Vantage Plumbing and Heating is a Vaillant accredited installer, which means we are approved by Vaillant to install their boilers and to register them for extended manufacturer warranty cover that a non-accredited installer cannot offer. We fit the ecoTEC range of combi, system and regular boilers across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Milton Keynes.

What Vaillant accreditation actually means for you

• Extended manufacturer warranty. Vaillant offers longer cover on boilers installed and registered by accredited installers than on the same boiler fitted by someone outside the scheme. The length depends on the model and Vaillant current terms, so we confirm what applies to yours in writing at survey.
• The warranty is backed by Vaillant, not by us. If something goes wrong with the appliance, the manufacturer stands behind it, rather than you depending on an installer still trading in several years.
• Correct commissioning. The boiler is commissioned to the manufacturer procedure, with the gas rate checked, combustion analysed and recorded, system pressures set and the benchmark checklist completed.
• Registration done properly and on time, with Vaillant and with Gas Safe, so the warranty is not lost to a missed deadline.
• Genuine Vaillant parts, not pattern equivalents, and engineers kept current through Vaillant own training.

Combi, system or regular, which Vaillant suits your home

ecoTEC combi. Heats hot water on demand as you draw it, with no cylinder and no loft tank. It usually suits smaller homes and flats, properties with one bathroom, and households where two showers are rarely run at once. It needs a good incoming mains flow rate, because a combi can only deliver hot water as fast as cold water arrives. We measure that at survey. A combi in a house with a poor mains supply is a disappointing shower every day for years.

ecoTEC system. Works with a hot water cylinder, usually an unvented one, with most components built into the boiler. It usually suits larger homes and properties with two or more bathrooms, because stored hot water at mains pressure gives strong simultaneous performance. The trade-off is that the cylinder takes space and the stored water is finite.

ecoTEC regular. Also called heat only or conventional, working with a cylinder and a cold water tank in the loft. Usually the right answer where the existing system is conventional and converting would mean opening up walls and floors unnecessarily.

We will tell you honestly which of the three fits. If a combi is not right for your house we will say so, even though it is often the cheaper installation.

What happens on installation day

Before the day. We survey the property, check mains flow and pressure, and look at existing pipework, gas supply size, flue route and radiator sizing. The gas supply pipe is a common issue, because an older, smaller pipe may not deliver enough for a modern boiler. Better found at survey than on the day.

On the day. We put down protection, isolate the water and gas, drain down, and remove the old boiler and any redundant tanks or cylinders. New pipework is run as needed, the gas supply upgraded where required, and the flue fitted to the manufacturer specification with the correct clearances.

System cleaning. This is the step people cutting corners skip, and the one that shortens a boiler life. The system is chemically cleaned or power flushed, dosed with inhibitor, and a magnetic filter fitted to catch anything that comes loose later. Vaillant warranty terms expect the system to be cleaned and protected.

Fitting and commissioning. The boiler is hung, connected, filled and pressure tested, then commissioned to Vaillant procedure with gas rate and combustion readings recorded. Controls are set up and demonstrated.

Handover. We run through the boiler and controls, show you the filling loop and isolation valves, leave the manuals and benchmark record, and take the waste away. We then register the boiler with Vaillant and notify Gas Safe.

Most straightforward swaps are completed within a day. Conversions between system types, or jobs needing significant pipework or flue work, take longer, and we tell you which yours is before we start.

Registration, warranty and keeping it valid

Keep the paperwork, because the benchmark record, service history and registration confirmation are what a claim is assessed on. Keep the system protected too. Inhibitor levels should be checked at service and the magnetic filter cleaned, because sludge damage is a common reason for a claim being questioned.

Vaillant fault codes and repairs

Vaillant boilers display fault codes on the front panel in the F format, and the code tells an engineer a great deal before anyone takes the case off. Common ones relate to low water pressure, ignition failure, flow temperature sensing, flue and condensate problems, and circulation faults. Several have simple causes, such as low system pressure or a frozen condensate pipe, often resolved without a repair bill at all. We repair Vaillant boilers as well as install them. See boiler repair.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Vaillant a good boiler?

Vaillant is one of the established UK domestic boiler manufacturers, with wide parts availability and engineers everywhere who know the range. We fit a lot of them and we are accredited by them. That said, a correctly installed boiler of any decent brand beats a badly installed premium one.

Can I get the extended warranty from any installer?

No. It is only available where the boiler is installed and registered by an accredited installer. That is the practical value of accreditation, and it is why the same boiler can carry very different cover depending on who fits it.

How long is the warranty?

It depends on the model and Vaillant current terms. We confirm what applies to your boiler in writing at survey rather than quoting a figure that may not apply to you.

Do I have to have it serviced every year?

To keep the warranty valid, yes, by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with the service recorded. It also catches faults early rather than in the middle of winter.

Do you install Worcester Bosch and Ideal as well?

Yes, both. We are not Worcester Bosch accredited and will not pretend otherwise. We are Vaillant accredited, so the extended manufacturer warranty route runs through Vaillant.

Want it sorted properly?

Still stuck? We repair this fault regularly across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Call 01462 506374 to get an engineer booked, or to talk it through first if you would rather. Genuine 24 hour cover, 365 days a year.

Where to next

• Air conditioning
• Advice from our engineers
• Talk to a local engineer