Why choose a Viessmann boiler?
If your old boiler is on its last legs, or has conked out completely, you’ll be on the hunt for a shiny new model. But with so much choice out there, it can be daunting to know where to start.
Although they may look pretty similar, not all boilers are the same. And since a new boiler is a big investment for your home, it’s wise to be informed about your options.
And the Heating People are here to help! We’re experts at finding you the perfect boiler for your home.
We often get asked ‘which boiler brand is best?’ But unfortunately there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question.
There are several reputable manufacturers of boilers that all offer outstanding engineering and boilers that are built to last. But we do have our favourites!
We’re proud to be: ATAG Selected Partners; Worcester Bosch Accredited Installers; Vaillant Advance Installers; and Viessmann Trained Installers.
In today’s blog, we’ll walk you through some of the key reasons why Viessmann is a popular choice amongst homeowners.
You should check out our other blogs on other boiler brands, or better yet – contact one of our team to book your free survey and get tailored advice on your heating system!
Who is Viessmann?
Let’s start by looking at the manufacturer.
Viessmann Group is a German company specialising in heating, cooling, and refrigeration systems for over 100 years.
The company was founded by Johann Viessmann in 1917 and is still run by the Viessmann family today.
Whilst its manufacturing base remains at its headquarters in Allendorf, Germany, Viessmann has grown significantly. The company is active in 74 countries around the world, and employs over 12750 people worldwide.
Viessmann has been operating in the UK since 1989 from the UK headquarters in Telford.
But they don’t just produce boilers. Their product range also includes air and ground source heat pumps, biomass and steam boilers and combined heat and power generation units.
Viessmann invests heavily in technological innovation. Their boilers boast German engineering, stainless steel heat exchangers, and high-quality parts.
Viessmann are always at the forefront of design innovation. They say that their prime motive is to create innovative products and solutions to protect the environment. And their heating systems reflect this, with efficiency rates of up to 98 percent.
Why should you consider a Viessmann boiler?
Let’s look at some of the key benefits of choosing a Viessmann boiler…
1. Viessmann has a large product range to cater for every home and lifestyle
Whatever type and size of boiler you’re looking for, Viessmann has an option for you.
Viesmmann manufactures heat-only boilers; combi boilers; storage combi boilers; and system boilers in a range of different fuel types (Oil, LPG, or gas) and sizes (power outputs). So whatever the size of your home, there’s a solution for you.
And if you’re short on space, Viessmann has thought of this too, with their compact models.
With a height of only 700 mm, the Vitodens 050-W is one of the smallest wall mounted boilers in its class, and will fit into a kitchen cupboard.
Viessmann has also catered for households that want all of the advantages of a combi boiler, but also have a high demand for hot water, with the Vitodens 111-W.
The 111-W is a high performance storage combi boiler that has the capacity to fill a standard bath in just 8 minutes, whilst also supplying a sink or washbasin simultaneously.
If you’ve read our previous blogs on combi boilers, you’ll know that this isn’t possible with a standard combi.
So, you’re certainly spoilt for choice with a Viessmann boiler!
2. Viessmann is a reliable boiler brand that is highly rated by customers
Viessmann say that they’re the most reliable boiler brand on the UK market. And this seems to be backed up in satisfaction surveys.
Trusted Traders has rated Viessmann 5 out of 5 stars for reliability and customer score, and 4 out of 5 stars for their overall engineer recommendation score.
Viessmann has a trust pilot score of 4.6 out of 5 stars, and Viessmann’s Vitodens combi boiler range has been awarded Which? Best Buy 2021.
The Which? ‘Best Buy’ boilers from Viessmann are the Vitodens:
- 050-W
- 100-W Combi
- 111-W
- 200-W Combi
- 222-F
3. Viessmann boilers are up to 98% energy efficient
Thanks to condensing technology, and legislation on energy efficiency, all modern boilers should have an energy efficiency rating of around 92%.
But nonetheless, Viessmann still manufactures some of the most efficient boilers on the market.
The Vitodens 200-W and the Vitodens 222-F both have energy efficiency ratings of 98%. This means that for every pound you spend on gas, only 2p gets wasted in the heating process.
If you compare this to an old G-rated boiler that’s only 70% efficient (and therefore wastes 30p in every pound), it’s easy to see how you can potentially make big savings on your energy bills!
Check out our related blog: How to choose an energy efficient boiler.
4. Viessmann boilers come with weather compensation
Another reason why Viessmann boilers are so efficient is that all of the boilers in the Vitodens range come with weather compensation technology.
Weather compensation devices use an outdoor sensor to monitor the outdoor temperature and adjust your boiler’s operation accordingly.
By matching your home’s heat loss (which is caused by the weather) Viessmann says that you can save up to 15% on your energy bills, as well as reducing your carbon footprint. So it’s win-win!
Weather compensation can also improve your home comfort by avoiding spikes of over and under-heating, giving you a consistent indoor temperature, whatever the weather.
5. Viessmann boilers have good modulation ratios
And yet another reason why Viessmann boilers are so efficient, is that they have good modulation ratios.
Boiler modulation refers to the ability of the boiler to automatically reduce its output to suit the demand for heat, thereby lowering the amount of gas it’s using.
Let’s say you only need 10 kw of heat for your home for the next couple of hours. But you have a 20kw boiler. Instead of your boiler outputting 20kw and then cycling on and off, your boiler would reduce its output by turning down its flame by 50%.
The modulation ‘ratio’ is how manufacturers express a boiler’s ability to modulate.
The numbers refer to the boiler’s minimum output in relation to its maximum output. The wider the modulation range, the better the ratio.
Let’s look at three examples to explain this:
Boiler A – Fictional example
Boiler A has a maximum output of 30kW and has a 5:1 ratio. This means that the maximum power it can output to heat your home is 30kW, and it can modulate this down to 6kW..
Boiler B – Vitodens 111
Boiler B has a maximum power output of 30kW and a 10:1 ratio. This means that the maximum power it can output to your home is 30kW, and it can modulate this down to 3 kW.
Boiler C – Vitodens 200-W
Boiler C has a maximum output of 30kW and an extremely impressive 17:1 ratio. This means that the maximum power it can output to your home is 30kW, and it can modulate this down to 1.7 kW.
So which of the examples is the best?
Boiler C or the Vitodens 200-W is the most efficient boiler. It can modulate its output from 30kW to just 1.7kW with a total of 17 different heat outputs.
Lower power output means less fuel burned, and more money saved on your bills.
To illustrate this further… Say you only need a very small increase in heat, Boiler A would fire at 6Kw, but Boiler C (the Vitodens 200-W) would fire at a lower (and more efficient) 1.7Kw.
A non-modulating boiler would fire at its maximum output of 30Kw regardless of the heat demand, consuming unnecessary energy and overheating the home.
Another advantage is that there will be less boiler cycling, and so there will be a lower level of stress placed upon the boiler, potentially extending its lifespan.
6. Viessmann boilers are designed to be ‘future-proof’
Viessmann describes their boilers as being ‘future-proof’ in that they’ve been designed to be compatible with a range of fuel sources.
All Viessmann gas boilers are Hydrogen Ready (H2 20% Blend).
Viesmann’s gas boilers can also be used in conjunction with a solar thermal heating system to provide you with a domestic hot water backup.
By using solar power as a renewable energy source, you’ll be helping to protect the environment, as well as lowering your fuel bills.
The combustion controller found in Viessmann’s Vitodens 200 range is designed to automatically adjust to various gas types, including biogas mixtures, meaning these heating systems are equipped to be used with sustainable fuels.
The Vitodens 200 is sold as a fossil fuel boiler, but it will also run on E-gas, H-gas, shale, LNG, hydrogen generated from wind energy and PV energy, synthetic methane and upgraded biogas, all without any adjustment. It’s fair to say that it’s future-proof and ready for any developments in renewable technology!
7. Viessmann boilers have a stainless-steel heat exchanger
The most important part of any boiler is the heat exchanger. Because its job is to transfer heat from your boiler’s fuel, to the water in your heating system.
If your heat exchanger breaks, you’ll have no heating and hot water, and it’s usually very expensive to replace.
So, the fact that all Viessmann boilers have a high-quality, stainless steel heat exchanger, is a real plus!
Many other boiler manufacturers including Worcester Bosch use an aluminium heat exchanger, which doesn’t offer the same efficiency and longevity levels as stainless steel.
Viessmann’s stainless steel inox radial heat exchanger delivers an extremely high 98% efficiency rate, and is guaranteed for 10 years against leaks resulting from corrosion.
If you’re after a stainless steel heat exchanger, you should also consider ATAG. ATAG has a lifetime guarantee on its iCon heat exchanger, which maintains 98% of its original efficiency levels throughout its lifetime.
8. Viessmann offers Lambda Pro combustion control
Viessmann has developed a unique feature for its gas boilers that allows the boiler to adjust operation automatically depending on which gas is being supplied.
This means that you can switch between different types of natural gas, or between natural gas and LPG without the need to adjust anything.
The Lambda Pro Combustion control handles the change for you and ensures constant efficiency and reduced wear and tear on components.
If in the future, the UK gas grid supplies a blend of 80% natural gas and 20% hydrogen, the Lambda Pro will handle this smoothly.
9. Viessmann boilers have a user-friendly LED touch screen
Viessmann boilers are very user friendly, featuring an LED touch screen on a black panel design. The LED screen displays information in a way that is straightforward to navigate.
10. Viessmann offers a control unit and ‘energy cockpit’
The new Vitotronic 200 control unit in the Viessmann Vitodens 200 series allows you to see how your heating system is using your electricity and gas by providing you with continuous energy updates.
This can help you to make small changes to how how you’re heating your home, and don’t have an unpleasant surprise when your bill arrives!
The 5-inch touchscreen clearly displays all important data in colourful pictograms and text. The energy cockpit also shows your solar yields, if you have connected a solar thermal system.
11. Viessmann offers smart heating controls
You can make your heating smart with Viessmann’s ViCare thermostat. This allows you to easily control your heating and hot water system via the ViCare app on your smartphone.
The ViCare app provides a convenient way to control your Viessmann boiler and heating system from your phone, from wherever you happen to be.
The app is easy and intuitive to use, and you can adjust your room temperature with just one click. It allows you to store your daily heating routine, and reduce your energy bill.
The app also allows you to see at a glance whether there are any problems. Should your heating system encounter a problem or a fault, you’ll receive a notification.
Another good thing about this app is that it lets you enter your engineer’s details into the app directly. This provides your engineer with all the information they need about your heating system, which is very convenient.
You might like our related blog: Does smart heating save money?
12. Viessmann offers extended warranties on their boilers
Most boiler models from Viessmann come with a parts and labour warranty that ranges between 2 and 5 years. However, The Heating People can offer extended warranties of 10 and 12 years as Viessmann trained installers.
Which is Viessmann’s best-selling boiler?
Updated for 2021, the Vitodens 100-W is Viessmann’s best selling gas boiler. Efficient, compact, quiet and affordable, the Vitodens 100-W hydrogen ready (H2 20% blend) gas condensing boiler is the most popular solution for smaller and well insulated homes.
This boiler features:
- Compact design and low weight
- Quiet operation thanks to low fan speed
- Available in outputs from 3.2 to 32 kW
- High quality stainless steel Inox-Radial heat exchanger
- Up to 94% of the fuel used is converted into heat
- 5 year guarantee with option to extend by a further 7 years
- Hydrogen Ready Boiler (H2 20% blend)
- Class A rated for energy efficiency
- Low CO2 emissions for reduced environmental impact
- User friendly LED Touch screen for easy operation
- Optional ViCare Thermostat means no third-party controls are required
- Lambda Pro Combustion Control
How do I choose the right Viessmann boiler for my home?
Remember that your boiler will only be as good as the engineer who installs it! To find the correct boiler, and have it commissioned to optimise its energy efficiency, you need a knowledgeable Gas Safe engineer you can trust.
The Heating People have over twenty years of experience in matching families with the perfect boiler for their homes. And we’re proud to be Heat Geek Elite engineers, so that you can be sure that we can get the best out of your system.
Contact us today to book your free survey and get tailored advice on what boiler is best for your home and lifestyle.
Final thoughts
If you’re shopping for a new boiler, Viessmann should certainly be on your research list. Viessmann boilers offer outstanding German engineering, high quality parts, and some of the highest energy efficiencies on the market.
To find out which Viessmann boiler is right for your home, contact The Heating People today for advice.
