Grant VortexBlue Oil Boiler

[DiggerDave]

Currently doing a refurbishment of our place.
Camray 2 with RDB burner has served us well since 1988 🙄
So, time for an upgrade to a nice new low emission, high efficiency oil boiler...
.....The Grant VortexBlue External seems to tick all the boxes
Vortex Blue: External | Grant UK
Anyone have experience with these boilers?
Obviously, any information and recommendations will be gratefully received and faithfully applied 😉

 

[SimonG]

Speak to your oil engineer.

 

[muggles]

Get a Hounsfield

 

[Bogart]

Am in similar boat with a Camry 5. Still works faultlessly but decided on changing. Getting a Grant Boiler House model. Worcesters are apparently, though good boilers, over complicated and more expensive than a Grant.

 

[DiggerDave]

Am in similar boat with a Camry 5. Still works faultlessly but decided on changing. Getting a Grant Boiler House model. Worcesters are apparently, though good boilers, over complicated and more expensive than a Grant.

Interesting that you are in the same situation in having to decide which upgrade to buy 😵
Love the nice red look and efficiency ratings of the Grant boiler house model. Let us know how you get on please...
Meanwhile, the whole house refurbishment continues with the main focus on the kitchen. The old Camray 2 was de-commisioned about 6 weeks ago. Just when it got colder 🙄
Have now decided that the way to go will be a system Internal Grant boiler
Vortex Blue: Internal | Grant UK
This will be installed in the old attached garage, which is due to be converted to a utility room/store/shower room and WC etc 😎
The flow and return will be up and over, along the landing to the hot water tank. New 3 port valve (old one was gravity HW) and controller etc.
Our local oil engineer does recommend Grant boilers, however, he has not yet worked on the latest VortexBlue, so my original question still stands 🙄
Has anyone experience on the 'new' Grant VortexBlue range of boilers?
They certainly appear to be more efficient and capable of reducing emissions.
Finally, I am looking at a 'system' boiler package. This will replace our old vented/gravity system. Any observations on this upgrade 😉

 

[SimonG]

I'd go s plan rather than y plan.
Also look at additional expansion vessel as vessel supplied with boiler tends to be inadequate.
Have you considered going unvented for hot water? Pressures and flow permitting.

 

[DiggerDave]

I'd go s plan rather than y plan.
Also look at additional expansion vessel as vessel supplied with boiler tends to be inadequate.
Have you considered going unvented for hot water? Pressures and flow permitting.

Thanks for the advice on S plan and extra expansion vessel 🙂
It would make sense, because at the moment we have 12 radiators and a JG UFHS in the conservatory. The demand will no doubt increase. 😎
Don't want to go down the unvented HW route. We have Solar PV on the roof and oil boiler goes off in the summer 😀
If you think of anything else, keep it coming......

 

[Bogart]

I'd go s plan rather than y plan.
Also look at additional expansion vessel as vessel supplied with boiler tends to be inadequate.
Have you considered going unvented for hot water? Pressures and flow permitting.

I posted recently on the CH forum about my setup, boiler some 25m away from property and pump in house. Best suggested I convert the CH to a sealed system and leave HW as now gravity fed. Have done some pressure tests using outside tap fed in 15mm this test point is outside the boiler house by coincidence. Honestly not sure what the figures tell me. Flow rate is 14L/min. Static pressure 1.75 bar. When I open the outside tap it drops to zero!

 

[Millsy 82]

I'd go s plan rather than y plan.
Also look at additional expansion vessel as vessel supplied with boiler tends to be inadequate.
Have you considered going unvented for hot water? Pressures and flow permitting.

I know the new combis now come with bigger vessels not sure about the system boilers.

 

[WHPES]

I fit mainly the Vortex Blue boilers. Rock solid piece of kit. What really attracts people is the 10 year full parts and labour warranty available through the Grant GOne installer scheme. They come with a 24 litre expansion vessel as standard so rarely needs an extra vessel.

 

[Bogart]

Why do you think they can offer a 10 yr warranty on Blue boilers where the rest get 5 year max?

 

[Chris1990]

Firebird, the new models are lovely. The new Elco burner is a thing of beauty.

 

[WHPES]

Use an S plan rather than a Y plan. BTW with the Grant Vortex Blueflame models, using a Grant G1 accredited installer gives you a full 10 year parts and labour warranty.

 

[Chris1990]

Use an S plan rather than a Y plan. BTW with the Grant Vortex Blueflame models, using a Grant G1 accredited installer gives you a full 10 year parts and labour warranty.

Using a firebird VIP installer also gives you the 10year. Not just grant offer this. Id recommend you look into and try the new elco burner on the firebird. The new combi is a thing of beauty.

 

[muggles]

Using a firebird VIP installer also gives you the 10year. Not just grant offer this. Id recommend you look into and try the new elco burner on the firebird. The new combi is a thing of beauty.

No oil combis are things of beauty, they're all hateful 😱

 

[Millsy 82]

No oil combis are things of beauty, they're all hateful 😱

Amen to that!

And the firebird combis you still need to fit additional expansion vessel which nobody ever does so they will just leak like a sieve. The grant combis now come with a 24ltr I believe.

 

[WHPES]

I wouldn't touch Firebird with the proverbial end of the stick. Grant Blueflame all the way. If it goes wrong, everything is covered fo 10 years

 

[DiggerDave]

I wouldn't touch Firebird with the proverbial end of the stick. Grant Blueflame all the way. If it goes wrong, everything is covered fo 10 years

It's great that you actually install and recommend the boiler that I am intending to have installed 😀
One quick question for you:
We have recently installed a water softener 😎
So for filled up the new unvented 'system' boiler (not a Combi) would you use soft water or the regular mains water?
We live in a very hard water area 😱

 

[WHPES]

For system water it doesn't really matter. It's not going to be constantly refreshing but you keep the same water in for ever until you come to do any work on the system. Always be sure to add inhibitor. If you constantly have to keep topping up, then it may cause a problem, but if that is ever the case, you need to address the root cause anyway.

 

[DiggerDave]

The installation of our new Grant VortexBlue system boiler is now complete with S plan.
Boiler is now in the garage and the S plan valve are with the new larger cylinder in the airing cupboard on the first floor landing 🙂
The Grant GOne installers did a good job which give me the extended warranty etc
Now I'm fine tuning it all and getting the balance right before the winter 😎
Quick question on the setting up of S plan control - I have noticed that when the HW is calling for heat and then the the CH calls for heat then obviously the flow is reduced to the radiators, and not reaching the furthest 🙄
I assume this is usual is to be expected.
Is it recommenced that maybe the HW should be on continuous or set to come on maybe an hour before the CH?