Vaillant ecoTec Plus 418 Regular Boiler – Review

In our next Vaillant boiler review, we’ll be taking a closer look at the ecoTec Plus 418. This is a Regular boiler, popular with big families and those looking for a boiler compatible with solar and heat pump systems. Here you’ll find all the details you need to know about the Vaillant 418 to help you decide whether it’s the best fit for your home.

Before we get started, here’s a quick introduction to Vaillant. For those who don’t know, Vaillant is a German brand and one of the leading boiler manufacturers in Europe. Their main competitor is Worcester Bosch, a name you may have heard of, as they manufacturer boilers here in the UK. Vaillant has years and years of experience in the heating industry. They were responsible for developing water heaters back in the early 1900s and pioneered the combi boiler in the late 1960s. They’re big innovators, known for their highly efficient boilers that are designed with both people and the planet in mind.

Vaillant manufacturer a wide range of domestic boilers, suitable for all properties, from small to grand. Let’s get down to the details and find out whether the ecoTec Plus 418 is the one for you.

Will the Vaillant ecoTec Plus 418 Regular be suitable for my home?

With so many boiler types available, the first thing you need to find out is which will be best suited to your home. Regular boilers (also known as conventional, open vent or heat only) are linked to an outside vent and require both a hot water storage cylinder and a cold water header tank to provide central heating and hot water. If you have limited space in your home, a conventional boiler and its components may not be the best option. However, those looking to upgrade an old regular boiler, with a newer, more efficient model, could greatly benefit from what the ecoTec Plus 418 has to offer.

The next thing you need to do is count up the radiators in your home. This helps you determine the central heating output you’ll need. The Vaillant ecoTec Plus 418 regular has a central heating output of 18kW and can, therefore, heat between 10 and 15 radiators.

One of the key advantages of regular boilers is that they can supply hot water to a number of taps simultaneously. This makes the ecoTec Plus 418 regular boiler ideal for busy family households with multiple bathrooms. No one will have to wait for hot water, saving a family tiff or two! Unlike combi boilers, regular boilers don’t need an overly powerful water pressure, so if it’s low in your area, a regular boiler is likely to be a good fit.

The Vaillant ecoTec Plus regular boiler is compatible with solar water heating and heat pump systems. Install it as part of a renewable solution to reduce your carbon footprint and make significant savings on your energy bills. If you like the sound of the Vaillant ecoTec Plus 418, but your home has over 15 radiators, you will be better off looking at the higher output models in the range, which include the ecoTec Plus 430 and 435. These have central heating outputs of 30kW and 35kW and will be capable of heating more radiators.

Alternatively, if you have fewer than 15 radiators, the Vaillant ecoTec Plus 412 or 415 may be a better choice, as they can heat up to 10 radiators.

We mentioned earlier that Worcester Bosch is Vaillant’s main competitor, so if you’d like an alternative to compare the ecoTec Plus 418 with, we’d recommend the Worcester Bosch Greenstar 18Ri. This boiler offers the same 18kW central heating output as the ecoTec boiler but is slightly smaller in depth (270mm compared to the Vaillant boilers 316mm.)

Vaillant Plus 418 Controls

The Vaillant ecoTec Plus boiler has a simple built-in control panel, including a large backlit display screen and push buttons for setting times and temperatures. This functionality makes the ecoTec Plus 418 compliant with the Boiler Plus regulations, introduced in April 2018.

To get the most out of your boiler and benefit from personalised heating and hot water settings, we recommend installing a smart controller like a smart thermostat or digital timer. One option is the Vaillant vSMART smart thermostat, which can be operated using the brand’s vSMART app. Alternatively, you can use a third-party smart thermostat like the Nest or Hive. Both of these have their mobile apps, so you can automate boiler processes, control your temperature settings and monitor your energy usage from any location.

Vaillant ecoTec 418 Size

The Vaillant ecoTec Plus 418 measures 600x375x316mm and has a lightweight design, which is intended to fit inside a standard kitchen cupboard. We’d still suggest measuring your kitchen cupboard to double check. Not all kitchen cupboards are the same size, and it’d be inconvenient for you to find that your boiler doesn’t fit on the day of installation. If it doesn’t fit, wall space will be more than satisfactory!

ecoTec Plus 418 Warranty

We’re pleased to say we offer a free 5-year warranty with every Vaillant boiler installation. If you would like to extend this to 10-years for peace of mind, we can arrange this for a small extra charge.

Vaillant ecoTec Plus 418 Regular Energy Efficiency

Today all boilers are required to have an ErP rating (previously known as SEDBUK.) This tells you how energy efficient they are, with ‘A’ being the highest rating. The good news is the Vaillant ecoTec regular boiler has an A-rated ErP of 89%. By choosing to upgrade your heating system with a more efficient boiler, you’ll not only reduce your carbon footprint but also make savings on your energy bills. We thought you’d like the sound of that!

Verdict – Is the Vaillant ecoTec Plus 418 Regular the best boiler for you?

The Vaillant ecoTec Plus 418 is a powerful boiler, best suited to busy households looking to upgrade an old regular boiler. If you have multiple bathrooms, it’ll greatly benefit you, in terms of being able to supply hot water evenly. The ecoTec Plus 418 was also awarded the Which? Best Buy in 2017 and is Quiet Mark accredited, so you won’t have to worry about it waking your family up at night.

With so many benefits, it’s sure to tick many of your boxes, and in terms of reliability, well, you can’t go wrong with a Vaillant!

For more information about the Vaillant ecoTec Plus 418 regular boiler, feel free to get in touch with our experts at Hometree.

	Vaillant ecoTec Plus 418 Regular
ErP rating (energy efficiency)	A (89.3%)
Size (HxWxD in mm)	600x375x316
Heating output (kW)	18
Standard warranty (years)	5 (extended warranties available)

Which? boiler review

The consumer group Which? review each boiler on the market to find the most (and least) reliable boilers according to a survey completed by thousands of boiler owners. In each review, Which? supply a brand score percentage and star ratings for each category. Take a look at the Vaillant ecoTec Plus 418 Regular boiler ratings below:

Which? Score
Efficiency rating	★★★★★
Brand reliability	★★★★☆
Brand customer score	★★★★★
Ease of repair	★★★★★
Ease of service	★★★★★
Availability of parts and spares	★★★★★
Build quality	★★★★★
Engineer recommendation	★★★★★
Brand score	80%

Boiler manual

Vaillant ecoTec Plus 418 Regular boiler manual