Johnson & Starley Boilers: A Complete Guide to Their Prices, Reviews, Warranties And a Lot More
Johnson & Starley has a long-standing history of over 100 years in the heating sector. Targeting small-to-medium-sized homeowners, the company’s affordable energy-efficient combi boilers range from £710 to £920 and come with an impressive eight-year warranty.
Combi boilers are designed to help reduce your fuel bills. Johnson & Starley’s QuanTec range has achieved an industry-leading 110% saving when in DHW mode – converting cold water to hot water by 4 degrees Celsius.
Available in 28 kW and 30 kW performance output (size), QuanTec combi boilers heat water from the cold water mains to deliver instant hot water when you need it. As they don’t require a separate cylinder for storing your hot water, these compact boilers take up very little room and are a good choice for homes that don’t have much storage space.
But how does Johnson & Starley rate against its competitors and what do its customers have to say?
Read more to find out!
Aim of the content of this article?
This article aims to help UK homeowners identify whether a Johnson & Starleys wall-mounted combi boiler is the ideal heating system for your home.
Boiler Prices aims to inform consumers how to identify the best boiler for your home at the best price. We explain everything you need to consider to make the right choice and put you in touch with local suppliers and installers to ensure you get the best price for your boiler.
Not only that, we research the UK boiler brands and report what consumers have to say — and compare boiler Johnson & Starleys with other boiler manufacturers so you can decide whether the brand is a good fit for you over rivals.
The information we provide — together with “our verdict” — is impartial. We do not have any affiliated links with a particular boiler brand. The content and our views are based on the views and experiences of customers and frontline professionals in the energy consumer industry together with our professional knowledge of the heating sector.
Ultimately, the information we provide on this page will help you to determine whether a Johnson & Starley boiler is the right choice for your home.
By the time you finish reading this page, you will know:
- The different types of energy-efficient boilers Johnson & Starley manufacture so that you can decide which type of boiler serves your heating and hot water needs
- How many kW do you need to comfortably heat your home and meet your real-time hot water demands
- The cost, models and efficiency of Johnson & Starley boilers
- The boiler specifications and dimensions that can be installed in your home (which type of boiler is best for you)
- Boiler comparisons that fall into the same price point and star rating as Johnson & Starley so you can broaden your search easily
Johnson & Starley: A Trusted Name in Boilers
Established in Blackpool in 1922, Johnson & Starley designs and manufactures all of its boilers in Great Britain and has been supplying the UK market with high-quality heating solutions for over 100 years.
The brand is dedicated to providing energy-efficient solutions to meet the demands of customers, leading the company to be associated with many of the major advancements in gas-fired boilers and heating products. Each boiler model is developed with reliability, efficiency and value for money in mind to appeal to homeowners and installers across the county.
Johnson & Starley initially specialised in the manufacture of oil heating products before expanding its product range to include warm air heating systems in the 1930s and 40s.
In the 1970’s the company added high-efficiency boilers and energy recovery ventilation units to its line of products. The company has continued to innovate and in the current era is looking to meet the demands of high energy-efficiency and renewable energy systems.
Considerations when buying a Johnson & Starley Boiler
Energy-efficient replacement boilers are a significant investment. Knowing which is the best boiler for your heating and water needs is not an easy choice if you’re not sure which type and size boiler is best suited to deliver your heating and hot water needs.
Before you commit to a boiler purchase, keep an eye out for the key considerations below:
Energy-Efficiency
Johnson & Starley’s recent innovations have enabled the company to deliver replacement boilers that boast a 95% energy-efficient rating. According to the company’s sales brochure, customers can expect to save up to 26% per year on running costs.
Dimensions
Johnson & Starley combi boilers are compact and lightweight. With dimensions of just H780xW423xD321mm, you can easily install a replacement boiler into a tight space.
Performance Output in kW
Johnson & Starley only manufactures two sizes of gas combi boilers and one running on LPG. The most energy-efficient boiler in its range in the Quantec 28C which has a performance output of 28kW. The LPG is also a 28kW. Both these systems will heat homes with 1-3 rooms and up to 10 radiators approximately.
The other gas-fuelled unit has a performance output of 30kW which provides sufficient power to heat homes with 3-5 bedrooms and up to 15 radiators.
Ease and Cost of Installation
Because Johnson & Starley boilers are small and compact they are relatively easy to install and repair. However, the Which? survey reveals they are not a favourite of gas-safe engineers. Spare parts are hard to come by and the ease of repairs is average.
When purchasing a new gas boiler, consider where you mount the unit and whether engineers have easy access. The accessibility of the installation site and complexities in fitting a boiler can impact labour costs.
Boilers that are easy to service and maintain are less likely to incur high labour charges. The cost of professional gas-safe installers should be factored into the cost of your new boilers — and bear in mind installation costs are never included in the price shown for the boiler.
Although Boiler Prices is unable to provide specific rates for every boiler installation provider, we can say the average installation cost for a new energy-efficient boiler in the UK is between £1,100 – £1,800. It could easily be the case that Johnson & Starley gas boiler prices could save you hundreds of pounds over boilers that are more difficult to install.
To find out exactly how much you should expect to pay to install a new Johnson & Starley boiler in your home, take advantage of the Boiler Prices ‘get a quote’ feature.
Get your free quote now by clicking the link and filling out the question form.
Warranty
The length of the manufacturer’s warranty is a good indication of the reliability and quality you can expect from a new energy-efficient boiler. Johnson & Starley offers a respectable 8-year guarantee as standard for its Quantec range, although the company’s website indicates this warranty is only valid for the HR28C model.
On the plus side, the 8-year guarantee surpasses the company’s warranty for its range of warm air heaters which only have up to 5 years warranty. This indicates that gas boilers have a better build quality and are more reliable.
Johnson & Starley Combi Boilers: Compact, Efficient, and Cost-Saving
Designed to improve energy efficiency, Johnson & Starley’s QuanTec range of combi boilers has been a significant innovation, offering high-efficiency condensing boilers that are environmentally friendly and cost-effective.
Its combi boilers are available in two models: the flagship QuanTec HR28C and the QuanTec 30C.
Combi boilers are ideal for small to medium-sized homes with up to five bedrooms and 15 radiators. Compact and energy-efficient, they provide hot water on demand directly from the mains supply.
With no requirement for a feed and expansion tank or hot water cylinder, combi boilers can easily be installed in a kitchen cupboard or airing cupboard.
These combi boilers are designed with compactness in mind, making them ideal for small to medium-sized homes where space is limited and budgets are likely to be lower. With reasonable price points, Johnson & Starley could be an attractive proposition for many UK homeowners.
The QuanTec range incorporates eco-friendly features such as low NOx emissions, helping to reduce the impact on the environment. These boilers feature modulation technology, adjusting the heat output to match the heating demands of the home. This results in greater efficiency and energy savings.
Note: the prices listed below are the purchase prices for the boiler only. They do not include installation costs.
| COMBI GAS BOILER SERIES | SIZES | SIZE OF HOME | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuanTec HR28C Combi | 28kW | Small to medium-sized homes with one bathroom. | £900 |
| QuanTec HE24C Combi | 24kW | Small to medium-sized homes with one bathroom. | £710 |
| QuanTec HE30C Combi | 30kW | Small to medium-sized homes with one or two bathrooms. | £920 |
Living with your Johnson & Starley boiler
Johnson & Starley Boiler Warranties
The term of the “guarantee” Johnson & Starley advertise for the QuanTec range in the sales brochure is 8 years for parts and labour. However, on their website, an asterisk indicates the 8-year warranty only applies if you purchase the HRC28 with a 28kW but also covers the Integral Flue Heat Recovery.
It would appear other models do not receive the same level of guarantee. J&S does not provide this information on its website.
Looking at previous reports and customer reviews the warranty for a J&S combi boiler was previously 2-years as standard which could be extended to five years.
Johnson & Starley Boiler Controls
Johnson & Starley offers a range of boiler controls designed to enhance the efficiency, comfort, and convenience of their heating systems.
The controls from Johnson & Starley are designed with user-friendliness in mind, featuring intuitive interfaces and clear displays. Homeowners can easily navigate settings, adjust temperatures, and program schedules without complications.
For fans of smart technologies, the company offers Honeywell EvoHome smart thermostat options that allow homeowners to control their heating remotely via smartphone apps or voice commands.
These smart thermostats enable users to set heating schedules, adjust temperatures, and monitor energy usage from anywhere, providing greater flexibility and convenience.
Johnson & Starley Boiler Cover and Breakdown Options
Johnson & Starley do not advertise whether they offer boiler cover and breakdown options. Customers may be offered options at the point of purchase only.
Alternatively, it is recommended to take out boiler insurance coverage from independent insurers that cover heating systems. For more information, read our review on Homeserve.
Johnson & Starley Boiler Surveys and Reviews
Most of the information on the internet about boiler companies are unreliable. They are either advertorials published by consumer magazines as paid articles or reviews that look like this one but are written by individuals that have affiliated associations with a boiler company.
We don’t do either advertorials or affiliated content.
The best source of information in the heating sector is from customer reviews which you can compare against the most respected consumer magazine surveys. That can give you a good indication of whether the bulk of information you read on the internet is reliable.
Johnson & Starley is a good example of how you can accumulate evidence and make a purchasing decision on a boiler.
The latest Which? survey updated in February 2024 reveals that Johnson & Starley has a 73% score for customer satisfaction. However, that statistic does not reflect reviews left by consumers on Trustpilot.
Johnson & Starley combi boilers do not receive a good rating on the UK’s most trusted consumer platform. The company has received an uninspiring 2.8 out of five on Trustpilot. The comments reveal that the Blackpool-based manufacturer is failing to satisfy some of its customers on several fronts.
It is telling that only 21% of customers have left a 5-star rating. A damning 72% only left one out of five stars. The only saving grace for Johnson & Starley is that only 14 respondents have left a review.
That may mean most customers are happy and the company just need to be more proactive in getting their satisfied customers to drop a positive review. After all, it is true that people only leave reviews when they are emotionally stirred; either when they are angry or really happy.
Common problems are boilers breaking down on a regular basis, engineers not being able to fix the issue, and the lapse of a woeful 2-year warranty that leaves customers having to pay significant sums to have their boilers fixed or replaced.
Customer service and aftercare receive mixed reviews. As with most heating companies, the level of customer service is directly tied to whether the boiler can be fixed under the warranty. When it cannot, customers are aggrieved.
Which? Engineers Review
The brand data results for Johnson & Starley gas boilers in the above table were sourced from the Which? website. Customer score is based on responses from a May and June 2024 survey of 7,500 boiler owners. All other ratings are based on responses to a June 2024 survey of 153 Which? Trusted Traders heating engineers.
How do Johnson & Starley boilers compare with other boiler Johnson & Starleys?
Johnson & Starley appears to be a boiler manufacturer in decline. However, in recent years, the company has made efforts to compete with its rivals. An energy-efficient rating of 95% is among the best ErP ratings and an eight-year guarantee tops the seven years offered by comparable brands including Alpha, Baxi, Glow-worm and Viessmann.
Whilst the Blackpool-based innovators produce energy-efficient boilers which appear to offer good value for money, the reliability – according to customer reviews – is questionable. You may pay less for the boiler, but the cost of replacement or repairs could be substantial once the 8-year warranty has expired.
This can be the case for most boilers, but the top-quality firms make boilers that are known to last 15-20 years. You have to pay more, but the cost of one boiler in 20 years is less than the cost of two in 16 years.
Having said that, if you can only afford a boiler for less than £1000, Johnson & Starley’s eight-year warranty outstrips the industry average of two to five years for pocket-friendly boilers.
Boiler Prices Verdict on the Johnson & Starley Boilers: 2/5
It’s clear that Johnson & Starley is not the most reliable boiler manufacturer in the present epoch, but given the company has a history of more than 100 years, we expect them to find a solution that improves its reputation.
The turnaround has already begun. Johnson & Starley has ditched several of the models it previously offered as part of its product line and has narrowed the options down to two choices; the flagship HR28C and the Combi 30.
The HR28C boasts a high-energy efficiency rating of a reported 95% ErP. However, we couldn’t find any official confirmation of this from J&S sales material or their technical literature. Therefore, we have not included this claim in our overall score. Ordinarily, it would have earned the J&S a point.
We do know that its boiler range meets the A-rated energy-efficiency standards. The company has been awarded an A-rated SEBDUK certificate. This means the boilers give you at least 89% ErP savings.
We do give Johnson & Starley kudos for offering an 8-year warranty which is a significant leap from the two years it previously offered. That could mean one of two things. The boiler range on offer in 2024 is superior to its previous boilers, or the company is prepared to lose money on warranties because it needs to sell boilers.
Higher warranties are a more attractive proposition and give consumers more confidence in the reliability of the boiler and peace of mind they are financially covered.
That being said, most customer reviews are not positive. The company’s Trustpilot page reveals that 72% of consumers are not satisfied with the product or the company’s ability to resolve issues promptly.
We should point out here, however, is that the company has only received 14 reviews which is a very small cohort and insufficient to form an accurate opinion. Furthermore, the company also manufactures warm air heating systems and some of the reviews relate to these systems rather than the boilers.
So, it’s worth bearing in mind that J&S only offers a five-year warranty on its warm air heating systems indicating the company has more confidence in its energy-efficient boilers. This may also suggest the company has worked to improve the quality of its boiler range.
The two positive reviews left on Trustpilot this year also praise the customer service. However, the horror stories detailed in the one-star reviews indicate customers can be with heating for weeks if not months. That is not what you want in the dead of winter.
Another consideration for some UK homeowners is that J&S boilers will not meet your heating needs. The HR28C will heat small-to-medium-sized homes whilst the 30C is okay for 5 bedrooms and up to 15 radiators. We are not 100% certain the 30C combi is covered by the eight-year warranty though.
We recommend asking a qualified engineer for advice about Johnson & Starley boilers. You can do so by contacting a local dealer via our free get a quote option.
So, why buy a Johnson & Starley boiler?
All QuanTec boilers from Johnson & Starley are manufactured right here in England and they use the latest technology to provide not only greater energy savings but also low pollutant emissions to reduce the impact on the environment.
The brand’s flagship model, the QuanTec HR28C, is among the smallest and most efficient boilers on the market and can help you to achieve energy savings of up to 26% each year to heat your water.
The latest model sports a heat exchanger that heats cold water by 4°C every time a hot water tap is turned on. This delivers an efficiency level of 110% DHW which has never been achieved before.
Furthermore, the HR28C combi boiler comes with an impressive 8-year parts and labour guarantee.
Johnson & Starley Boiler Range
Feel free to use our table below to compare Johnson & Starley boiler models, efficiency ratings, typical prices and more.
| MODEL | TYPE | DIMENSIONS | MAX FLOW RATE | OUTPUT | EFFICIENCY RATING | TYPICAL PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuanTec HE24C | Combi | H – 780 mm W – 423 mm D – 321 mm | 10.1 | 24kW | A – 90% AND ABOVE | £710 |
| QuanTec HR28C | Combi | H – 780 mm W – 423 mm D – 321 mm | 12.3 | 28kW | A – 90% AND ABOVE | £900 |
| QuanTec HE30C | Combi | H – 810 mm W – 450 mm D – 270 mm | 12.3 | 30kW | A – 90% AND ABOVE | £920 |
Why You Can Trust Boilers Prices
Boiler Prices were established in 2013 to help you identify the best boiler for your home and to get access to the most affordable boiler quotes from a central location without having to waste time shopping around. Our service is fast, efficient and effective. We source the best quotes offered by national installers and local boiler installers.
But it’s all very well and good reading the information we publish on our website, but how do you know you can trust the advice we provide?
Well, first and foremost, we want to assure you that Boiler Prices does not have any direct affiliation with Johnson & Starley or any other boiler manufacturer. The information we present is 100% unbiased, impartial and given to the best of our knowledge.
Moreover, we source our information from customer feedback, and recognised review websites (like Which? and Energy Savings Trust etc) together with gas-safe engineers and other professionals working in the energy and heating sector.
We appreciate that UK homeowners want to know if these new energy-efficient boilers are reliable, efficient and available for a good price. Boiler Prices not only step in to provide information you can trust, but we also save you hours of time having to research the extensive boiler market.
For the best and most cost-effective boiler prices, you will have to do some shopping around. We recommend getting a quote from a national installer and a local boiler installer to see which gives you the best price. When you use Boiler Prices as your platform to look for boiler prices this is what we provide you with as a matter of course.
Boiler Prices have been providing UK homeowners with trustworthy information and boiler price comparisons since 2013. Not only that but our founder, Duncan Cumming has over a decade of experience in the boiler industry working directly with consumers. He is fully aware that reliable information needs to be improved in the boiler market and knows the questions homeowners want answered.
All these factors make Boiler Prices the most trusted source of information about energy-efficient boilers – because we provide up-to-date and accurate information together with honest appraisals that say it how it is.
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