combi boiler benefits

lagaaa

Hello. Please can anyone tell me if there are benefits to a combi boiler other than space saving? I am having whole house renovated which is going to cost a fortune (but knew that when I bought it). However builder has recommended I change to a combi bolier. This seems to me like money spending for not much benefit but am I missing something? Builder is someone I trust but although a new boiler is always good (!?) I think that money would be better spent on carpets and curtains! The existing boiler looks ok to me.

aboard_epsilon

the new boilers ain't that reliable compared with the old non condensers ..

old ones you may get up to, or over 30 years out of them...and with very little if any break downs

new ones ..they will break down and probably in the first five years ..and cost you dearly in repairs ..probably more..a lot more .. than your savings with the efficiency of them.

some models will break down continuously right from the word go.

and you will be lucky to get 15 years out of them never mind 30.

honest plumbers have told me ..that if id had an old style boiler ..then their advice would be to keep it until it wears out or becomes uneconomical to repair.

all the best.markj

C_Mababejive

Ill give you some disadvantages..

They cost too much
Are too complex
You need a nice annual service plan as if it breaks down,you will have to pay £££££
They are an undue strain on the gas and water supply networks
They dont last as long as "older" more conventional boilers
They are wasteful of gas and water

Stick with your honest plumber. Of course it depends on make/model and circumstances of your existing boiler.

ormus

old ones can be a problem for parts if they go wrong.
and they always go wrong on the coldest day of the year.
new combis are 20/30% more efficient. my gas bill dropped by nearly 30% with the new vaillant combi.

keystone

lagaaa wrote: »

Hello. Please can anyone tell me if there are benefits to a combi boiler

Unless you have a one/two bed flat then its probably nil!

I am having whole house renovated which is going to cost a fortune

You project, your house, your money. You decide what is done and what is not and what takes priority.

What reasons does he give for making this recommendation?

Cheers

Canucklehead

Hi,

I've seen a few properties all done up and shiny with cupboards built round old knackered boilers.
It's a bit late to start getting new gas supplies and mains water to a new boiler when all the floors are laminate or tiled.
If you can't afford it now (or don't want to) then at least future proof renovations to take into account a new boiler later.
It might be worth getting the opinion of an installer rather than a builder (unless they are one and the same)

GSR.

Domthemon

I love my combi boiler. Yes we had problems in the first few years bu had it over 8 years now and love it. I'd not disagree that they might not be as reliable BUT advantages?

1. Not heating a tank of water that you don't need
2. The space saving (gets rid of water tanks)
3. Not needing to heat water with electricity in the summer and then even more wasteful
4. Hot water on demand. Have a bath or shower whenever you want!

dander

I love combi-boilers, they suit my lifestyle perfectly. I live alone, so I don't waste energy heating up water I don't use - but when I do have a house full of people there's no waiting for the water to heat, there's always plenty for everyone.

You say the builder is recommending a new boiler but it "looks ok" to you. I think the questions you need to start with are about that old boiler - how old is it? what type of boiler is it? I suspect the "combi" aspect is a bit of the red herring and the real question is do you need a new boiler?

brig001

There is a myth of efficiency around combi boilers. Our boiler runs once in the morning and gives us enough hot water for the day. Compare that with a combi which fires up every time you run a hot tap. Which is most efficient now? There are pros and cons on both sides and it's not as clear cut as you might think.

aboard_epsilon

brig001 wrote: »

There is a myth of efficiency around combi boilers. Our boiler runs once in the morning and gives us enough hot water for the day. Compare that with a combi which fires up every time you run a hot tap. Which is most efficient now? There are pros and cons on both sides and it's not as clear cut as you might think.

yup the more you cycle things from hot to cold ..the faster they will wear out .


its the same for everything ..cars ..especially ...

and another thing ..those kerosene jet type hot air heaters ..every time they cycle and cool they loose some metal from the disk like plate in front of them...so i suppose the same principle will happen in a boiler.



so in the summer when your non combi is only coming on to heat the tank a couple of times a day ..your combi is constantly cycling every time you open the tap....its like you driving to the shops ..when its only 500 yds away ,10 times a day ..a car engine would last half the time of one driven for an extended period of time.

all the bestr.markj

Mankysteve

Advantages of combi

Hot water always available.
More compact package.

Err that about it

There seems to be lots of claims about unreliability but without know the proper figure rather than peoples tales I cant really comment.

Modern tanks are very thermal efficient nowadays.


All boilers sold have to condensing although a few confuse the two.