Vokera Boilers: ‘vs’ other brands – Read Before Buying!

If you’re looking to replace your old boiler, chances are you have come across the Vokera brand.  Vokera are now a popular brand in the UK and steadily growing in recognition. They produce a range of heating systems and components from combi boilers, open vent boilers and system boilers. They also manufacture cylinders for their system boiler range.  Their range includes:
  • Linea
  • Unica
  • Compact
  • Mynute
  • Condexa

Worcester Bosch Make Better Boilers Than Vokera

Sorry, spoiler alert but it’s true Worcester Bosch make better boilers than Vokera and are the best boiler brand in the UK. Hands down.  Vokera’s range is just not known for being anywhere near as reliable as Worcester Bosch’s, the reason why Vokera boilers generally get installed is down to price – they are cheap.  If you want to see a ‘versus’ price comparison with Vokera against Worcester, Viessmann, Ideal and other brands – click here.  Using an online boiler comparison site like Heatable you can get cheap deals on Worcester Bosch boilers where it frankly doesn’t make sense to go elsewhere or use a local installer/engineer.  Use this clickable multi choice form and see what boiler is right for your home and what deal you can get. We did it in less than 60 seconds, had to put in no personal details and found this fixed price, onscreen deal:
Worcester Bosch 30kW price

Boiler Sizing

Different properties require different boilers – its comes down to these key factors:
  • Property size
  • Number of radiators
  • Number of bathrooms
  • Hot water demand
  • Heating system [combi, system, etc]
The reason being is that, for example, a 3 bedroom property could be very different to another 3 bedroom property, when you factor in things like extensions, layout, taps… Now Vokera has only a small range of boilers because they don’t sell the volume like bigger better brands such as Viessmann or Worcester. But that does keep things simple and means choosing is straight forward. You probably won’t struggle to find a Vokera boiler to fit ‘most’ homes but again brands like Worcester Bosch with their experience and pedigree have developed a more extensive range to suit everyone.  Range is important as, let’s say you did have a 24kW boiler but then did some home improvements and added a bathroom/shower room to your property or even something like a downstairs toilet.  You now require a ‘bigger’ boiler to keep up with demand, but with a Vokera you could have to jump right up in boiler size. Whereas with Worcester they make a 27kW combi boiler.  The other big deal with ANY boiler is warranty. Maybe you’ve heard the saying ‘‘a boiler is only as good as its warranty’’ – so let’s dive into boiler warranties.

Vokera Boiler Warranty

Well as standard, it used to actually be 2 years. Thankfully they have now upped it to 5 years. Still, this isn’t really anything to write home about. Most engineers will advise 5 years as an absolute minimum. What you should be after now is 7 years as a minimum and they now do offer a 7 year warranty.  Now take Worcester for example, you’ll get a 10-12 year warranty. But even take Ideals Logic Plus boiler, which costs less than the equivalent Worcester Bosch and it still has a 7 year warranty. So you can see Vokera does fall slightly short in terms of warranty and that should be a concern. Struggling to compete they have now introduced one boiler with atleast a 10 year warranty, which is progress.   Model                                                                             Warranty Combi Boilers: Vokera Compact A (outputs [kW] 25,29,32)              5 years Vokera Vision C (outputs [kW] 25-30)                        7 years Vokera Plus (outputs [kW] 25,30,35,40)                     7 years Vokera Vision C Plus (outputs [kW] 25,30,35,40)     7 years Vokera Evolve C (outputs [kW] 24,28,42)                 10 years System Boilers: Vokera Vision S (outputs [kW] 20,25)                        7 years Vokera Plus S (outputs [kW] 20,25,30)                      7 years Vokera Evolve S (outputs [kW] 18,24,30,35)            10 years

Vokera Warranty Summary

They have now done away with their 2 year warranties and thankfully introduced something to atleast get close or match the mid market boiler range from competitors.  But with this said, one of the most popular boilers in the UK, regardless of make, is a compact combi.  Compact enough to be hidden away in a kitchen cupboard and being a combi doesn’t require a hot water tank or cylinder.  Now Vokera only has a 5 year warranty on their compacts (in all kW outputs), ask any engineer, this isnt alot.  Compare that to the low price you’ll pay through Heatable installing a Worcester Bosch AND then the fact that it comes with a 10 year warranty…  That’s double the warranty meaning double the piece of mind.  All the Vokera T&C’s can be found here  Point 6 is a big one so pay attention here: ‘‘To qualify for the full term of warranty, the boiler must be serviced once annually by a Gas Safe Registered Engineer (RGII ROI). Proof of annual service in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions must be provided (e.g. Benchmark Service Record). If this condition is not met the period of warranty will extend to only 12 months from date of installation.’’ Take a look at what isn’t covered under the Vokera warranty in point 7, because its alot: ‘‘The Vokèra  “parts and labour” warranty is applicable to the boiler only. Vokèra controls and accessories, including all time clocks, room thermostats, smart controls and weather compensation devices are sold subject to a 24 month Return-to-Base Warranty. No engineer service cover is offered on any Vokèra controls and/or accessories.’’ One last point about what happens ‘if’ something goes wrong. Vokera does have a small in-house team of service and repair engineers. But Worcester Bosch for instance have been at this far longer and as such have a huge service and repair team fully equipped and trained for all scenarios.  Get an affordable FIXED, on screen price for a Worcester Bosch, Viessmann or Ideal Boiler here.

Vokera Durability & Robustness 

Compare Vokera boiler prices to any brands and you will see they are slightly cheaper. But bear this in mind. A boiler isn’t really a ‘thing’ in its own right, it’s made up from a number of different parts. So any boiler is only as good as its parts…

Are Vokera boiler parts any good?

Vokera make their boilers using low quality Italian parts. The proof is in the pudding, when manufacturers give you warranties they are telling you inadvertently how long they expect stuff to last. As mentioned above, the warranties on Vokera are half that of other brands. With this said, Vokera’s typically cost 20% less than the equivalent Worcester Bosch boilers, so you get what you pay for.  20% did equate to around £400 on a standard boiler installation. So that wasn’t to be sniffed at. But since online boiler installers like Heatable have established themselves, doing away with sales people and partnering with the big boiler manufacturers, prices have dropped significantly. Using Heatable you can now get a Worcester Bosch boiler for really not much more than a Vokera.  Common issues with Vokera boilers parts failing after just a few years are: Faulty diverter values – requiring complete replacement or unsticking. This will prevent the boiler from working, meaning no heating or hot water. If it’s under warranty still you wont pay a penny, but it’s still hassle whichever way you look at it.  Expansion vessels losing pressure 

Vokera Prices

Money talks and typically most boiler purchases come down to price. Or to elaborate more it actually comes down to a ratio of ‘price and warranty’. If you were to use a local installer, Vokera beats Worcester on price. You probably know that or a quick google search will show you that.  The point we are trying to make is that when you use a local installer they are cheaper. But when you use an online installer you can have a Worcester Bosch boiler for nearly the same price as a Vokera.  Now that should be a big enough reason to decide, but then compare a 5 year warranty with the Vokera to the 10 year warranty on the Worcesters and your answer should become clear. Just look at this deal we found using them below:
Ideal 30kW combi heatable price

Installation Costs

Something to bear in mind are the installation costs. Now using an online boiler installer like Heatable installation is included in the fixed price you get on screen. But generally when using anyone else installation costs are as much as the boiler itself. 

So labour plays a huge factor in the total overall cost. So this is yet another reason to go with an established trusted brand like Worcester, because when a cheaper boiler breaks down and requires fixing, it’s going to be expensive. 

Avoid that by getting the biggest warranty available on boilers with a household name brand like Worcester, Viessmann, Ideal etc.

Vokera Boiler Review Conclusion: Should You Install One In Your Home?

Put like this Vokera are cheaper, but when you factor in getting double the warranty [and therefore half the headache] from a slightly more expensive but better Worcester, that’s your winner. Because what happens is then when you calculate the total cost of ownership using a ‘price & warranty ratio’ the Worcesters are miles ahead. 

Plus regardless of costs; if you just put cost to one side for second, Worcester Bosch are undoubtedly the best boiler brand in the UK.

Compare Vokera to other leading brands here using an online boiler comparison site and I think you’ll see what we are seeing. 

We love a deal – so grab yourself one here because we honestly can’t find anything cheaper – anywhere.