A combi boiler is likely to be the best boiler for a 3 bedroom house. That's if you have 1-2 bathrooms. Any more and you should consider a system boiler because they can meet higher demand for hot water.
As most 3 bed homes don’t have 3 bathrooms, we'll be comparing the best combi boilers for a 3 bedroom house.
If you have a smaller or bigger house, you can find out the best combi boilers for a small house, best boilers for a 4 bedroom house or best boilers for a 5 bedroom house.
Is a combi boiler right for my home?
Does your home have 3 bedrooms and 1-2 bathrooms? Then look no further than a combi boiler.
The combi is the only boiler type that has everything it needs to heat your home and hot water within the boiler itself. The alternatives, system and regular boilers, need external parts such as a cylinder or tanks in the loft. So before you learn anything else about a combi, you know you'll be saving space.
Turn the heating or hot water on and the combi will heat water directly from the mains. Once heated up, it will travel straight to the radiators or hot water outlet. Giving you instant hot water. This isn't always the case when you have a system or regular boiler with a hot water cylinder as there will be times when you'll have to wait for it to fill up again.
For a 3 bedroom house with more than 2 bathrooms, we recommend a system boiler to help meet the higher hot water demand.
If you're still unsure if a combi boiler is the right boiler for you, don't worry! Rather than you doing all the research and spending hours calling installers, we can easily help you get reliable advice and prices from certified heating engineers. No matter the size of your home. All of our partner boiler engineers are Gas Safe registered and vetted by us.
It's as quick and easy as filling out a short form about your heating needs and then letting us take it from there. In return, you'll receive up to 3 free quotes that you can compare to choose the best deal. Take the first step by clicking the button below.
Viessmann and Vaillant are leading boiler manufacturers providing some of the best combi boilers on the market. We've put two of their popular boilers head-to-head to see which you should fit into your 3 bedroom house. We'll be comparing the Viessmann Vitodens 100-W vs Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 832 based on efficiency, output rating, warranty, and cost. Read on to see which combi boiler comes out as the winner.
Boiler Features of the Viessmann Vitodens 100-W vs the Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 832:
Manufacturer
Viessmann
Vaillant
Central Heating Output
25 kW
25.7 kW
Domestic Hot Water Output
31.7 kW
31.8 kW
Seasonal Space Heating Efficiency Rating
94%
94%
ErP Efficiency Rating
A HEAT, A WATER
A HEAT, A WATER
Flow Rate
12 l/min
13 l/min
Standard Warranty
5 years
5 years
Maximum Extended Warranty
12 years
10 years
Dimensions in mm (HxWxD)
700 x 400 x 360
720 x 440 x 338
Mounting
Wall
Wall
Typical Price
£1,292
£1,248
Typical Installation Costs
£500 - £1,000
£500 - £1,000
Efficiency
Since 2005, boilers are legally required to have a boiler efficiency of at least 92%. No matter the make and model. This essentially means that you can install a modern condensing boiler safely knowing that it’s highly efficient.
Installing either of these boilers could help to lower your heating bills thanks to an efficiency of 94%. No gas boiler is 100% efficient. This is because burning natural gas produces waste gases which are carried out of the flue pipe, taking heat with them. So for every £1 you spend heating your home, 94p goes towards the heat you feel from the radiators. This is very high and could help to lower your heating bills.
Output rating (the power of the boiler)
You need a boiler to match the demands of your home. If your house has multiple bathrooms and a high demand for heating and hot water then it needs to be pretty powerful. Meanwhile, smaller homes can turn to a boiler that isn’t so powerful. The power of a boiler is measured by its output size. In this guide you can find the boiler sizing rule of thumb.
The Viessmann Vitodens 100-W and Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 832 are perfect for a 3 bedroom house with one bathroom. Their central heating (CH) and domestic hot water (DHW) outputs are almost identical. So either one will be able to meet your needs.
Warranty
The length of a boiler's warranty can give you an idea of how long you'll be able to count on it. Fortunately, both of these boilers offer extensive warranties. A standard 5 year warranty is available with both but you have the option to extend if you have your boiler installed by a certified engeineer. This can take the Viessmann warranty to 12 years and the Vaillant warranty up to 10 years.
Price
Again, there's very little to split these boilers. In terms of price, the Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 832 costs slightly less at £1,248 (incl VAT) while the Viessmann Vitodens 100-W costs £1,292 (incl VAT).
In addition to the cost of the boiler itself, you'll also need to think about the boiler installation costs. The typical installation costs between £500 and £1,000. As these boilers are very similar in many areas, installation costs shouldn't vary too much. To find the most competitive price for installation, we recommend comparing quotes.
Which is the best combi for a 3 bed house?
A 3 bedroom house with 1 to 2 bathrooms is ideally matched with a combi boiler with a central heating output of around 25kW and domestic hot water output of about 31kW. However, the exact output required will ultimately depend on your specific heating and water needs.
After comparing the Viessmann Vitodens 100-W and the Vaillant ecoTEC plus 832, it's clear that If you choose either of them then you’ll be getting an efficient and reliable heating system. Separating these boilers is very tough.
Having said this, there can only be one winner. And thanks to the warranty period of up to 12 years, we're crowning the Viessmann Vitodens 100-W as the best boiler for a 3 bedroom house.
More gas boilers for a 3 bed house
The Viessmann Vitodens 100-W and Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 832 are great for a 3 bed house but they're not your only options. Take a look at a few more combi boilers worth keeping in mind.
We're here to help you find the most competitive quote for the installation of your new boiler. By completing our simple online form, you'll get free quotes from up to 3 local boiler installers. As soon as you've let us know that you want quotes, we'll get to matching you with installers.
We provide you with up to 3 quotes to allow you to compare multiple quotes and pick the best deal. This helps to ensure you're not being overcharged.
It's a strategy that eliminates risk and means you can go with the most competitive quote with confidence.
Remember that you are under no-obligation to accept any of the quotes you receive.
What size boiler for 3 bed house?
A 3 bed house with 1 to 2 bathrooms is best suited for a combi boiler with a central heating output of approximately 25kW and domestic hot water output of approximately 31kW. But the specific output you need ultimately depends on your heating and water demands.
How many radiators can a 30kW boiler run?
Generally, you can expect a 30kW combi boiler to be suited for a home with up to 15 radiators. But this is just an approximation and will change depending on your home's heating and water demands.
What is the best boiler for a 3 bedroom house?
After researching and comparing multiple boilers to find the best boiler for a 3 bedroom home, we found the winner to be the Viessmann Vitodens 100-W. But we had a very close runner up and honourable mentions that could be just as suitable for your home.
Is a combi boiler more efficient?
All modern boilers come with different energy efficiencies typically ranging from 92% to 98%. Combi boilers have the advantage because they're more space efficient than any other boiler type due to their compactness.
Nick has a wide range of experience writing about conventional and renewable heating solutions, and is always increasing his knowledge by researching any new heating technologies on the horizon.
Compare boilers
Try our boiler comparison tool
Find the best boiler for your needs, or see how the latest A-rated boilers compare with each
other and your existing one.
