Living with a combi boiler

Rosa_Damascena

After all my ranting and raving about how much I hate them, in a volte face I have just had one installed (along with a pump). Not my preference but with a significant new heating and bathroom system its something I was persuaded to do on the grounds that the existing pumps were inadequate, although the existing boiler (all of 2 years old and 24Kw) would have just about been adequate. So now what I have fitted is something my gas engineer was drooling over as he unpacked it, and described as being the Ferrari of boilers.

What I want to know is whether I should be taking out the tank and immersion heater. I'm very wary of lacking a plan B for HW should the combi fail for whatever reason, but also tempted by the thought of having a completely empty loft to play with and a handy storage cupboard on the FF. How do people manage, other than having a reliable gas engineer to hand?

Jeepers_Creepers

You could theoretically keep the hot tank and immersion, but wow, that would need some complex plumbing!

I mean, how would the gravity-fed hot water from this cylinder get to your taps, when the taps are already supplied at mains pressure via the combi? Would you have a series of valves to switch from one system to the other - shut off the combi supply and switch in the gravity? Really doesn't make sense.

Combis aren't that unreliable. Yes, there will be times when it stops working, and for the few days it usually takes to get a plumber out, you will be without running hot water. That essentially means boiling kettles for things like washing dishes, and basin-baths for keeping yourselves clean! Or, go to a friend or relative for a shower...

This will only happen once in a blue moon, tho', and it really isn't worth keeping a secondary system going for just that slight inconvenience.

Take advantage of one of the pros of a combi - clear out the tanks and cylinders and give yourself more storage space.

Curious - when you say you also have a 'pump', what do you mean - does it boost the incoming mains supply?

Sandtree

Rosa_Damascena said:
How do people manage, other than having a reliable gas engineer to hand?

The same way we managed when we had an all electric system and the immersion heater broke... cold showers or basin baths until someone fixes it. 

Twice had combiboilers for circa 15 years all in all and never once had a problem with any of them (two were nearly new, other two were over a decade old at the start). By contrast our electric immersion heater had people out 6 times when either the economy 7 element or both stopped working 

Rosa_Damascena

Jeepers_Creepers said:

You could theoretically keep the hot tank and immersion, but wow, that would need some complex plumbing!

I mean, how would the gravity-fed hot water from this cylinder get to your taps, when the taps are already supplied at mains pressure via the combi? Would you have a series of valves to switch from one system to the other - shut off the combi supply and switch in the gravity? Really doesn't make sense.

Combis aren't that unreliable. Yes, there will be times when it stops working, and for the few days it usually takes to get a plumber out, you will be without running hot water. That essentially means boiling kettles for things like washing dishes, and basin-baths for keeping yourselves clean! Or, go to a friend or relative for a shower...

This will only happen once in a blue moon, tho', and it really isn't worth keeping a secondary system going for just that slight inconvenience.

Take advantage of one of the pros of a combi - clear out the tanks and cylinders and give yourself more storage space.

Curious - when you say you also have a 'pump', what do you mean - does it boost the incoming mains supply?

Brilliant response, thank you!

The pump would allow 3 showers to run simultaneously without losing pressure (its called future-proofing, I can only ever be in one at a time!!).

Jeepers_Creepers

I need to know more about this pump! It can run three showers from one combi?!

DB1904

Rosa_Damascena said:

Jeepers_Creepers said:

You could theoretically keep the hot tank and immersion, but wow, that would need some complex plumbing!

I mean, how would the gravity-fed hot water from this cylinder get to your taps, when the taps are already supplied at mains pressure via the combi? Would you have a series of valves to switch from one system to the other - shut off the combi supply and switch in the gravity? Really doesn't make sense.

Combis aren't that unreliable. Yes, there will be times when it stops working, and for the few days it usually takes to get a plumber out, you will be without running hot water. That essentially means boiling kettles for things like washing dishes, and basin-baths for keeping yourselves clean! Or, go to a friend or relative for a shower...

This will only happen once in a blue moon, tho', and it really isn't worth keeping a secondary system going for just that slight inconvenience.

Take advantage of one of the pros of a combi - clear out the tanks and cylinders and give yourself more storage space.

Curious - when you say you also have a 'pump', what do you mean - does it boost the incoming mains supply?

Brilliant response, thank you!

The pump would allow 3 showers to run simultaneously without losing pressure (its called future-proofing, I can only ever be in one at a time!!).

Brilliant response?

is he qualified to make that assumption? No he isn't..

Doozergirl

DB1904 said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

Jeepers_Creepers said:

You could theoretically keep the hot tank and immersion, but wow, that would need some complex plumbing!

I mean, how would the gravity-fed hot water from this cylinder get to your taps, when the taps are already supplied at mains pressure via the combi? Would you have a series of valves to switch from one system to the other - shut off the combi supply and switch in the gravity? Really doesn't make sense.

Combis aren't that unreliable. Yes, there will be times when it stops working, and for the few days it usually takes to get a plumber out, you will be without running hot water. That essentially means boiling kettles for things like washing dishes, and basin-baths for keeping yourselves clean! Or, go to a friend or relative for a shower...

This will only happen once in a blue moon, tho', and it really isn't worth keeping a secondary system going for just that slight inconvenience.

Take advantage of one of the pros of a combi - clear out the tanks and cylinders and give yourself more storage space.

Curious - when you say you also have a 'pump', what do you mean - does it boost the incoming mains supply?

Brilliant response, thank you!

The pump would allow 3 showers to run simultaneously without losing pressure (its called future-proofing, I can only ever be in one at a time!!).

Brilliant response?

is he qualified to make that assumption? No he isn't..

It's a significantly better response than one that doesn't help the OP at all.  Or one that criticises a poster without putting forward an alternative. 

Rosa, I'm not sure what your experience is of breaking down boilers, but I've lived with combis since 1992 and I can barely remember one ever breaking down.  

Our last one was a Worcester Bosch that we installed and lived with for nearly 10 years without so much as a blip.      It's not something that you really need to account for, but I'd rather spend money on a fireplace that would heat a room adequately than any kind of back up water provision.  

Kettles exist, as do local gyms with showers and (hopefully) kindly friends and neighbours. 

Another_Level

The majority of combination gas boilers have become more reliable, there are a few reasons why. Consider any reliability is shot to pieces if a bargain bucket boiler is chosen, poorly plumbed in, fitted on a dirty system and more.

Boiler repairs (if needed) will be done under the warranty, what is the response time from the warranty provider ?  Whats their first fix % ratio ?

Intrigued about the pump supplying 3 showers simultaneously with out mains water pressure drop 

ComicGeek

Hopefully it's not directly pumping from the main with that amount of flow rate, that would be completely against the water regs. For that flow rate there would have to be a cold water storage tank to provide hydraulic separation from the main.

I struggle to understand the logic of throwing out a 2 year old boiler though. 24kW is a lot of heat, so unless it's a huge property would likely be absolutely fine. Better to spend a couple of hundred pounds confirming heat loss calculations then spend £2k? fitting a new boiler.

Jeepers_Creepers

DB1904 said:

Brilliant response, thank you!

The pump would allow 3 showers to run simultaneously without losing pressure (its called future-proofing, I can only ever be in one at a time!!).

Brilliant response?

is he qualified to make that assumption? No he isn't..

What 'assumption' have I made, DB?

I think you may be getting me mixed up with Rosa (fine by me, by the way...  )

Jeepers_Creepers

ComicGeek said:

Hopefully it's not directly pumping from the main with that amount of flow rate, that would be completely against the water regs. For that flow rate there would have to be a cold water storage tank to provide hydraulic separation from the main.

I struggle to understand the logic of throwing out a 2 year old boiler though. 24kW is a lot of heat, so unless it's a huge property would likely be absolutely fine. Better to spend a couple of hundred pounds confirming heat loss calculations then spend £2k? fitting a new boiler.

I await, with tingling anticipation, Rosa's description of this 'pump'

I guess it must be a pumped accumulator as you suggest, but - even then - can a combi really supply 3 showers?! I guess three not-full-on showers?