The name Potterton is well known in the boiler world – and they should be; they have been around since the 19th century!
Potterton patented the ‘Zig-Zag Boiler’ named for the zig zag shape of the appliance’s inner workings designed to not waste any heat.
The brand can also boast that their first gas boiler installation was back in 1902! The appliance was known as the ‘Victor’, and soon Potterton developed a reputation after they managed to install 16 of their Victor boilers in one installation – this paid off, as it grabbed the attention of some high-profile clients, including the residents of 10 and 11 Downing Street.
We are all familiar with the design of the modern gas boiler, and it is believed that this all stems from 1955 when Potterton developed the Diplomat. From this, the demand for gas boilers in the home increased – so much so that by 1957 Potterton decided to stop installing the boilers and instead focus on their manufacture. The popularity was apparent when by the end of the 1960’s the company had produced their one-millionth boiler. With more homes switching to gas central heating, in the 1970’s Potterton were producing 3,000 boilers a week!
At the very first Domestic Heating awards in the UK, Potterton won the award of excellence for their Netaheat boiler. This was a wall hung boiler rather than floor standing and proved to be a very popular design, because by the end of the 1970’s the company had produced two million Netaheat boilers! Fast forward to this century, and the company has received the Which? Best Buy award for the Potterton Gold Combi 24 HE from 2006 -2010.
The brand and its factory are known for the joy and pride they take in their work. In fact, the last Potterton Profile boiler that was made at a Baxi factory in Warwick was discovered at a home in Scotland, when the homeowner decided to upgrade his old seventeen-year-old appliance with a modern one. The gas engineers found that the boiler had been signed by all the employees that worked on its production in February 1999. After contacting a Potterton representative – the head-office in Warwick, requested that the boiler was returned to its birthplace.
Nowadays, Potterton are now part of the Baxi Heating Group, who are also part of BDR Thermea Group – a company that specialises in the distribution of smart thermal solutions. Although they were previously favoured by the higher end of the market – they now have expanded into more budget-friendly ranges. Unfortunately, their cheaper products have much shorter warranties. All Potterton products come with a two-year warranty, with only some models having a seven-year warranty included. However, there is an option to extend warranties for longer once the original warranty has expired; also known as ‘breakdown plans’. Be aware though, Potterton do not sell their products directly to their customers – rather, all Potterton boilers are supplied to Gas-Safe engineers, plumbers or heating merchants.