Ideal Instinct Boiler
An efficient compact combi boiler

What is a condensing combination boiler?

A condensing boiler is a type of boiler designed to increase energy efficiency. Condensing boilers condense water from the flue gases and use it to heat the water entering the system. This means that a condensing boiler will use less fuel and power, which could save you money on your energy bills while reducing CO2 emissions.

A combination (or combi) boiler is a combination of a water heater and a central heating boiler in a single unit. A combi boiler uses water from the mains water supply and produces hot water on demand rather than storing it in a tank or cylinder like conventional (aka heat only or regular) and system boilers. 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.

What Ideal Instinct boiler models are available?

Ideal Instinct boilers are available in the following hot water outputs:

Hot water output refers to the maximum amount of power a boiler will use to heat up water for a home.

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.

What other differences are there between Ideal Instinct models?

Other than the different hot water outputs, the main difference between each Ideal Instinct boiler is its flow rate.

The Ideal Instinct boiler is available with the following flow rates:

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.

As a general rule of thumb, the more hot water outlets you need to use at the same time, the higher the boiler flow rate you will need.

A good flow rate for a shower is between 10 and 15 litres per minute, so all Ideal Instinct boilers will produce a good flow of water to your showerheads.

Which Ideal Instinct boiler is suitable for my home?

Below is a rough guide to which Ideal Instinct boiler model is best suited to a property, based on its power output.

Get the right size boiler for your needs

It is important for you to have the right size boiler for your property and hot water demands. If the boiler’s output is too small, it will find it difficult to meet your household’s heating and hot water demands. If the boiler’s output is too high for your needs, it may use more power than is needed, which will result in higher energy bills.

At Smart Plan, we have Gas Safe registered engineers who will assess your property and heating demands to determine the right size boiler for you.

Does your home have high hot water demands?

Although the Ideal Instinct boiler comes 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 high hot water demands. As with all combi boilers, an Ideal Instinct boiler heats water on demand, and if too many hot water outlets are demanding hot water at the same time, the flow rate to each of them will be reduced considerably.

If your household has high hot water demands, then a heat only 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.

Ideal Instinct boiler features

Runs at lower temperatures to save energy and money

The Ideal Instinct is a fully modulating boiler, which means that it can run at a lower temperature for longer and minimise starts and stops. Efficiency is lost every time a boiler starts and stops, and the longer a boiler runs at a low temperature, the more efficient it is, so having a fully modulating boiler, such as the Ideal Instinct, will result in less fuel being used and lower energy bills (compared to non-modulating boilers).

When an Ideal Instinct boiler is fitted with a weather compensation feature, it also increases its efficiency and, as a result, saves the homeowner 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 or water flow in response. For example, if it is warm outside, less heat will be needed to keep the rooms at the desired temperature, so the boiler will reduce its water flow to reach the ideal temperature for your household. User comfort is also increased as the boiler is better able to maintain a steady inside temperature by adjusting its output to account for the changes in weather.

This innovative feature helps to keep the temperature consistent throughout your home, increases the boiler’s efficiency, and saves you money on your energy bills.

Compact cupboard fit

An Ideal Instinct boiler measures 700mm high, 395mm wide, and 285mm deep and weighs between 30.85 and 31.05kg, making it a compact boiler.

A compact boiler is a boiler that is small enough to fit into a standard kitchen cupboard.

The Ideal Instinct boiler’s modest size makes it a good choice for properties with limited space.

Can be installed in colder areas of the property

If the water in an Ideal Instinct boiler falls below 5 °C, its frost protection feature will activate and turn the boiler on to prevent the water from freezing.

If the outside temperature is low enough, the water in a boiler could freeze. If this happens, then your boiler is in danger of breaking down, which could cost hundreds of pounds in boiler repairs, or thousands if a boiler replacement is needed.

Due to its frost protection feature, homeowners can have peace of mind knowing that they can have an Ideal Instinct boiler in colder parts of their property, such as the garage or the loft, without worrying about the risk of the water freezing.

Comes with a System Filter to protect and enhance its longevity

Ideal Instinct boilers are fitted with Ideal’s Smart System filter. An Ideal Smart 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 small build-up of iron oxide debris in a condensing boiler can result in energy loss and energy being wasted, which means the system won’t perform at its best and it’ll cost you more to run and maintain.

How energy efficient are Ideal Instinct boilers?

Ideal Instinct boilers are 92% efficient (seasonal space heating energy efficiency), giving them an ErP rating of A.

ErP ratings are given to all products that consume energy, such as appliances like boilers, and are graded from A-G, with A-rated products being at least 90% efficient and G-rated products being below 70% efficient. Products with a higher ErP rating have better performance standards, produce lower greenhouse gas emissions, and use less fuel and power, resulting in lower energy bills.

Boiler efficiency is calculated by the percentage of fuel it converts into usable energy and also how much fuel is wasted throughout the process. Many old boilers use as little as 60% of their fuel to heat up a property, which means they waste as much as 40% in the process. To put this into money terms, for every £1 spent on the boiler’s energy usage, only 60p would have gone into heating a home, while 40p would just be wasted!

A high efficiency boiler such as an Ideal Instinct could reduce a household’s CO2 emissions while saving money on home energy costs

How long is the warranty on an Ideal Instinct boiler?

As standard, your Ideal Instinct boiler will have a 1 year warranty, but can be extended to 5 years if you follow these steps:

1. The boiler must be installed and commissioned by a Gas Safe engineer within 12 months of being manufactured in accordance with the guidelines in the installation and servicing booklet that comes with the boiler.


2. The installer must complete a benchmark commissioning sheet.


3. The warranty will start from the date of installation. If you do not have proof of purchase or a completed benchmark commissioning sheet, the warranty will commence from the date of manufacture.


4. You must register the warranty within 30 days of installation.


5. Your boiler must be serviced once a year by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

If your Ideal Instinct boiler has a mechanical or electrical breakdown due to its materials or installation, then your Ideal warranty will provide you with full parts and labour repair services or a replacement boiler, free of charge, subject to the terms and conditions.

If you would like to find more information on Ideal’s warranty, click here.

Ideal Instinct boiler specifications