Potty about the Potterton Promax? Or still trying to decide? Here we'll review the boiler model and see what they have to offer.
Potterton was founded over 100 years ago in 1850 and have grown to become one of the most famous boiler brands in the UK.
The brand's major claim to fame is being the first heating company to release the gas boiler, which was called the Diplomat.
Prior to their current offerings, Potterton was known for their range of premium boilers, but in recent years have extended their range to include both budget and medium-range boilers.
In this review, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at one of the brand's most popular range of combi boilers - the Potterton Promax combi boiler.
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In this Potterton Promax HE Plus boiler review, we've scored the Promax in 4 of the most important areas, including:
Reliability
Performance
Warranty
Price
The Promax is available in a range of sizes including:
24kW
28kW
33kW
The brand also offers a 2-year warranty for parts and labour.
Want to know what boiler is the right size and power for your home? Use our quick tool to find out in 60 seconds.
Main features of the Potterton Promax
Before we examine the full details of the Potterton Promax, here is a complete list of the main features the model and brand offers:
ErP B rated for both hot water and heating efficiency at around 89% efficient
A stainless steel heat exchanger (unlike the aluminium found in inferior models)
Dimensions: H 780 x W 450 x D 345 - easy to fit and space-saving
Includes a pre-plumbing jig helping to save time on the installation
Built-in frost protection to help prevent frozen pipes during winter
Pre-plumbing jig to make installation quick and easy
Reliability: 3/5
Potterton is a brand that has a stronger reputation for proving large scale commercial installation projects rather than residential installs.
Trust Pilot Reviews
For instance, on the third-party review platform Trustpilot, Potterton residential has acquired a dozen reviews. As of February 2022, 6 customers left a review.
Potterton score 2.3/5 from over 6 reviews
On average the manufacturer scored 2.3 out of 5, quite disappointing for a brand with such a long history.
Additionally, in our article ranking the best boiler manufacturers, the brand was rated as offering the #9 best combi boilers of 2022; so, we recommend exploring other options.
Which? Boiler Survey Results
The consumer organisation Which? conducts an annual boiler survey, during which they survey over 7,000 customers and 100 gas engineers/installers.
Potterton has not been awarded the Which? Best Buy Award since 2020, but Potterton scored a very impressive 4 out of 5 stars and an overall 70% score for that year.
The people surveyed were asked to score the brands Promax boiler on a list of metrics considered most important, including the following:
Reliability
Customer Score
Engineer Recommendation
Build Quality
Availability of Parts and Spares
Ease of Fixing a Common Fault
Easy of Servicing
Performance: 3/5
Potterton Promax Combi Boiler Power Outputs
Potterton Promax combi boiler range is available in the following sizes (power outputs):
24kW
28kW
33kW
The 28kW combi boiler (most popular) has a heat output of 28kW and a flow rate of 12.3 l/min, making it ideal for average-sized properties that may have slightly greater hot water demands.
The Potterton Promax is also offered in two other power outputs with corresponding flow rates, ideal for smaller properties and apartments with lower than average hot water demands.
The hot water flow rates range from 9.6 l/min up to 12.3 l/m, offering a fair amount of pressure and capacity for small to medium-sized properties and apartments.
Want to know which boiler power is right for your home? Check out our boiler sizing guide.
Efficiency of the Potterton Promax
The Potterton Promax is an A-rated combi boiler with an energy efficiency of 89%.
It is also endorsed by the Energy Saving Trust and by being a fully modulating boiler, it knows how much fuel is required to meet demand in your home and will adjust itself as and when required.
The boiler can also be installed with a Potterton Multifit GasSaver flue gas heat recovery device, which recycles the heat from the flue gases that would instead be lost. This recycled heat is then used to further heat your hot water.
Controls & Features of the Potterton Promax Combi HE Plus
The Potterton Promax Combi HE Plus was originally manufactured between 2008 and 2015, so it does now look a little dated compared to what's currently available on the market.
However, with that said, it is a condensing boiler, B-rated with some very helpful features, such as the built-in frost protection.
Intelligent control system
The Promax combi features an intelligent control system, which enables automatic heat output adjustment.
This feature means that the boiler automatic adjusts the temperature and hot water, thereby creating a comfortable room and hot water temperature for the homeowner.
Pre-plumbing jig
Perhaps not very impressive for the average consumer, the Promax does feature a pre-plumbing jig. This helps cut the installation times drastically and allows flying options of up to 20 metres, allowing the boiler to be mounted vertically or horizontally in a variety of homes. A stand-off bracket that helps to keep the pipes routed behind the unit is also an option.
Multi-fit Gas Saver Device
As previously mentioned, this boiler can be purchased with an additional energy-saving device by Potterton. This is the Multifit GasSaver flue gas heat recovery device, helping to save around 700g in carbon emissions and reduce cold water consumption by at least 7%.
Warranty: 2/5
Potterton Promax Warranty Period
Potterton provides a standard 2-year warranty with the Potterton Promax, which isn't the best when you consider that many brands offer a hefty 10-year warranty.
This means that should anything go wrong with your boiler over the next 2 years Potterton will cover parts and labour.
Price Point: 3/5
Potterton is a boiler brand with a solid history in both the UK domestic and commercial sectors. They aren't typically thought of as a premium brand and so their boiler models are generally cheaper than the market leaders.
Prices for the Potterton Promax start at around £800 for the smallest power output and go to £1,080 for the 33kW model. But remember this is the price of the boiler only and does not include the Gas Safe installation or any other extras.
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If you purchase a Worcester Bosch boiler through Heatable, our fixed price offer includes both the boiler and complete installation.
Prices for the Worcester Bosch 4000 range begin at £1,895 and are available with 0% APR (over 2 years). Get your fixed price.
Potterton Promax Combi Verdict
Potterton (now owned by Baxi) is a reputable boiler manufacturer that has made some notable achievements in the industry, yet with that said, we recommend a Worcester Bosch combi boiler instead.
Why so?
Not only is the Potterton Promax model reviewed in this particular post now very outdated and discontinued, but the warranty offered at just 2-years isn't sufficient.
When purchasing a new Worcester Bosch via Heatable, you'll be securing yourself a 10-year guarantee with it (not just a warranty).
Not only is this a decade worth of cover and peace of mind, but it's also superior to a warranty.
Why does this matter?
A guarantee is an agreement from the manufacturer that they will attend to your property and repair or replace the boiler within a reasonable amount of time.
Most other boiler manufacturers just offer a warranty as standard, this is an agreement to investigate the problem, but is not an unconditional agreement to fix or repair it for free.
Potterton Promax Combi Boiler Conclusion
In reality, the Potterton Promax Combi HE Plus is an outdated boiler model. If you are looking for an award-winning combi boiler ideal for small to medium properties, that’s energy-efficient, then, we would likely recommend the Worcester Bosch 4000. You'll get a guarantee, it's British-Built and Worcester Bosch has won the Best Buy status for 10 years running (more than any other brand).
To get a quote for a Worcester Bosch 4000, fitted. Use this quick and easy form.
If so, get your new boiler installed with Heatable, here’s why:
Gas Safe installation within 24 hours
Thousands of happy customers – an average score of 4.9 on Trustpilot (that’s better than the market leader).
Price match guarantee – if you find a cheaper quote, we will match (must be like for like)
Multiple payment options - interest-free available
10-year guarantee
Fixed price guarantee – no hidden costs
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