topping up your boiler from the mains water supply, you should be 100% certain that the cause of low pressure is no longer present. In most instances, low boiler pressure is caused by a leak somewhere in the heating system. Topping up the boiler while the leak persists makes no sense — it’s only a matter of time before the pressure drops again.
To find out the procedure for re-pressurising a boiler, you can refer to our guide here.
How do I fix error 108 on an Ariston boiler?
On Ariston boilers, error 108 means low system pressure; so, the first thing you should do is uncover the root cause of the pressure loss. In most cases, the underlying issue is a water leak in the system, but on rarer occasions, a faulty pressure sensor can also result in a low pressure reading.
To diagnose the cause behind fault 108 properly, it’s always best to hire a Gas Safe registered boiler engineer to inspect your appliance.
What’s Next?
Thanks for reading our Ariston boiler review.
Got questions? Drop us a line through our contact page, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
And, don’t forget to bookmark Heatingforce.co.uk, we regularly post up boiler reviews and repair advice.