A Century Of Pioneering Boilers
1920s: CookanHeat
One of the first British designs was the Ideal CookanHeat. This was a revolutionary designed, freestanding stove that combined an open fire, central heating boiler, cooking oven and hot cupboard all in one unit. The Ideal Cookanheat did more to introduce central heating into lower cost homes that any other similar appliance.
Excellent performance, reliability and ease of installation are trademarks of the ideal combination boiler. With its minimal components and slimline construction the unit can be sited almost anywhere - even in a standard kitchen cupboard, with no additional component ventilation required. The Isar is a combination boiler that provides domestic hot water via a high efficiency secondary heat exchanger; and the Icos is a heat-only boiler.
The original Classic was launched in 1991, and the Classic SE (which is the model depicted) was launched in 2001 and was an upgrade of the original Classic.The Classic SE is a tried and tested boiler which offers to this day unprecedented standards of reliability due to its simple design and engineering. This has resulted in appliances that are easily installed and that require minimum servicing and maintenance. It is the only Wall-Hung cast iron boiler with an RS offering. From April 2005, with the new regulations being enforced SE boilers are likely to be replaced with HE boilers.
This model was unique as it had a dark brown colour and a very distinctive appearance. This model was a superbly engineered fan-assisted gas combination boiler. The controls were more advanced than ever before allowing the homeowner to choose a combination of functions that provided warmth and hot water all year round. This boiler managed to overcome flues of varying resistance which meant it was much more effective in a wider range of applications that might otherwise prove difficult.
This decade saw the Concord become one of the best selling and award-winning models of the time. Even today it is synonymous with quality, reliability and excellence in engineering. This boiler was built to fit into a space between standard kitchen units and was certainly one of the best-looking and elegant models of its time. The programming and controls were the most advanced ever in the heating industry and stories are still told to this day of how homeowners still have a working Corcord model in their kitchen.
This model was designed for the larger home and was available in five sizes. For its relatively high capacity, the 'Elite' gas boiler was compact and for its time fit perfectly inside a house. This model contained an electrical control box (which was a trendsetter) giving the homeowner fully automatic operation for their convenience and economy. This model certainly gave the customer more control of their heating than ever before.
This boiler from the 1950s was one of the first gas boilers with a fully automatic control, which meant there were no matches or pilot to light as there were in earlier boilers. The small-bore Kingston model contained an 'Ideal' accelerator to circulate the water through the small-bore pipes.
This boiler was a compact boiler that was 'assembled ready for installation'. It contained a 'Thermostatic Control' supplied as standard with the boiler, and operated by a small Control Knob positioned on the right-hand side of the front panel. Later models allowed the homeowner to choose between a Black and Cream, or Black and White Vitreous enamel. A rocking grate was also standard on later models, whereas on early models it was 'frequently available with'.
This boiler produced a direct Hot Water Supply and was a significant development upon earlier models as it contained a Gas Relay Control Valve and Thermostat complete with chromium-plated copper tube connections. This model also contained a heat indicator and could be supplied with a jacket White vitreous enamelled to special order.
This model was another early boiler with which its main purpose was to provide hot water supply for the homeowner. Interestingly enough later versions provided a choice of mottle colour: Grey, Green or brown. Also an additional extra was to have a cream enamelled front platework, with top plate, smokehood and baseplate enamelled black - although this was extra cost Ideal Boilers already were giving customers choice.
One of the first British designs was the Ideal CookanHeat. This was a revolutionary designed, freestanding stove that combined an open fire, central heating boiler, cooking oven and hot cupboard all in one unit. The Ideal Cookanheat did more to introduce central heating into lower cost homes that any other similar appliance.
During the last hundred years Ideal Boilers have continuously pioneered innovative and revolutionary boilers from the CookanHeat to the Icos and Isar High Efficiency Modulating boilers.
We are proud of our history and we recognise that the boilers that helped ensure Ideal Boilers reputation for Quality, Reliability and Engineering Excellence are just as important as the models we produce today.