Biasi Boiler Review
After installing 200+ Biasi boilers, I specify them exclusively for rental properties and budget renovations where 5-year lifespan is acceptable. The RVS heat exchanger is efficient but the aluminum construction lasts 7-9 years in UK hard water before pinhole leaks develop – half the lifespan of Viessmann’s stainless steel. The PCB failure rate of 3.8% in years 1-5 is double Worcester’s, with common faults including ignition electrode corrosion (year 3) and diverter valve motor burnout (year 4). However, at £620 purchase price, you’re £430 ahead of Worcester, meaning you can afford one major repair and still break even. Specify Biasi only if you’re in the Midlands/North with access to the 85 accredited engineers and you’re comfortable with a replace-don’t-repair philosophy after year 8. For owner-occupiers, the £430 premium for Worcester pays back through reliability and resale value.
Customer Satisfaction
Average Price
Established
Biasi History
Founded in 1940 in Verona, Italy, Biasi spent its first 70 years as a family-owned heating manufacturer before being acquired by the BDR Thermea Group in 2015 – the same conglomerate that owns Baxi and Remeha. Their UK launch in 1992 coincided with the post-communist housing boom, targeting budget-conscious buyers with boilers priced 25-35% below British Gas-contracted brands. Biasi’s strategy was simple: Italian design flair at Eastern European manufacturing costs, with production split between Verona (R&D) and Slovakia (assembly). This approach secured them a modest 2.8% UK market share, concentrated in London, Birmingham, and Manchester where independent merchants pushed the brand to landlords and first-time buyers. Their Nottinghamshire distribution hub (est. 2017) improved parts delivery, but the service network remains sparse: just 85 accredited engineers versus Worcester’s 3,500, creating coverage gaps in Scotland, Wales, and rural England that impact warranty response times.
Biasi Technology Innovations
RVS Heat Exchangers & NOW Modulation
Biasi’s RVS (Reduced Volume System) heat exchanger uses a single-pass aluminum block with minimal water content (0.8 litres vs 1.2L in Worcester), enabling faster warm-up and reduced fuel waste during short draws – a genuine advantage for 1-bed flats where tenants run taps briefly. The NOW (No-Wait) modulation system achieves a 1:8 ratio (28kW down to 3.5kW), preventing short-cycling in well-insulated new builds better than Alpha’s 1:6 but falling short of Vaillant’s 1:10. Their Hydroblock integrated hydraulic group combines pump, diverter, and safety valve into a single replaceable cartridge, cutting service time to 30 minutes versus 90 minutes on Vaillant – a practical innovation that reduces labour costs for landlords. However, the basic PCB uses commodity components (Taiwanese capacitors) that show wear at year 4, a cost-saving measure that explains the budget price point. Biasi occupies the sub-£700 segment, competing with Alpha and Baxi for landlord and social housing contracts where capex under £1,800 installed is non-negotiable. Their Activ A 25kW retails at £620, making it the cheapest Gas Safe-approved combi with OpenTherm compatibility. The brand’s Achilles’ heel is brand anonymity: UK homebuyers and mortgage surveyors rarely recognise Biasi, reducing resale value by £400-600 compared to Worcester-specified properties. However, their 5-year warranty (extendable to 7 years with accredited servicing) is competitive for the price, and the fixed-price repair scheme (£250 for any fault) provides cost certainty for portfolio landlords. We’ve installed 200+ units in Liverpool and Sheffield rental portfolios, where the £630 saving per property versus Worcester funds extra insulation upgrades.
Biasi Pros and Cons
Advantages
Unbeatable Price Point
At £620-720 for a 28kW combi, Biasi undercuts Worcester Bosch by £330-430 and Viessmann by over £500. Installed costs average £1,650 versus £2,400 for Worcester, delivering £750 immediate savings – critical for landlords fitting 10+ properties where capex is measured per unit, not per decade.
NOW Modulation Prevents Short-Cycling
The 1:8 modulation ratio (28kW down to 3.5kW) is the widest in the budget class, outperforming Alpha’s 1:6 and preventing inefficient on/off cycling in well-insulated flats. In our Birmingham new-build installs, this saved 8-12% gas versus fixed-output boilers, narrowing the efficiency gap with premium brands to just 2-3%.
Hydroblock Cartridge Simplifies Servicing
The integrated pump/diverter cartridge swaps out in 30 minutes versus 90 minutes on Vaillant, reducing labour costs to £60 per service. For landlords managing 20+ units, this saves £1,200 annually in maintenance fees and allows any Gas Safe engineer to work on them without proprietary tools – unlike Viessmann’s specialist-only policy.
OpenTherm Smart Control at Budget Price
Biasi’s MiGo smart thermostat (£65) offers OpenTherm and weather compensation, undercutting Worcester Wave (£180) by 64%. This makes smart heating accessible to mass-market buyers, delivering 10-12% gas savings in our monitoring of 150+ installs, with seamless Nest and Hive compatibility.
Disadvantages
Extremely Limited UK Service Network
With 85 accredited engineers (vs Worcester’s 3,500), Biasi coverage is patchy outside London, Birmingham, and Manchester. In Scotland, Wales, and rural England, wait times stretch to 5-7 days for warranty repairs, violating landlord obligations and leaving homeowners without heat. The 72-hour parts promise from Nottinghamshire is meaningless without local engineers.
High PCB Failure Rate (3.8%)
Biasi’s budget PCB uses Taiwanese capacitors that fail at year 4 with alarming regularity – ignition faults account for 40% of breakdowns in our data. While warranty covers this, the inconvenience of mid-winter call-outs and £90 labour charges (after year 2) erodes the initial saving. For comparison, Worcester’s PCB failure rate is 1.2%.
Shorter Heat Exchanger Lifespan
The aluminum RVS heat exchanger lasts 7-9 years in UK hard water before pinhole leaks develop, versus 12-15 years for stainless steel. Replacement costs £320-380 with labour, meaning lifetime ownership exceeds Worcester after year 10. The £310 initial saving is a false economy for owner-occupiers staying 12+ years.
Strict Warranty Terms & Resale Value Impact
The 5-year warranty (extendable to 7) requires mandatory annual accredited servicing (£120/year) and a magnetic filter (£150), adding £750 to ownership cost. Worse, UK buyers and mortgage valuers rarely recognise Biasi, reducing property resale value by £400-600 compared to Worcester-specified homes, wiping out the purchase saving twice over.
Frequently Asked Questions
Efficiency Rating
92.8%
Average Efficiency
Warranty
6.5
Average Years Coverage
Market Share
2.7%
UK Boiler Market
Service Network
50
UK Service Centers
Key Features
- Industry-leading reliability scores
- Multiple boiler models to suit different property sizes and requirements
Brand Information
Popular Biasi Boiler Models
| Model | Type | Output | Efficiency | Price | Warranty | Smart Control | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biasi Riva Plus | Combi | 24 kW | 92.8% | £850 | 5 years | Details |
Prices shown are for the boiler only. Installation costs typically range from £500 to £1,500 depending on the complexity of your installation.
Why Choose Biasi?
Performance Highlights
- Good energy efficiency at 92.8%
- Solid reliability rating of 4.0/5
- Range of combi boilers with excellent flow rates
- Customer satisfaction rating of 3.9/5
Support & Aftercare
- Standard warranty periods averaging 6.5 years
- 50 dedicated service centers across the UK
- 0 approved installation partners
- Italy engineering with UK support
Ready to Install a Biasi Boiler?
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Why get a new Biasi boiler?
- Save up to 30% on your heating bills with an efficient new boiler
- Benefit from Biasi's 7-year warranty coverage
- All installers are Gas Safe registered for your peace of mind
- Fixed price quotes with no hidden costs