Changing from combi back to traditional boiler

KingS6

Can it be done? Very little information on the subject when using Duckduckgo or Google. Only information on forums and energy websites is for a traditional to combi conversion.

Appreciate there are higher costs involved with installation. Also suitability for a plumbed in power shower?

Hypothetical. It doesn't concern my property and it's not being considered anytime soon.

reeac

Of course it can be done but at considerable cost and you'd also need to have room for a hot tank and also a cold tank unless you went for an unvented system. I'm well out of date on such costs as our unvented system is nearly 20 years old now but think £4K or so.

Cardew

Whilst firstly stating I am no plumber, would it not be possible to retain the Combi boiler to feed an unvented hot water tank?

The high pressure output from the unvented cylinder would be almost as good as a power shower, but could always be boosted with a pump.

KingS6

There is room for a hot water tank where they used to be one, in the airing cupboard. A new small radiator was installed in there but that can quickly be removed I'm sure.

The radiators in general could have done with being replaced at the same time the combi boiler was put it. Some of them are rusting and all are over 25 years old with no thermostatic valves. Heating in rooms where it is not required.

matelodave

In general, anything is possible, it's just the cost, disruption and space for stuff that makes it either easy or difficult.

We did it the other way round a few years ago by replacing a system boiler with a combi. Getting rid of two tanks in the loft as well as the hot water tank gave us space to move the boiler out of the kitchen into the airing cupboard.
Our plumbing was easy to adapt as everything was on one side of the house against an outside wall, even the bathroom backed onto the airing cupboard so pipe runs weren't complex either.

Both my daughters have done the same and both of them have two shower rooms, two adults and two kids and they have no problems with water flow. They've both benefited from lower fuel costs and more space by getting rid of the tanks - they wouldn't go back to a tanked system.

Farway

I'm with Dave, not question answered but I would not go back, plus there is no longer any water supply to or from the loft, just waiting to cause problems, be it overflow drip by ball arm washer or something more serious

Cardew

Without going into the eternal Combi versus conventional boiler debate; in just about every publication, the acknowledged downside of a Combi is their inability to deliver a high flow of hot water, and they are generally not recommended for properties with two bathrooms.

The OP is aware that most conversions are from a conventional(traditional) boiler to a combi; and has asked a simple question if it is possible to change back from a combi. - it is also the very clear title of this thread.

The OP also asks about the suitability of a conventional system for a 'Power shower' which is only possible with a Hot water tank.

Owain_Moneysaver

Cardew wrote: »

Whilst firstly stating I am no plumber, would it not be possible to retain the Combi boiler to feed an unvented hot water tank?

Yes - usually vented or unvented. The instantaneous hot water output of the combi can be retained for the kitchen sink or one shower.

The cylinder heat exchanger is simply wired as an additional S Plan Plus with its own zone valve and control circuit.

[Deleted User]

It can be done, just like when having an old solid fuel back boiler system removed for a combi. It isn't as straight forward as a combi-combi swap job and will probably take a couple of days to complete.

System

I miss my old back boiler I prefer them, what I didn't like was the huge air vent needed as when it was windy it was freezing beside it and it had to be open all the time.

But thinking about it there is no way I would go back to the basic back boiler