The Best Boiler For Large House (4-5 Bedrooms)

Choosing the right boiler for a large house with 4 to 5 bedrooms can be difficult. You want to ensure your home is warm throughout the winter but you’re worried that heating such a large space will lead to huge energy bills. If you have more than one bathroom, you’ll also need to find a boiler powerful enough to meet your hot water demands.

Well, we’ve used our expertise at Eco Happy, customer reviews, and test results from independent testing bodies to put together this list of the best boilers for a large house.

We’ll guide you through the qualities of each one, including crucial specifications like output ratings, and give you some advice on how to make the best decision.

The 5 Best System Boilers For A Large House

System boilers work in combination with a hot water cylinder to provide hot water and central heating to your home. A system boiler heats water directly from the mains to supply to the central heating system, and hot water is stored in the cylinder to be used for taps and showers.

System boilers are the best choice for large homes as they can supply hot water to several taps and showers at the same time. They can also comfortably heat homes with 4 or 5 bedrooms and 20 or more radiators.

Let’s take a look at the five best system boilers for a large home.

Why it’s number 1: While it has a lower central heating (CH) output rating than some of the other system boilers on this list, it has the highest domestic hot water (DHW) output rating by far. It’s surprisingly rare to find a system boiler that has such high ratings for both, and when paired with its amazing efficiency ratings, putting this boiler in the top spot was a no-brainer.

The 5 Best Regular Boilers For A Large House

Regular boilers, or conventional boilers, work alongside hot water cylinders and cold water tanks. They’re a great choice for large homes with two or more bathrooms, low mains water pressure, and up to 20 radiators.

They can be powered by gas, oil, or LPG, with gas and oil boilers being the most common.

The main downside of regular boilers is that they’re larger than system boilers and are more complicated to install and repair. This is because they need to be installed with an additional feed tank.

This list will help you choose the best conventional boiler for your large home.

Why it’s number 1: It might not be the most powerful regular boiler on our list but it has more than enough power for a large home. The reason it takes the top spot is that it has a better warranty and price range than the Worcester Bosch Greenstar 8000 Life Regular 35, which is more powerful.

The 4 Best Combi Boilers For A Large House

A combi boiler (combination boiler) supplies hot water on demand by heating the mains water supply which means it doesn’t require a cold water tank or hot water cylinder to function.

Combi boilers are compact which means they’re an excellent option for smaller homes where space is at a premium. They have a limited water capacity and can only effectively supply one outlet at a time. This means they’re not the best choice for larger homes with high hot water demands.

Still, brands like Worcester Bosch and Baxi make combi boilers that are powerful enough to heat and supply hot water to large homes. We’ve put together this list of the four best combi boilers for large homes.

Why it’s number 1: We think this is the best combi boiler for a large house because of its massive output ratings. There aren’t too many combi boilers out there that are as powerful as this, and it can easily handle homes with high hot water demands. While its warranty and price range made us pause for thought, there’s simply no ignoring that power.

How We Chose The Best Boilers

So you’ve read our lists of the best system, regular, and combi boilers for a large house. But how did we choose the boilers we wanted to include? Let’s take a look.

Factors To Consider When Choosing A Boiler For A Large Home

Here are the most important things for you to consider when choosing a boiler for a large house.

Home size

The size of your home is possibly the most important factor when choosing a boiler. You need it to have enough power to meet the needs of your central heating system and hot water demands. We’d recommend choosing a system boiler for a large house as they tend to be best equipped.

The general guidelines for system boiler size (in terms of kW) are as follows:

• Up to 10 radiators and 1 bathroom: CH output of 15 to 26 kW and a DHW output of 24 kW.
• 10 to 15 radiators and 2 to 3 bathrooms: CH output of 18 to 26 kW and DHW output of 24 kW.
• 15 to 20 radiators and 4+ bathrooms: CH output of 26 to 40 kW and DHW output of 30.4 kW.

Efficiency rating

While most modern boilers tend to be fairly efficient, there are still some that are far more efficient than others. For example, condensing boilers in the UK have to be at least 92% efficient, meaning that 92% of the energy they use becomes usable heat.

Choosing a highly efficient boiler is great for the environment but it’s also good for your bank balance as reduced waste can significantly reduce your gas bill.

All of the boilers on our list are at least 93% energy efficient, so any one of them would be a good choice if you want to reduce your carbon footprint and save some money.

Budget

You also need to factor in the size of your budget when choosing a boiler for your home. Remember, it’s not just the price of the unit you need to consider but also the installation costs.

Generally, a combi boiler is less expensive to install than a system or regular boiler. This is because system and regular boilers tend to be fairly large and are quite complex to install.

If you’re on a tight budget, the least expensive boiler on our list is the Baxi 825 Heat at £1,685, including VAT and installation.

FAQs

Does heating a large house affect a boiler’s lifespan?

Heating a large house does not affect a boiler’s lifespan as long as you choose a boiler with the right CH and DHW output ratings. As with any boiler, it’ll need to be installed properly and regularly maintained. You also need to ensure the boiler is high quality and from a reputable brand (like the ones on our list).

Plus, you should find a boiler with a good warranty. This is a sign of the brand’s confidence in the longevity of its products.

How can I maximise the efficiency of my boiler in a large house?

To ensure your boiler is as energy efficient as possible, make sure your home is properly insulated to reduce heat loss. You could also consider using programmable thermostats and a smart heating system to get the most efficiency out of your boiler.

Is it possible to zone heating in a large house?

Yes, many modern boilers support multiple heating zones so that you can heat different areas of the house independently from each other. This is particularly beneficial in a large house where you may use certain rooms much more than others.

Final Thoughts

Although it can be tricky to find the best system boiler that meets the heating and hot water demands of a large house, this list should point you in the right direction. Generally, system boilers are best suited to large homes and the Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 630 tops our list of the best system boilers.

However, regular boilers and combi boilers are also good options, as long as they have the right output ratings. If you do choose a regular or combi boiler, then our top picks are the Ideal Logic Max Heat H30 and the Worcester Bosch Greenstar 8000 Life 50kW.

Remember, as well as the output ratings, you also need to consider your budget and the energy efficiency of a boiler before you make your decision.

If you need help choosing the best large boiler for your home, contact Eco Happy – we’ll gladly help you narrow down your options.