Combi boiler or regular boiler

bob_a_builder

needs to be changed to a high pressure valve.

sounds more like high pressure selling

PaulBowen

Well I'd go with a combi boiler as they do more but also they're more energy efficient too which is handy so can save money on your gas bill.

Seronera

PaulBowen wrote: »

Well I'd go with a combi boiler as they do more but also they're more energy efficient too which is handy so can save money on your gas bill.

Do you have proof of that? I'd say that combis go wrong more often as they have more moving parts and are thus likely to get to a point where repair is uneconomic quicker than a conventional boiler. That blows any marginal savings on gas right into the weeds.

Most cylinders/boilers I replace have done 30 years. You won't get combis lasting that long. All things being equal I'd always go for a cylinder.

Gas economy depends largely on the habits of the user. I earn most of my money fixing combis by the way..:D

C_Mababejive

jannowretired wrote: »

Do heating engineers and plumbers not want work?

I have contacted 4 so far in the past 2 weeks and not one has called me back when they said they would.

They are mere tradesmen and cant be trusted. Dont you watch Dom Littlewood?

john-306

I had a combi for 9 years at our last house and no problems whatsoever, this new house has a system condensing boiler and although it's working fine so far (1st year in) I don't like the inconvenience of an airing cupboard full of tank/pipework/ pump etc etc and a loft that I can only use half of due to all the tanks up there.
Give me a combi next time and all the extra space

WillowCat

Starting from scratch, as I have done twice in two houses, I would go for a system boiler plus mains pressure hot water cylinder (megaflo or similar) every time.

However I didn't have room for a cylinder in my current house, so went down the combi route. I requested an oversized boiler (37kW) to enable a good hot water flow rate, and I must admit I'm pretty happy with the shower pressure.

Seronera

john-306 wrote: »

I had a combi for 9 years at our last house and no problems whatsoever, this new house has a system condensing boiler and although it's working fine so far (1st year in) I don't like the inconvenience of an airing cupboard full of tank/pipework/ pump etc etc and a loft that I can only use half of due to all the tanks up there.
Give me a combi next time and all the extra space

For a start, if its a pressured system there will be no feed and expansion tank in the loft, and secondly if its an unvented cylinder there will be no hot water feed cistern in the loft either = empty loft to fill with other rubbish.

You do still need space for the hot water cylinder i'l grant you, but I'm the one who gets the phone calls from combi owners when they fail and they have no hot water. We cylinder owners just flick a switch until we can get the spares and use the occasional fan heater. Combi owners (and I currently own one and have owned others) are up the proverbial creek, and for some reason wives who boast to the neighbours about their new 'combee" are suddenly screaming blue murder if it can't be fixed yesterday.....a favourite cry being "But I've got a baybeee!!!". For some reason I can't understand... they don't like cold showers. Now thats what I call a real 'inconvenience' and they are stuck with it until the right spares come in. Not so us cylinder owners who can luxuriate in hot water come what may......just making sure not to drop the electric heater in the bath in the meantime...AAAARGH!!!!:rotfl:

john-306

Seronera wrote: »

For a start, if its a pressured system there will be no feed and expansion tank in the loft, and secondly if its an unvented cylinder there will be no hot water feed cistern in the loft either = empty loft to fill with other rubbish.

You do still need space for the hot water cylinder i'l grant you, but I'm the one who gets the phone calls from combi owners when they fail and they have no hot water. We cylinder owners just flick a switch until we can get the spares and use the occasional fan heater. Combi owners (and I currently own one and have owned others) are up the proverbial creek, and for some reason wives who boast to the neighbours about their new 'combee" are suddenly screaming blue murder if it can't be fixed yesterday.....a favourite cry being "But I've got a baybeee!!!". For some reason I can't understand... they don't like cold showers. Now thats what I call a real 'inconvenience' and they are stuck with it until the right spares come in. Not so us cylinder owners who can luxuriate in hot water come what may......just making sure not to drop the electric heater in the bath in the meantime...AAAARGH!!!!:rotfl:

My one now isn't pressurised so I do have a feed expansion tank in the loft, it's not unvented either so I also have a hot water feed system in the loft too.
But with my other home if the boiler failed (which in 9 years of ownership it didn't) I would have used the electric shower, granted it would need the kettle boiling for washing up. No radiators for heat? I'd have switched the gas fire on to get by.

Seronera

john-306 wrote: »

My one now isn't pressurised so I do have a feed expansion tank in the loft, it's not unvented either so I also have a hot water feed system in the loft too.
But with my other home if the boiler failed (which in 9 years of ownership it didn't) I would have used the electric shower, granted it would need the kettle boiling for washing up. No radiators for heat? I'd have switched the gas fire on to get by.

Given that one of the best things combis do is power a shower at mains pressure the idea of putting in an electric dribbling shower machine instead, just in case, seems somewhat perverse. The rest I can go with.