Are you confused about the difference between the Vaillant ecoTEC Pro and the Vaillant ecoTEC Plus?
If so, we’re not surprised!
With so much choice out there, choosing a new boiler can be a daunting task.
There are lots of big brands all jostling for your attention, each with their own extensive ranges of boilers, that all claim to be up for the job.
Since it’s a big investment, you’ll want to be sure that your new boiler will keep you and your family warm and comfortable for years to come, without costing you a fortune on your central heating bills.
At The Heating People, we pride ourselves on matching you with the perfect boiler to meet your needs.
We are accredited installers of: Vaillant; Worcester Bosch; Viessmann; and ATAG boilers. But we aren’t tied to any one of them, and equally we can work with others. This means that you’ll always get impartial advice on what suits you best.
Customers often ask us about the differences between the Vaillant ecoTEC pro and the Vaillant ecoTEC plus combi boilers.
So we’ve put together this handy guide to walk you through the key differences to help you with your decision.
For tailored advice from the experts, call one of our friendly team today.
Who are Vaillant?
If you’ve looked at any boilers online, you’ll have undoubtedly come across Vaillant. Vaillant is one of the leading manufacturers of heating and cooling products in the world.
Operating for over 140 years, they sell products in 80 countries and pioneered the world’s very first combi boiler over 35 years ago.
Vaillant doesn’t just produce gas and oil boilers though. Their product range also includes hot water cylinders, and renewable technologies such as heat pumps and solar water heating systems, as well as heating controls and accessories.
Vaillant’s vSMART™ heating control app allows you to take total control of your heating anytime, anywhere and even connects with Amazon Alexa.
Why choose a Vaillant boiler?
If you’re wondering why so many people opt for a boiler from Vaillant, here are some of the benefits of this brand:
Vaillant are a highly reputable company
Vaillant has built up a solid reputation for quality over the last 140 years.
Their award-winning combi, system and heat-only boilers are renowned for their reliability, performance and efficiency.
Some of Vaillant’s boilers have been awarded Which? Best Buy gas boiler products for 2020.
Vaillant has a huge product range
Part of the reason we’ve written this blog is because there are so many different types of Vaillant boilers to choose from!
Their extensive product range means that they’ll have a boiler to suit your home and lifestyle – whether you’re looking for a heat-only system, a combi boiler or a system boiler.
Vaillant boilers are highly efficient
Vaillant pride themselves on their focus on sustainability, with ‘thinking ahead’ being their motto which is reflected in their products’ high energy efficiency ratings and low emissions.
All Vaillant boilers are ErP (Energy-related Products) A-rated, which can be further boosted to A+-rated when combined with their vSMART heating controls.
As well as helping to reduce your carbon footprint, this can also save you money on your energy bills.
A-rated boilers are over 90% efficient, which means that over 90p of every £1 you spend on fuel for your boiler is used for your heating and hot water.
With older G-rated gas boilers, only 70p (and sometimes less!) in your £1 is used where it should be, the rest is wasted.
This can make a huge difference to your bills when you consider that according to the Energy Saving Trust, your boiler is responsible for over 60% of your household’s annual energy costs.
Vaillant has also invested in green initiatives, such as improving the recyclability of boiler components.
As a company, Vaillant have vowed to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030, from around 60,000 tonnes per year in 2018 to less than 30,000 tonnes by 2030.
They are very much focused on addressing the goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
You might like our related blog: How to choose an energy efficient boiler.
Vaillant invests in technological innovation
Alongside energy efficiency, Vaillant is well known for its technological innovation.
The Vaillant vSMART app-based heating control system integrates with Vaillant boilers to give you total control of your heating, wherever you happen to be.
The app features self-learning technology and will even connect to your Amazon Alexa device, so that you can control your heating with your voice!
Not only is this technology convenient, it can also help you to become more energy-efficient, which will help to reduce your energy bills.
Vaillant are highly rated by customers
Feedback from customers is consistently positive for Vaillant, indicating a high level of customer satisfaction.
YouGov (who collect independent public opinions on brands) have ranked Vaillant as the second most popular energy and utility product.
Vaillant offer long guarantees for your peace of mind
Depending on the model, Vaillant boilers come with 2-5 years parts and labour warranty as standard, but many have up to a 10 year warranty available when installed by a Vaillant Advance Installer, such as The Heating People.
But remember that you’ll need to keep up with your annual servicing by a Gas Safe engineer to maintain your boiler’s guarantee.
Vaillant boilers are quiet
If noise from your boiler bothers you, then a Vaillant might just be for you. Even when running at their full capacity, Vaillant boilers are renowned for their quiet performance.
So much so, Vaillant has been awarded the Quiet Mark accreditation by the International Eco-Award Scheme to manufacturers of the quietest products.
Vaillant replacement parts are easy to find
Although Vaillant boilers feature German design and engineering, many Vaillant models including the ecoTEC range are manufactured in the UK at their RoSPA gold award-winning Derbyshire manufacturing plant. This means that replacement parts are easy to come by.
How much do Vaillant boilers cost?
The cost of Vaillant boilers varies depending on the type of system and particular model that you choose.
As a rough guide, the typical price of a Vaillant EcoTec Plus 825 costs approximately £1000 – £1050.
How do I buy a Vaillant boiler?
You can’t buy Vaillant boilers directly from Vaillant. Instead, you need to have one supplied through a Vaillant Advance Installer, such as The Heating People.
We specialise in Vaillant products and can offer extended guarantees.
Although it’s possible for any installer in the country to install a Vaillant boiler; even if they’re not accredited, you might not get as long a guarantee, and you need to be careful that they are Gas Safe registered.
Rest assured that all of our engineers at The Heating People are Gas Safe registered for working on gas.
Is a Vaillant combi boiler right for me?
Both the Vaillant ecoTEC pro and the Vaillant ecoTEC plus are combi boilers.
So, before we go any further, you need to be sure that it is in fact a combi that you’re after.
Apart from the Vaillant Combi boiler range, Vaillant also has a range of system and heat-only or conventional boilers.
Combi boilers are compact all-rounders that provide both the heating and hot water for your home.
Combi boilers are different to conventional and system boilers because they provide all of your heating and hot water from one compact unit.
In contrast, heat-only or conventional boilers need an additional cold-water tank and hot-water cylinder; and system boilers need a hot water storage cylinder to heat and store hot water.
Combis don’t need a separate cold water storage tank or an external hot water cylinder in your attic – everything it needs is inside the unit.
This is because they take their cold-water supply directly from the mains, and they don’t store hot water, because they heat water instantaneously, on demand.
Vaillant offers six types of combi boilers that supply heat and instant hot water. The range starts with the basic EcoTec Pro, which is suitable for smaller homes. Vaillant also produces EcoTec Plus, EcoTec Exclusive, EcoFit Sustain and Ecofit Pure combi boilers.
What is the Vaillant ecoTEC range?
Vaillant’s ecoTEC line is popular with consumers because they offer efficient performance alongside sleek design.
Vaillant ecoTEC boilers are also available as system and heat-only boilers and come in a range of sizes to suit different homes and lifestyles.
But don’t worry, you won’t have to work out what size you need – here at The Heating People, we use heat-loss calculations to match you with the correct size of boiler for your needs.
If it’s a Vaillant combi that you’re after, there are three ranges within the EcoTec line: the Vaillant ecoTEC pro, Vaillant ecoTEC plus and the Vaillant ecoTEC exclusive. We’re looking at the pro and the plus today.
What are the differences between the ecoTEC pro and plus?
Let’s look at the differences between the Vaillant ecoTEC Pro and Plus…
The Vaillant ecoTEC pro gas combi boiler
The Vaillant ecoTEC pro is a popular high efficiency boiler that is suitable for use in small to medium sized homes (such as 1-bedroom properties, flats or apartments).
It offers precision heating to reduce fuel bills and is compatible with the vSMART app-based control that we mentioned earlier.
Here are some of the key features of the EcoTEC Pro combi:
- Available in three combi models covering 24, 28 or 30kW heating outputs
- A flow rate of up to 12.3 litres per min for fast instant hot water
- ErP A rated for both hot water and heating efficiency
- Precision heating to reduce fuel bills
- Bright and easy-to-use display
- Quiet mark approved
- Compatible with vSMART controls
- Guarantee of up to 10 years when fitted by a Vaillant Advance installer, such as The Heating People
- Works with LPG where required
- Dimensions in mm (825 model): H 720 x W 440 x D 338
The Vaillant EcoTEC plus:
The EcoTEC Plus is a higher spec version of the Ecotec Pro and is described by Vaillant as their ‘flagship’ boiler.
With its range of heating outputs, it’s flexible enough to meet the demands of a whole range of different homes and lifestyles.
It’s an efficient choice because its smart technology means that it knows when you don’t need as much heating power and can drop to using 16% of its maximum power, which is better for the environment, and your wallet!
The EcoTEC Plus is typically best suited to medium sized properties (from 2 bedrooms with 1 bathroom to 3 bedrooms with 1 bathrooms + ensuite).
Like with the Pro, it offers precision heating to reduce fuel bills and is compatible with the vSMART app based control that we mentioned earlier.
Here are some of the key features of the EcoTEC Plus combi:
- Available in four combi models covering 25, 32, 35 or 38kW heating outputs
- High performance, control and efficiency
- A flow rate of up to 15.9 litres per min for fast hot water
- Delivers hot water within 5 seconds (and no need for a storage tank or cylinder.)
- ErP A rated for both hot water and heating efficiency
- Precision heating to reduce your fuel bills
- Simple to use backlit display
- Quiet Mark approved
- Compatible with vSMART controls
- Guarantee of up to ten years when fitted by a Vaillant Advance Installer, such as The Heating People
- Works with LPG where required
- Dimensions in mm (825 model): H 720 x W 440 x D 338
So, what’s the ecoTEC exclusive with green iQ?
If you’ve been left wondering how the pro and the plus differ from the exclusive, then we’re here to help!
The ecoTEC exclusive is described by Vaillant as ‘the best in the business’, and as you would expect, there is a premium price attached to that.
It’s best suited to homes with a high demand for hot water and central heating. For example, a property with more than 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms/en suites.
The Exclusive range of boilers rely on a low energy water pump and high efficiency internal mechanisms to ensure that hot water can be provided efficiently to several hot water outlets within a property.
The exclusive carries Vaillant’s green iQ mark because it offers the ultimate in energy efficiency, the lowest fuel consumption, and the lowest running costs. The other nice ‘green’ credential of this boiler is that 85% of its parts are recyclable at the end of its life.
Here are some of the key features of the ecoTEC exclusive combi:
- Available in two combination models covering 35 or 43kW output
- The best in boiler performance, control and efficiency
- ErP A rated for both hot water and heating efficiency
- A flow rate of 17.8 litres per min for fast instant hot water
- Fully compatible with the Vaillant vSMART™ heating control for optimum performance and smartphone app control
- Eco-friendly and 85% recyclable
- 5-year guarantee as standard, with 7 to 10 years available when you book a Vaillant Advance installer
- Dimensions in mm (43kW): W 720 x H 440 x D 474
- Works with LPG where required
Final thoughts…
We hope that you’ve found this article helpful. You might also like our related blog: The best combi boilers 2022.
For tailored advice on the best choice for your needs, contact one of our friendly team today to book your free survey.
