Conventional vs Combi?

mandm65

Hi guys
My conventional boiler just went consequently need replacement, I am slightly confused whether to ditch the conventional option altogether & go for combi but feel nervous to ditch such a reliable system (served me for 12 years).


I just need some facts to help me to decide, although I know that combi will mean that I won’t need hot water & access tank!
Please share your views and help me to decide.
Thanks in advance.

eco-friendly_2

conventional If possible ! Combi's can be troublesome, expensive to repair, you will be very lucky to get 12 years from a combi. Problem is most CORGI will quote you for a combi because they are easy to install.

EliteHeat

It's much easier and cheaper to swap a like-for-like conventional boiler as the conversion to install a combi is quite complex and would normally take 4-5 mn days.

Most heating engineers would recommend a system or heat-only boiler and a hot water cylinder for reasons of reliability and redundancy (via the immersion heater).

Having said that, a lot of people insist on having combis installed, mostly to save space, reduce running costs and to improve shower performance.

If you have the HWC changed at the same time and replace your controls, the price would be comparable to a combi conversion.

It's actually quite a difficult decision to make.

TimBuckTeeth

I have a combi boiler and have not had any problems with it. I prefer it to a conventional boiler. Whilst modern boilers might not be as robust as a 20 year old one, I don't see that a combi boiler would be less reliable than a conventional one. Just get a good quality one rather than a budget one.

Combi boiler benefits :

Hot water on demand, no timer needed for hot water or waiting for the tank to heat up. So it is more efficient, only the water needed is heated, and there is no tank to lose heat.

No hot water tank or header tank needed so they don't need maintaining. You can use the space for storage instead. Hot water tanks need replacing eventually as they can leak or scale up. Header tank ball valves wear and need maintenance. With a combi everything including the central heating pump is in the boiler, there are only pipes, radiators and a room thermostat external to the boiler.

Since the hot water is almost at mains pressure the pressure is better than with a gravity fed conventional system, so is better for showers.

Only issues you might have with a combi is if you have a power shower, which could probably just removed and replaced with a mixer valve.
When the hot water tap is switched on there is a delay of a few seconds (less than 10) before the water reaches temperature, as the boiler fires up, not a problem, just something different you might notice.

david29dpo

I think it depends of the size of your house. I have a conventional vented system which has served me well for 12 years. Having 3 bathrooms a long way from the boiler would be a bit of a problem with a combi. Also replacing mine with a combi in its present position would be a big problem because the condensing part needs a drain close by, which i have not got.

mandm65

thanks guys for your responses, much appreciated. House is two/three bed with downstairs bathroom & current boiler located inside the kitchen cupboard.
My gut feeling is like for like is better option and perhaps economical too! But I thought I better check out to see if I would miss anything had I gone for conventional, but it seems I would not gain anything by going to combi (ignoring the space gain).
Anyone care to recommend me a reliable but economical conventional boiler?
@ EliteHeat, HWC = Hot Water Cylinder?

Canucklehead

Good morning: More info on advantages/disavantages as well as prices available on link below. My OH, Corgi Guy, uses Glow-worm and Alpha boilers as less expensive options for clients on a budget... http://www.energy-smart.org.uk/boilers_proscons.asp

You can find more info on the installation and specification of gas boilers here... http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/uploads/documents/housingbuildings/ce30.pdf

HTH

Canucklehead

EliteHeat

mandm65 wrote: »

t@ EliteHeat, HWC = Hot Water Cylinder?

Yes it is.

Canucklehead

david29dpo wrote: »

I think it depends of the size of your house. I have a conventional vented system which has served me well for 12 years. Having 3 bathrooms a long way from the boiler would be a bit of a problem with a combi. Also replacing mine with a combi in its present position would be a big problem because the condensing part needs a drain close by, which i have not got.

Good morning: Provision of a suitable drainage point for the condensate would be an issue regardless of the type of boiler you choose as a replacement...the exception procedure is very stringent. See more in Appendix A of this document http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_PTL_DOMHEAT.pdf

Canucklehead