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What Is The Best Boiler For A Large 5 Bedroom House?
- You will need a boiler with around 30 – 40kW of output power for a large home.
- System boilers, or powerful combi boilers, are the best boiler types for large homes with multiple bathrooms.
- Brands such as Worcester Bosch, Ideal and Vaillant offer a range of boiler sizes for 5 to 7-bedroom houses.
Understanding the best boiler type for a large home with multiple bedrooms can be confusing. Choosing the wrong kind can lead to higher bills or make your home feel like a big chilly castle. Finding the most efficient option, within your budget can also be a challenge – but we’ve got you covered.
In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about boilers for large properties. From the best combi boiler for a large house to what size boiler will suit a 5-bedroom home. We’ll also look at the top 10 boiler models on the market to help you find the perfect match.
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What is the best boiler for a 5-bedroom house?
Most likely, the best boiler for a large house with 5 bedrooms, and 2 or more bathrooms, will be a system or regular boiler. The reason is that they store hot water in a large cylinder for use on demand. This is very convenient if your 5-bedroom home has more than 1 bathroom, as it can provide for a higher hot water demand.
In general, combi boilers work better in homes with up to 2 bathrooms. Since they do not store hot water, the hot water flow rate may weaken if two people try to use water outlets at the same time.
There are, however, some models of combi boiler that are suitable for a larger house. They are powerful enough to supply hot water for two bathrooms – and even an ensuite – used simultaneously.
Furthermore, you should only consider a regular boiler if you already have one installed. These are complex heating systems with the need for additional water feed tanks in the loft and extra plumbing work, increasing your installation costs.
A system boiler is a modern version of the regular boiler, as they take water from the mains (rather than a tank in the loft). Changing from a regular to a system boiler can help modernise your heating system and free up some loft space.
To help you decide which boiler type will best suit your home, we’ve created a list of the top 10 best boilers for a 5-bedroom house.
Top 10 best boilers for large houses 2024
- Worcester Bosch Greenstar 8000 Life 50kW (Gas)
- Ideal Vogue Max C40 (Gas)
- Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 940 (Gas)
- ACV E-Tech W 36 Tri (Electric)
- Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 630 (Gas)
- Ideal Vogue Max S32 (Gas)
- Baxi 800 System 2 30kW (Gas)
- Ideal Logic Max Heat2 30kW (Gas)
- Worcester Bosch Greenstar 8000 Life 35kW (Gas)
- Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 430 (Gas)
Selecting the best boiler for large houses
When choosing the best boiler for a 5 bedroom house (or more!) there are a few key points you need to consider. Your boiler needs to be powerful enough to provide hot water to multiple water outlets and radiators at the same time. When it comes to boiler power, you want to look at the ‘output range’.
For example, the best combi boiler for a large house will need to be quite powerful, to heat enough hot water on demand. If you have a 5 or 7 bedroom house, you likely have 3+ bathrooms with up to, or more than, 15 radiators. To power all of this, you need at least a 30 – 50kW boiler. For a system or regular boiler, you can expect outputs between 26 – 40kW, but this will largely depend on the unique layout of your home.
You will also want to consider the efficiency rating of a new boiler. The higher the rating is, the less energy is wasted as it burns fuel – so you want to look for anything over 90% to save the most on your energy bills.
How much you pay will also come into it, but you might want to allow for extra costs to cover an extended warranty. Many manufacturers will offer between 1 – 5 year warranties as standard, but look out for ones which include ‘part and labour’, as this can provide you with full breakdown relief if you ever need it! (also.. in general, the longer the warranty is, the more reliable the product is likely to be).
Finding expert advice and choosing the best boiler for a 7 bedroom house, or any large property, can be overwhelming. Understanding what you need, so you avoid overpaying, and choosing a boiler that can provide efficient heating, requires input from a qualified professional – this is where we can help.
You could spend weeks hunting down a trustworthy installer, waiting for callbacks, emails and scanning thousands of reviews, or you could take the easy route. Simply fill out our short form below and we will connect you with up to 3 installers in your area. They can provide you with free, no-obligation quotes so that you may choose the best offer for you without the pain of endless research. To get going, just click the link below.
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Electric boilers vs gas boilers for large houses
If you’re looking for a greener way to heat your home, there are low-carbon options such as electric or biomass boilers, you might want to consider. They can significantly reduce your home’s carbon footprint as they do not run on fossil fuels.
Electric boilers tend to be less powerful than gas and oil boilers, however, making them best suited to smaller homes and flats, as they can’t meet larger homes’ high central heating and domestic hot water demands. Similarly, domestic biomass boilers are usually under 45kW outputs and are often used in residential or small commercial properties.
On the other hand, you must also consider that gas boilers will be phased out of new builds by 2025, so you might want to choose a more future-proof heating solution. You can learn more about it in this 6-min video:
If you wish to adopt a more environmentally friendly option, we recommend switching to a low-carbon alternative for heating your 5-bedroom home. If it is not feasible at the moment because of technical or financial reasons, then installing a new, highly efficient condensing boiler can still have a positive impact.
These boilers run on gas but have less impact on the environment thanks to an increase in efficiency compared with non-condensing boilers. Unless you’re building a new home, the gas boiler ban will not affect you right away. Yet, there will come a time when you may have to replace your boiler after its lifespan.
What is the best combi boiler for a large house?
There are many combi boilers suitable for big homes available on the market. We found the following to be the top 3 best combi boilers for a large house. Keep in mind that the prices below are only estimates, not exact quotes.
Worcester Bosch Greenstar 8000 Life 50kW
Features:
- 35kW (CH) and 50kW (DHW) output
- 94% efficiency
- Up to 12-year guarantee
- Total cost between £3,600 – £4,500
The Greenstar 8000 Life 50kW is the most powerful combi boiler in the range. It’s a condensing gas-fired boiler designed and manufactured by Worcester Bosch. It is compact and highly efficient.
✓ Size (output rating). A 50kW DHW (domestic hot water) output rating makes this the ideal boiler for properties with 2 bathrooms and an ensuite. It also has a CH (central heating) output rating of 35kW, perfect for a property with around 15 radiators.
✓ Efficiency. The Greenstar 8000 has a seasonal efficiency rating of 94%, awarding it with an ErP (Energy-related Product) A-rating for heat and hot water. It can definitely help you save money on your energy bills.
✓ Warranty/Guarantee. Its 5-year standard guarantee can be extended to 12 years when installed by a Worcester Bosch Accredited Installer. The Greenstar 8000 Life 50kW is a boiler you can rely on.
✓ Price. Its typical total price (including VAT, sundries, and installation cost) ranges from £3,600 to £4,500.
Ideal Vogue Max C40
Features:
- 32kW (CH) and 40kW (DHW) output
- 93% efficiency
- A-rated ErP
- 10-year standard warranty
- Total cost between £2,700 – £3,400
The Vogue Max C40 is a condensing combi gas boiler designed for wall-mounted installation, manufactured by Ideal.
✓ Size (output rating). Its CH output of 32kW and its DHW output of 40kW means that the C40 is best suited to homes with 2 bathrooms and around 15 radiators.
✓ Efficiency. The Vogue Max C40 is a highly efficient boiler, as it has 93% efficiency and an ErP A-rating for heat and hot water. You can save money on your energy bills all year round by installing this boiler.
✓ Warranty/Guarantee. Vogue Max combi boilers come with a standard 10-year warranty. You can extend it to 12 years when installed by an Ideal Max Accredited installer.
✓ Price. Its typical total price (including VAT, sundries, and installation cost) ranges from £2,700 to £3,400.
Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 940
Features:
- Upto 29kW output
- 94% efficiency
- Up to 10-year warranty
- Total cost between £2,900 – £3,900
The Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 940 is a powerful and highly efficient condensing combi gas boiler. It includes an innovative integrated hot water storage device that can deliver up to 20 litres of hot water per minute and supply hot water in only 5 seconds!
✓ Size (output rating). The Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 940 has a nominal heat output range of 4.5 – 29.8kW (meaning it is capable of performing efficiently at a range of temperatures). It is suitable for homes with up to 15 radiators and 2 bathrooms.
✓ Efficiency. The ecoTEC Plus 940 is a highly efficient boiler with an efficiency of 94% and an ErP A-rating for both heating and hot water. It can help you save money on your energy bills.
✓ Warranty/Guarantee. Its 5-year standard warranty can be extended to 10 years when installed by a Vaillant Advance installer.
✓ Price. Its typical total price (including VAT, sundries, and installation cost) ranges from £2,900 to £3,900.
What is the best system boiler for a large house?
A system boiler is probably the best choice for a house with 5 bedrooms and 2 or more bathrooms. These are our picks for the best system boilers for a large house. Note that the prices expressed below are just estimates.
ACV E-Tech W 36 Tri
Features:
- 18 – 36kW output range
- Standard 1-year warranty
- Total cost between £2,600 – £3,100
The E-Tech W 36 Tri is a wall-mounted electric sealed system boiler designed and manufactured by ACV. It is a good option for large homes looking for an alternative to gas.
✓ Size (output rating). This boiler has a maximum CH output rating of 36kW. It is suitable for larger properties, including detached homes with 15 or more radiators and two or more bathrooms.
✓ Efficiency. The E-Tech W 36 Tri has a 37% efficiency rating and ErP D-rating. Due to electricity being carbon-intensive and, as a result, expensive, the efficiency ratings appear lower than gas and oil.
✓ Warranty/Guarantee. This boiler is available with a standard warranty period of 1 year.
✓ Price. Its typical total price (including VAT, sundries, and installation cost) ranges from £2,600 to £3,100.
Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 630
Features:
- Up to 32kW output
- 94% efficiency
- A-rated ErP
- Up to 10 years warranty
- Total cost between £2,700 – £3,500
The ecoTEC Plus 630 system boiler is a highly efficient condensing gas boiler designed and manufactured by Vaillant.
✓ Size (output rating). It is a powerful boiler with a CH output rating of 4.2 – 32.3kW. It is well suited to larger homes with up to 20 radiators.
✓ Efficiency. The ecoTEC Plus 630 is a highly efficient boiler thanks to its heating efficiency of 94% and ErP A-rating. It can help lower your energy bills.
✓ Warranty/Guarantee. Its 5-year standard warranty can be extended to 10 years when installed by a Vaillant Advance installer.
✓ Price. Its typical total price (including VAT, sundries, and installation cost) ranges from £2,700 to £3,500.
Ideal Vogue Max S32
Features:
- 32 – 34kW output
- 94% efficiency
- A-rated ErP
- Up to 12 years warranty
- Total cost between £2,500 – £3,500
The Vogue Max S32 is a condensing system gas boiler manufactured by Ideal. It is the most powerful boiler in the Vogue Max system range.
✓ Size (output rating). The Vogue Max S32 has a CH output rating of 32 -34kW. It is best suited to homes with 15-20 radiators.
✓ Efficiency. This highly efficient boiler has an efficiency of 93% and an ErP A-rating. It can help lower your energy bills.
✓ Warranty/Guarantee. A 10-year warranty covers Vogue Max system boilers. You can extend it to 12 years when using a Max Accredited installer.
✓ Price. Its typical total price (including VAT, sundries, and installation cost) ranges from £2,500 to £3,500.
Baxi 800 System 2 30kW
Features:
- Output 30 – 32kW
- A-rated ErP
- Up to 10-year warranty available
- Total cost between £2,300 – £3,000
The Baxi 800 system 2 30kW is a powerful gas system boiler. With a great warranty offer and smart compatibility, this boiler will perfectly warm larger homes. Working alongside a hot water cylinder, this boiler also comes with the option to install a filter, making heating more efficient and keeping your whole pipe system clean.
✓ Size (output rating). Its CH output of 30kW (or 32kW for condensing models) makes this boiler work very well in properties with up to 20 radiators.
✓ Efficiency. The Baxi 800 system 2 is highly efficient with an ErP A-rating.
✓ Warranty/Guarantee. This system boiler comes with a 7-year standard warranty, with an option to extend to 10 years when installed with a filter.
✓ Price. Its typical total price (including VAT, sundries, and installation cost) ranges from £2,300 to £3,000.
What is the best regular boiler for a large house?
Regular boilers are also a good choice for a house with 5 bedrooms and 2 or more bathrooms. However, our advice is to install a new regular boiler only if you already have one installed. Changing from an old combi or system boiler to a new regular boiler may be more expensive, as they need extra pipes and additional water feed tanks in the loft.
Here is our list of the top 3 best regular boilers for a large house. The prices shown are estimates.
Ideal Logic Max Heat2 30kW
Features:
- Output 30 – 31kW
- 93% efficiency and A-rated ErP
- 10-year warranty as standard
- Total cost between £2,400 – £3,000
The Logic Max Heat2 30kW regular gas boiler is a reliable condensing unit. It has a large colour display, full compatibility with Ideal controls and easy access for heating engineers, which can help you save money on future services.
✓ Size (output rating). This boiler has a CH output rating of 30 – 31kW. It is perfect for larger properties with around 20 radiators.
✓ Efficiency. The Logic Max Heat2 has an efficiency of 93% and an ErP A-rating. It has the potential to help lower your energy bills.
✓ Warranty/Guarantee. This boiler comes with a standard 10-year parts and labour warranty, for additional peace of mind.
✓ Price. Its typical total price (including VAT, sundries, and installation cost) ranges from £2,400 to £3,000.
Worcester Bosch Greenstar 8000 Life 35kW
Features:
- Output 35kW
- 94% efficiency and ErP A-rating
- Up to 12-year guarantee available
- Total cost between £2,650 – £3,300
The Greenstar 8000 Life 35kW condensing regular boiler can run on natural gas or LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas). It is designed and manufactured by Worcester Bosch.
✓ Size (output rating). Its 35kW CH output rating makes this the perfect boiler for homes with up to 20 radiators.
✓ Efficiency. High efficiency was what engineers and designers had in mind when creating this boiler. The Greenstar 8000 Life 35kW will help you save money on your energy bills thanks to its efficiency of 94% and ErP A-rating.
✓ Warranty/Guarantee. Its 5-year standard guarantee can be extended to 12 years when fitted by a Worcester Bosch Accredited Installer. With the Greenstar 8000 Life, you can be confident that you’ve installed a reliable boiler.
✓ Price. Its typical total price (including VAT, sundries, and installation cost) ranges from £2,650 to £3,300.
Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 430
Features:
- Output 30 – 35kW
- 94% efficiency and ErP A-rating
- Up to 10-year guarantee available
- Total cost between £2,300 – £3,000
The ecoTEC Plus 430 is a highly efficient condensing regular (open vent) boiler fuelled by natural gas. It is designed and manufactured by Vaillant.
✓ Size (output rating). The ecoTEC Plus 430 is a powerful boiler with a CH output rating of 30kW. It is well suited to properties with as many as 20 radiators.
✓ Efficiency. With an efficiency of 94% and an ErP A-rating, this boiler will waste very little fuel. This means that for every £1 spent on heating the home, only 6p is lost to heat carried out by the waste gases.
✓ Warranty/Guarantee. Its 5-year standard guarantee can be extended to 10 years when registered with Vaillant’s boiler protection kit.
✓ Price. Its typical total price (including VAT, sundries, and installation cost) ranges from £2,300 to £3,000.
Finding the perfect boiler for your home can be a difficult task. Ensuring you get the right size and a reliable brand is essential to keep your home comfortable and running smoothly. It can be stressful to find a boiler installer you trust, at a price to suit your budget – so why not let us do the hard work for you?
To make your buying decision easier, GreenMatch will match you with reliable boiler installers in your area. They will provide you with up to 3 different quotes that fit your needs and budget. You can avoid researching by using our service with no binding obligations, completely free of charge. Click the button below to get started.
- Quotes from local engineers
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- Save up to £975
What size does a boiler need to be for a 5-bedroom house?
When we talk about boiler sizing, we are talking about the boiler’s power. You can find it easily in any boiler’s technical specifications as ‘output rating’, measured in kilowatts (kW).
Combi boilers have two output ratings: one for central heating (CH) and another for domestic hot water (DHW). On the other hand, system boilers and conventional boilers only have one output rating (for CH), as the domestic hot water is taken directly from the hot water cylinder they include.
Roughly speaking, your boiler has to be as powerful as the size of your house requires. For instance, boilers with a lower output rating are sufficient for smaller apartments with up to 10 radiators. A 5-bedroom house with 15 to 20 radiators and 2 bathrooms or more needs a bigger boiler.
The maximum output of the best combi boilers for a large house generally ranges from 30.9kW to 35kW, for central heating, and from 38.7kW to 48.9kW, for domestic hot water. These sizes are effective for 5-bedroom houses or, in other words, for properties with around 15 radiators and 2 bathrooms (and sometimes also 1 ensuite).
On the other hand, the best boiler for a 7 bedroom house would be a system boiler, with an output range from 30.4kW to 40kW. This is enough for properties with 15 to 20 radiators (5 to 7 bedrooms). Similarly, the power of our suggested regular boilers ranges from 30.3kW to 35kW.
How many kW does a boiler need for a 5-bedroom house?
The optimal size of the best boiler for a large house (5-7 bedrooms) will also depend on other factors besides the property’s size and the number of radiators required. The insulation, number and type of windows, such as double glazed windows, and the construction materials used in your home can all make a difference.
Below you will find a table with the approximate boiler power (kW) ranges meeting the central heating requirements of different house sizes.
| House size | Combi boilers | System boilers | Regular boilers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houses with up to 10 radiators (usually up to 4 bedrooms) | 24 – 27kW | 9 – 18kW | 9 – 18kW |
| Houses with 10 – 15 radiators (usually 4 to 5 bedrooms) | 28 – 34kW | 18 – 26kW | 18 – 26kW |
| Houses with 15 – 20 radiators (usually 5 – 7 bedrooms) | 35 – 42kW | 26 – 40kW | 26 – 40kW |
Compared to regular and system boilers, combi boilers need to be more powerful to achieve the same result. This is because they provide central heating and heat the water on demand instead of heating and storing hot water in a separate cylinder, as the other boilers do.
To ensure you find the right boiler for your home’s needs, it’s good to shop around and get advice from the most trusted installers. This also allows you to compare prices and find the best deal.
Finding the right installer can be hard work though, with endless companies listed online and trying to find someone you trust, who gets back to you, can be frustrating – but we’re here to help!
By filling in our quick form, you can get connected with up to 3 tried and trusted installers from your local area. They can provide you with free, no-obligation quotes so you can find exactly what you need without the stress. Simply click the button below to get started.
- Quotes from local engineers
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FAQ
Luis Antonio is a seasoned Content Writer with international journalism experience. His writing style, enriched by a Master’s in Journalism, contributes informative content to GreenMatch on topics including low-carbon heating systems.
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