Ideal Combi Boilers review
Prices, features and much more

What is a combi boiler?

A combination, or combi boiler, is a combination of a water heater and a central heating boiler in a single unit. When hot water is requested by the central heating or a hot water outlet, a combi boiler takes water from the mains water supply and transfers heat to the water to produce hot water on demand instantaneously.

As combi boilers heat water straight from the mains water supply, they do not need to store unused hot water in a tank or cylinder like conventional and heat only boilers. This makes combi boilers the most energy efficient type of boiler, so in other words, you will only heat and pay for the energy used to heat the water you use.

The lack of a need for a tank or a cylinder, which takes up space, makes combi boilers a popular choice for properties with limited space.

Overview of Ideal combi boilers

Ideal currently produces four combination boilers: the Logic+, the Logic Max, the Vogue Gen2 and the Vogue Max.

Ideal has stopped production on combi boilers such as the Classic, Instinct, and Exclusive, although they can still be purchased from selected retailers, so for the purpose of this article, we’ll concentrate on Ideal’s current combi boiler range.

Logic+ combi boiler

The Ideal Logic+ combi boiler has won numerous awards, from the Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended award to the highest official UK awards for businesses: The Queen’s Award for Enterprise, which awards organisations who excel at innovation and sustainable development, amongst other categories. The Logic+ has also received a “Quiet Mark” certification, which means it is one of the quietest products of its type within the home appliance category. The Logic+ is reliable, compact and made with quality materials, making it great value for money.

Ideal Logic+ power output

A boiler’s power output refers to how much power it uses to heat water or the central heating system. A boiler’s power output is often referred to as boiler size and is measured in kilowatts (kW).

The Ideal Logic+ combi boiler range is available in the following outputs:

Hot water output refers to the maximum amount of power a boiler will use to heat up water for a home. Similarly, central heating output refers to the maximum amount of power a boiler will use to heat up a property’s central heating system.

As a general rule of thumb, the more heat and hot water a property needs, the higher the boiler’s power output, or “size”, needs to be.

A boiler’s flow rate refers to how much hot water the boiler can send to the hot water taps or showerhead in one minute. A good flow rate for a shower is between 10 and 15 litres per minute.

Logic Max combi boiler

The Ideal Max combi boiler is based on the award-winning Logic+. All the major components are the same and it has the same large backlit display, user-friendly controls, and easily visible pressure gauge as the Logic+. The main difference between the two is that the Logic Max comes with an Ideal System Filter to protect and enhance the longevity of the boiler.

An Ideal System Filter is a highly efficient magnetic and non-magnetic filter that is designed to protect the central heating system by removing iron oxide. Even a tiny build-up of iron oxide debris in a condensing boiler can result in energy being wasted and efficiency loss, which means the system won’t perform at its best and it’ll cost you more to run and maintain.

Ideal Logic Max power output

The Ideal Max combi boiler is available in the following outputs:

Vogue Gen2 combi boiler

The Ideal Vogue Gen2 is a premium boiler that has received the Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended award in 2013 and 2017. Constructed with the most durable components and featuring a 3.5” full colour LCD display, the Gen2 is an easy to use combi that delivers top performance and reliability.

Ideal Vogue Gen2 power output

The Ideal Max combi boiler is available in the following outputs:

Vogue Max combi boiler

Based on the Gen2, the Vogue Max is part of Ideal’s premium boiler range. Made with the highest quality components, the Vogue Max is a reliable and long lasting combi boiler. The Vogue Max is supplied with an Ideal System Filter to enhance the longevity, efficiency, and performance of the boiler and central heating system.

Ideal Vogue Max power output

The Ideal Vogue Max combi boiler is available in the following outputs:

What key features come with Ideal combi boilers

Easy to read LCD displays

All current Ideal combi boilers are equipped with fully back-lit LCD displays that have easy to use controls – so you don’t need to be a heating expert to operate your boiler. Many boiler displays only show a fault code, which means the user then has to go and find out what the code means and what to do about it. Ideal combi boilers go beyond displaying just a fault code; they show the user what the fault is and how to resolve the problem.

This easy to use display makes it easier for homeowners to operate the boiler and can save them hassle by showing them possible solutions to fixable issues rather than having to call out an engineer to diagnose the problem.

Can be operated using a smartphone

Ideal combi boilers are compatible with Ideal Halo. Ideal Halo is an internet connected programmable thermostat that allows you to control your heating anytime and anywhere with your smart device through the use of the Halo app.

Notable features of Ideal Halo:

• Fault notification - boiler faults directly to your phone and to Ideal customer service centre if there is a problem
• Fast and simple to install - no wiring, just plug in and pair it with your device
• Geolocation - Use the location of your phone to manage your central heating's on and off times

Can be installed in colder areas of your home

If the water in any Ideal combi boiler falls below 5 °C, the frost protection feature will activate and switch the boiler on to prevent the water from freezing.

If the water in your boiler freezes, there is a high chance that the boiler could break down, which could cost hundreds of pounds in boiler repairs or you may even need a boiler replacement, which could cost a few thousand pounds!

The frost protection feature also gives homeowners peace of mind as they can have their Ideal combi boiler installed in colder parts of the property, such as the loft or garage, without worrying about the risk of the water freezing.

Increase efficiency and save money with Ideal weather compensation feature

Ideal combi boilers are compatible with Ideal’s weather compensation feature. This feature increases the efficiency of the boiler and, as a result, could save homeowners money on their energy bills.

Weather compensation is an energy saving feature that measures the outside temperature and sends a signal to the boiler, which adjusts its power output and water flow according to the outside temperature. For example, if it is warm outside, you won’t need as much heat to keep the rooms at the desired temperature, so the boiler will reduce its water flow to reach the ideal temperature for your household.

This innovative function helps to maintain a consistent temperature throughout your house, boosts the boiler's efficiency, and may result in energy bill savings.

Ideal combi boiler dimensions

A key benefit of combination boilers is their small size in comparison to regular and system boilers, which require water tanks in order to operate.

Ideal combi boilers are compact boilers. This means that they are small enough to fit inside an average kitchen cupboard. Having a compact boiler installed could save homeowners time, space, and money!

The modest size of an Ideal combi boiler makes them a great choice for properties with limited space.

How energy efficient are Ideal combi boilers?

The Logic Max and Logic Plus combi boilers are 94% efficient, and the Vogue Max and Vogue Gen2 are 93% efficient, making them all highly efficient combination boilers.

The efficiency of a boiler is the percentage of how much of its power it uses to generate heat. An Ideal combi boiler will use 93-94% of its energy to provide your home with hot water and heating.

Being such highly efficient boilers, all Ideal combi boilers have an Energy related product (ErP) rating of "A". ErP ratings are given to all products that consume energy and are graded from A to G. A-rated products are at least 90% efficient and G-rated products are less than 70% efficient. The higher the ErP rating, the higher the performance standards of the product and the lower greenhouse gas emissions it produces.

If we put this into money terms, for every £1 spent on an Ideal combi boiler’s usage, 93-94p would have gone towards heating up your home, whereas for every £1 spent on a G-rated boiler’s usage, only 70p would be used towards heating, meaning 30p would have just gone to waste.

Which Ideal combi boiler is suitable for my home?

Which Ideal combi boiler you require depends on many factors, such as how well a property is insulated, the size of the property, and on your hot water and central heating demands.

This table will give you a rough idea of which Ideal combi boiler is the right size for your property.

If you live in a well-insulated modern home with well-sealed doors and windows, your needs may be met by a smaller sized boiler, whereas if you live in an older property that is poorly insulated and has draughts and single-glazed windows, then a larger sized boiler may be needed to heat your home effectively.

When you purchase a new boiler, a Gas Safe engineer will assess your property and heating demands in order to choose the right boiler for your needs.

Does your home have high hot water demands?

Although Ideal combi boilers come in a range of different power outputs to suit a number of different sized properties, they may not be the best choice for larger properties with very high hot water demands. As with all combi boilers, Ideal combi boilers heat water on demand, and if the demand is too high, the flow rate to each water outlet will be reduced considerably.

If you have high hot water demands, then a conventional or system boiler may be a better choice for you, as they store large amounts of hot water in a tank or cylinder for later use.

What warranty duration will I get with an Ideal combi boiler?

Every new Ideal combi boiler comes with a 1 year warranty as standard. However, depending on the model of your Ideal combi boiler, you can extend your warranty up to 12 years, subject to terms and conditions.

Ideal boiler extended warranties

Have a look at this table to see how long the extended warranty duration is for each Ideal combi boiler in Ideal’s current range.

Ideal Logic+

The Ideal Logic+ range comes with an extended warranty of 7 years, but if installed with an Ideal System Filter, the heat exchanger will receive a 10 year warranty.

The heat exchanger’s purpose is to transfer heat produced by the gas to the water without the two coming into contact with each other. The heat exchanger consists of a coil pipe and is surrounded by cold water. As gas passes through the coil, it heats it up, which in turn, heats the cold water that surrounds it. This is the hot water that is then used for your radiators and hot water outlets.

Your boiler’s heat exchanger is one of its most important components. Having a 10 year warranty on it gives homeowners better peace of mind knowing that if there's a fault with such an important component, they are covered for 10 years.

Ideal Vogue Gen2

The Ideal Vogue Gen2 range comes with an extended warranty of 8 years, which can be further extended to 10 years if it is installed with an Ideal System Filter.

Speak to your boiler installer to enquire about having your Ideal boiler installed with an Ideal System Filter.

Ideal Vogue Max range

The Ideal Vogue Max comes with an extended warranty of 10 years, but can be further extended to 12 years if it is installed and serviced by an Ideal Max accredited installer.

Ideal Max accredited installers are boiler installers that have passed Ideal’s assessment on servicing and installing the Max product range.

You can find a local Max accredited installer by clicking here.

For more information about Ideal warranties, click here.