Grant VortexBlue 36kW - a system boiler, regular boiler or combi boiler?

If you are searching for a combi boiler for your house or flat, the Grant VortexBlue 36kW is certainly one to consider.

Combi boilers provide hot water or heating for your home on demand. You just need to turn the tap to get hot water or switch on the radiator and you’ll feel your home warm up within minutes.

In contrast, traditional boilers required either one or two large storage tanks to work - one to heat and keep water warm and the other to hold cold water for later heating. If the immersion tank was empty, it wasn’t uncommon to wait up to an hour for enough hot water to fill a bath, for example.

Combi boilers draw cold water from the mains and then heat it instantly whenever it's needed, all from one small unit.

The one disadvantage to combi boilers is that, if more than one point is in use at any one time (for example, if someone is taking a shower and another person turns on a hot water tap elsewhere in the property), water pressure, temperature and volume drop to both points.

Is a Grant VortexBlue 36kW combi boiler suitable for my house or flat?

It's best to choose a boiler whose size or "output" is right for your property. With boilers, however, size does not mean how big a boiler is, it means how much power it has.

The output of a boiler is measured in kilowatts and tells you how much power it has available to heat the water it sends to your hot taps, showers and radiators. The greater the demand for hot water in your home, the larger the output you will need.

It is important to select a boiler with the optimal output rate. Choose one with too high an output and your oil bills will be too expensive. Choose one with too low an output and sometimes the water in your radiators and coming out of your taps will be barely lukewarm.

The output of the Grant VortexBlue 36kW combi is 36 kW kilowatts, so which types of property would this be most suitable for?

Most Gas Safe boiler installers would suggest that the most suitable type of property for installing this Grant VortexBlue 36kW Combi boiler in would be larger properties including detached homes with 15 or more radiators and two or more bathrooms.

You'll also need to be sure to choose a combi boiler with the right flow rate for your home.

The flow rate indicates the maximum volume of hot water (measured in litres per minute) that your boiler can distribute at any given time. This means that if you and your family are likely to be using several taps and showers simultaneously or you have a lot of radiators, you need a boiler with a high flow rate. This Grant VortexBlue 36kW Combi boiler's flow rate is 20 L/m.

As with all combi boilers, the Grant VortexBlue 36kW is only able to heat and distribute water at the rate at which it actually enters your property.

For this reason, you shouldn't purchase a boiler with a very high flow rate if the flow rate in your mains pipes is lower because the extra capacity doesn't mean it can draw more water from the mains pipes.

When our engineer comes out to quote you, they may recommend that you choose a heat only boiler or system boiler instead if your family's demand for hot water is higher than normal.

What is the size of the Grant VortexBlue 36kW?

The Grant VortexBlue 36kW boiler measures 945 mm [H] x 658 mm [W] x 966 mm [D] in size.

External floor-standing combi boilers like the Grant VortexBlue 36kW don't take up space in the home (they're fitted outside) and it's almost impossible to hear them when in operation (unlike internal boilers). They're much easier for a service technician to access if something goes wrong and there's less chance of carbon monoxide leaking into your home.

This Grant VortexBlue 36kW Combi boiler features weatherproof housing meaning a minimal risk of rusting and water ingress. In addition, as the boiler is outside your home, there is a lower chance of oil leaking into your property, which can cause damage and difficult-to-remove odours.

Is the Grant VortexBlue 36kW condensing or non-condensing?

Condensing boilers convert the warmth present in flue exhaust gases and water vapour condensation into heat which they then recycle to increase the temperature of the colder water returning to your system.

We recommend that homeowners choose a condensing boiler like the Grant VortexBlue 36kW for this reason - the more recent your model the better because the technology improves every year.

You'll benefit from lower quarterly oil bills and condensing boilers are also much more environmentally friendly.

Is the Grant VortexBlue 36kW combi environmentally friendly?

As more of us are increasingly concerned about climate change, how we heat our homes and its impact on the environment has become an issue of importance to homeowners.

We generate 14% of UK greenhouse gas emissions through centrally heating our domestic properties. Gas boilers are mainly responsible for harmful nitrogen dioxide emissions in larger British cities.

Do the figures suggest that installing the Grant VortexBlue 36kW combi at your property would help in the fight against climate change?

Boilers manufactured or supplied to UK domestic properties must achieve a legal minimum energy efficiency rating of 92% (equivalent to a good "A" grade using the SEDBUK scale). Prior to this, the minimum was 88% (88% and 89% are a "B" SEDBUK grade and anything 90% or above is an "A" grade).

The energy efficiency rating of a boiler refers to the amount of energy it uses to perform its everyday functions as well as the amount of energy it wastes.

The Grant VortexBlue 36kW has been given a rating of 94.5% for energy efficiency, equivalent to a SEDBUK "A" rating.

The ERP (or Energy Related Products Directive) is a European regulation governing products which require energy to operate throughout their lives and encourages manufacturers to create products that are more environmentally friendly.

The legislation is designed to reduce the potential for harmful gas emissions during manufacturing and actual use right through to the point of final disposal.

For the Grant VortexBlue 36kW, the ERP rating is "A" for heat and "A" for hot water production.

Does a Grant VortexBlue 36kW combi boiler come with a warranty period?

The Grant VortexBlue 36kW boiler comes with a parts and labour warranty of 2 years.