This blog will be split into three sections, comparing combi boilers from each brand, then moving on to comparing system boilers and then regular boilers. This article will also be touching on brand history, customer and engineer reviews, including results from the annual Which? Best Boiler Brand survey, as well as boiler installation costs.
We will be concentrating on one boiler model from each boiler brand, for each boiler type, to help us identify which boiler brand is best.
For combi boilers, we will be comparing:
- The Ideal Logic Max combi boiler range
- The Baxi Platinum combi boiler range
- The Potterton Promax Ultra combi boiler range
- The Main Eco Compact combi boiler range
For system boilers, we will be comparing:
- The Ideal Logic Plus system range
- The Baxi Megaflo system boiler range
- The Potterton Ultra system boiler range
- The Main Eco Compact system boiler range
For regular boilers, we will be comparing:
- Ideal Logic Heat regular boiler range
- The Baxi 400 regular boiler range
- The Potterton Titanium system boiler range
- The Main Eco Compact regular boiler range
If by the end of this blog, you’re still unsure which boiler is best for your home, or if you simply want to compare your current central heating system with a different boiler brand, then why not try out our new Boiler Comparison Tool. This tool allows you to compare up to three boiler models or brands at one time, to help you find the perfect new boiler for your home.
Before you begin this blog, if you want more information about the difference between a combi boiler, a system boiler, or a regular boiler, we have a separate blog explaining boiler types to help you with this.
The History Behind Ideal
In the world of boilers, Ideal Heating is known to be a cost-friendly boiler brand in comparison to premium boiler brands such as Worcester Bosch and Vaillant, nevertheless, their boilers are still reliable and efficient, which is why we recommend them here at WarmZilla.
Founded in 1906, Ideal Heating has been providing the best quality boilers to its customers for over 100 years.
Ideal claim that they remain at the forefront of the domestic and commercial heating market,
“Leading the industry in setting new standards and challenging technological boundaries”.
They also claim that they remain true to their founding principles of quality, innovation, and value. Ideal Heating’s mission is to be dedicated to providing a reliable, competitively priced product range as well as delivering incredible customer service.
The History Behind Baxi / Potterton / Main
Richard Baxendale, the iron founder of Baxendale Company, began his journey in 1866, in Preston in Lancashire.
Baxi Heating is a part of BDR Thermea Group, which was founded in 2009. Baxi Heating has some of the best known and trusted heating and hot water brands for residential and commercial heating customers in the UK. Other brands that are a part of Baxi Heating are Main Heating and Potterton Commercial.
Potterton Commercial is the oldest of the brands and its history can be traced back as far as 1850.
Thomas Potterton started Potterton Commercial in Balham, London, and completed the first-ever gas boiler installation back in 1902.
Since then, the brand has become a prestigious name in the industry and, over 100 years later, remains at the forefront of commercial boiler production and development.
Remembering that both Potterton and Main boilers are now a part of Baxi Heating, let’s look at what customers have to say about each boiler brand.
In the Which? annual survey, all four boiler brands were ranked on their reliability, their overall customer satisfaction score, and engineer recommendation scores.
During the survey, over 7,500 customers were asked about the boiler brand they own, how satisfied they are with them, and whether their boiler has suffered any faults or breakdowns.
Here were the survey results:
| Brand | Ideal | Baxi | Potterton | Main |
| Overall Brand Score | 69% | 71% | 70% | 48% |
| Reliability | 5 stars | 4 stars | 4 stars | 3 stars |
| Customer Score | 4 stars | 4 stars | 4 stars | 2 stars |
| Engineer Recommendation | 3 stars | 4 stars | 4 stars | 3 stars |
Interestingly, whilst analysing the survey results, we can see that Potterton boilers were ranked above the others, with an overall brand score of 70%.
Potterton scored a solid 4 stars out of 5 for each category, showing consistency all-round, making us initially think that Potterton could be our winner in the battle of the boilers.
Ideal and Baxi boilers received very similar results. However, Ideal scored a 5 out of 5 stars for reliability, whereas Baxi only scored a 4 out of 5 stars. On the other hand, Baxi scored an extra 2% on their overall brand score, putting them on par with each other at this point.
The scores show that when it comes to reliability and recommendation, Ideal and Baxi boilers were ranked similar in performance, and their customers were satisfied with their products.
Main boilers, on the other hand, didn’t do so well, scoring 9th position out of the 13 brands that were judged. With an underwhelming overall brand score of only 48%, only 3 stars for reliability, 2 stars for customer score, and only 3 stars for engineer recommendation, Main boilers are seen to be one of the least sought-after boiler brands.
Let’s look into what these brand’s customers think a little bit more.
Ideal Trustpilot
Ideal has over 10.2k reviews on Trustpilot, with 4.8 out of 5 stars.
Over 95% of Ideal’s reviews are above average. This shows that Ideal’s customers are not only happy with their boiler, but also with the engineers and aftercare provided.
Here are what some of Ideal’s customers had to say:
“Excellent Service. I am very happy with Ideal. Easy to book a Service, (although the first appointment was rescheduled due to a Service Engineer not being available). The young engineer called early morning to give a 2 hour window but arrived at the beginning of this time. The boiler is serviced and I look forward to next year’s with Ideal”.
“Excellent service, very pleased as ever with Ideal. The engineer was a delight, very polite, tidy and work done efficiently”.
Baxi Trustpilot
Baring in mind that Potterton and Main boilers have been taken over by Baxi, Baxi have over 33.5k reviews and 4.5 stars out of 5. Although 79% of Baxi’s reviews on Trustpilot are ‘excellent’, Baxi also have 14% below average reviews, showing some potential issues with the brand.
Customers have picked up on the poor customer aftercare from the brand, leaving reviews such as:
“Good service but a pity it was only carried out after a number of previous cancellations and continual excuses”.
Combi Boiler Comparison Table
| Boiler Make | Ideal | Baxi | Potterton | Main |
| Boiler Model | Logic Max | Platinum | Promax Ultra | Eco Compact |
| Boiler Type | Combi | Combi | Combi | Combi |
| kW outputs | ||||
| Fuel Type | Gas | Gas | Gas | Gas |
| Efficiency Rating | 94% | 92% | 89% | 93% |
| Band Rating | A-Rated | A-Rated | B-Rated | A-Rated |
| Standard Warranty | 10 years | 10 years | 2 years | 5 years |
| ErP Rating | A Heat | A Water | A Heat | A Water | A Heat | A Water | A Heat | A Water |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | 700mm x 395mm x 278mm | 780mm x 450mm x 345mm | 780mm x 450mm x 360mm | 700mm x 390mm x 285mm |
| Price* | £860 – £1,070 | £830 – £1,000 | £960 – £1,310 | £515 – £540 |
To make these comparisons easier, let’s break them down into sections.
Firstly, let’s begin by comparing energy efficiency.
When purchasing a new or replacement boiler, it is important to look into the boiler’s energy efficiency. Depending on your current boilers efficiency rating, getting a new boiler with a higher efficiency rating could potentially help you to save money on your energy bills.
Looking at all four boiler models, we can see a slight difference in each boiler’s efficiency rating. Ideal’s premium boiler, the Ideal Logic Max combi boiler range, has the highest efficiency rating of 94%, whereas Potterton’s Promax Ultra combi boiler range comes in at 4th place, only reaching an efficiency of 89%. This means that this boiler range wastes 11% of the fuel it uses, essentially costing you more.
To put boiler efficiency into financial terms, for every £1 you spend on heating your home with a boiler that’s 94% efficient, 6p is wasted with the Ideal Logic Max combi boiler range, whereas 11p for every £1 you spend is being wasted if you have the Potterton Promax Ultra combi boiler range installed.
The Ideal Logic Max range also has the highest kW output option, of 35kW, accommodating customers with a higher demand for instant hot water.
One of the most significant differences between each boiler model is the warranty. Both the Ideal and Baxi combi boilers have a standard warranty of 10-years.
Initially, it looked like Potterton boilers could be a potential winner, but the Potterton Promax Ultra only has a 2-year warranty, The Main Eco Compact combi boiler range only has a 5-year warranty, so we can confidently rule them out in the battle of the combi boilers. That leaves us with a choice between the Ideal Logic Max combi boiler range and the Baxi Platinum combi boiler range.
Looking at the dimensions of the Ideal Logic Max combi boiler and the Baxi Platinum combi boiler, Ideal’s boiler has been designed to be more compact, meaning that it can be fitted inside your standard kitchen cupboard, out of sight, out of mind.
Now for the most important factor, let’s discuss prices.
Straight off the bat, we can see that the Main Eco Compact combi boiler is the cheapest, however, when we refer back to the Which? Best Boiler Brand survey, we know that many customers were not completely satisfied with their Main boiler. It is important to remember that cheaper is not necessarily the best option when it comes to an investment such as a new boiler.
Again, the Ideal Logic Max combi boiler range and the Baxi Platinum combi boiler range are similar in price, with an average of £50 difference. However, when we take into consideration the Which? Best Boiler Brand survey results, the overall reliability, the efficiency ratings and the dimensions, our winner for round 1 has to be…
IDEAL!
Let’s see if Ideal are the winner when it comes to comparing system boilers.
System Boiler Comparison Table
| Boiler Make | Ideal | Baxi | Potterton | Main |
| Boiler Model | Logic Plus | Megaflo | Ultra | Eco Compact |
| Boiler Type | System | System | System | System |
| kW outputs | ||||
| Fuel Type | Gas | Gas | Gas | Gas |
| Efficiency Rating | 93% | 91% | 89% | 93% |
| Band Rating | A-Rated | A-Rated | B-Rated | A-Rated |
| Standard Warranty | 7 years* | 7 years | 2 years | 5 years |
| ErP Rating | A Heat | A Water | A Heat | A Water | A Heat | A Water | A Heat | A Water |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | 700mm x 395mm x 278mm | 780mm x 450mm x 345mm | 700mm x 390mm x 270mm | 700mm x 390mm x 285mm |
| Price* | £879 – £1,011 | £667.40 – £849.60 | £960 – £1,310 | £620 – £700 |
For the system boilers, we are comparing Ideal’s mid-range boiler, the Ideal Logic Plus system boiler range, the Baxi Megaflo system boiler range, the Potterton Ultra system boiler range, and the Main Eco Compact system boiler range.
As expected, the Main Eco Compact system boiler is the cheapest of the four, however, it is the least desirable according to the customer reviews.
The Potterton Ultra system boiler range offers a good range of kW outputs, however, has an efficiency rating of only 89% (the same as the combi boiler range), meaning that 11% of the fuel used is being wasted, making it a not-so-efficient boiler.
Similar to the combi boilers, the Ideal Logic Plus and the Baxi Megaflo have the same standard manufacturer warranty lengths and similar efficiency ratings.
However, this is probably a great time to mention that when you purchase a new or replacement Ideal boiler with WarmZilla, you will receive an 8-year warranty. For this reason, Ideal is the winner of the warranty battle.
We have established that Ideal boilers are the winners when it comes to design. All Ideal boilers have been designed to be compact so that they can be installed discreetly in your kitchen cupboards. So all that’s left to compare, is the price.
It is important to note that before purchasing a new or replacement system boiler, you will need to ensure that you have the correct amount of space in your home to accommodate an additional hot water cylinder. This cylinder is typically installed inside an airing cupboard or a similar-sized space in your home.
As a result of needing these additional parts, the cost of the boiler itself, along with installation costs may increase. When we compare the prices, Baxi comes out on top with a slightly cheaper price than Ideal, making it 2-1 to Ideal.
It’s a close call. Let’s look at reliability and awards to help us make our final decision.
Baxi was presented with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation in 2012.
Ideal, won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise a year later, as well as the Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended Status in 2013 and again in 2017, for their Logic range of boilers.
Also, the Logic Plus range was awarded the Quiet Mark status by the Noise Abatement Society for prioritising noise reduction within their designs.
So, rounding up the scores for the battle of the system boilers, Ideal have pulled it out of the bag again!
Time for round-3! Ding, ding, ding!
Regular Boiler Comparison Table
| Boiler Make | Ideal | Baxi | Potterton | Main |
| Boiler Model | Logic | 400 | Titanium | Eco Compact |
| Boiler Type | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular |
| kW outputs | ||||
| Fuel Type | Gas | Gas | Gas | Gas |
| Efficiency Rating | 93% | 92% | 89% | 93% |
| Band Rating | A-Rated | A-Rated | B-Rated | A-Rated |
| Standard Warranty | 2 years | 7 years | 2 years | 5 years |
| ErP Rating | A Heat | A Water | A Heat | A Water | A Heat | A Water | A Heat | A Water |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | 700mm x 395mm x 278mm | 780mm x 450mm x 345mm | 625mm x 370mm x 270mm | 625mm x 370mm x 270mm |
| Price* | £778 – £1,027 | £690 – £840 | £700 – £840 | £720 – £830 |
When analysing the regular boiler comparison table, the first thing that jumps out at us is the warranty lengths.
Ideal boilers have been our winners in the last two rounds, so the Ideal Logic regular boiler having only a 2-years standard manufacturer’s warranty sets them back a bit in the final round.
Luckily for Ideal, when you purchase an Ideal boiler with WarmZilla, you will receive an 8-year warranty, for extra peace of mind.
Similar to both the combi boilers and system boilers, as a result of a B-rated efficiency rating and only a 2-years warranty, Potterton are out of the running to be our winners. Again, due to lack of love from customers and only a 5-year warranty, Main boilers are also out of the running.
So once, again, we’re down to the final two, the Ideal Logic regular boilers and the Baxi 400 regular boilers.
To help us decide, let’s take a look at the features of both boilers.
The Ideal Logic regular boiler range features:
- Built-in frost protection
- A fully backlit LCD display screen
- User-friendly controls
- An easy to see pressure gauge
- Flexible flue installation
- 10-year warranty on heat exchanger
- Compact design for easy installation
- High-efficiency rating
- 8 years warranty with WarmZilla
The Baxi 400 regular boiler range features:
- Flexible flue options
- Quiet operation
- Easy to use controls
- Built-in frost protection
- Easy to use controls
Taking both boiler range’s features into consideration, as well as the price, we can see why the Ideal Logic regular boiler comes in at a slightly more expensive price.
Like a system boiler, a regular boiler needs to be installed alongside a hot water cylinder, which is installed in an airing cupboard, as well as a cold water cylinder, a feed, and an expansion tank, which are often installed in the attic of your home. Needing these additional parts will also have an effect on the overall price.
Overall, in the battle of Ideal Vs. Baxi/Potterton/Main, our winner has to be, Ideal.
If you’re looking to find the perfect new boiler for your home, you can get an online quote in online 90-seconds. Go on, you know you want to.
How Much Does It Cost To Install A Boiler?
We’ve touched base on the cost of installation throughout the blog, however, here’s a more in-depth explanation for those looking to purchase a new or replacement boiler.
There are a lot of factors that contribute to what price you will pay to get a new boiler installed but this guide will explain all of the factors and give you example prices so you’ll know exactly how much you can expect to pay.
When having your new boiler installed, you will have to consider factors such as moving your boiler. Moving your boiler’s location can cost on average, between £300 and £800.
The final cost will depend on how far your boiler needs to be moved and the type of boiler you are having installed. You may need additional parts for your new boiler, for example, if you move the boiler from a location where the flue terminates horizontally from the boiler through a kitchen wall, to an attic where the flue will need to be changed to a vertical flue, additional costs for parts will be incurred.
At WarmZilla we charge £150 to move your boiler within the same room, £300 for other rooms and £500 to move your boiler into the loft.
Other factors that may affect the final cost include:
- Pipework upgrade
Most people wouldn’t hear about this until their installer was informing them that they were going to need to pay an extra fee to upgrade their pipework. Not with WarmZilla. The price we quote you is fixed. If we need to upgrade the pipework then it won’t cost you any more. - Powerflush / System Cleanse
- System Filter
Supply and fit of a magnetic filter will cost you anywhere between £120 – £250 depending on the brand and installer. Again, with WarmZilla, there is no charge, we include a system filter as standard with every boiler we install. - Plume Kit
As ever, the cost of the plume kit is included in your WarmZilla fixed price boiler quote. It will automatically be included in your order if the answers to the survey indicate that it’s necessary. - Labour and Installation Costs
- Smart thermostat or added controls
With every boiler installation, WarmZilla includes a Neomitis Thermostat as standard, it’s not as advanced as a smart thermostat such as the Google Nest but you can upgrade to a Nest if the extra gadgetry is what you want in your life.
If you want a more in-depth guide to how much it costs to install a boiler, we have a separate blog that covers this.
The Benefits of Getting a New Boiler
You will typically find that you will make your money back in terms of the efficiency savings that you will make by getting a new boiler. A new A-Rated boiler will maybe set you back on average £2,000 (this is a very average price range and varies so much on the type of home and boiler required)
The Energy Saving Trust state that by getting a new A-Rated boiler you can save up to £340 per year.
Over ten years that will pay back the cost outlay of your new boiler. Last year alone, boiler breakdowns cost the UK a vast £787 million.
However, the trouble is that people think boilers are too expensive, so they keep running them, getting them fixed, and spend hundreds or thousands on repairing them.
To get a WarmZilla quote right now, click here and it will take you to our 90-second survey, and help you find the perfect new boiler for your home.
*All prices have been taken from an online price comparison site.
