All boilers being installed in the UK must now be condensing boilers, except in exceptional situations in which local authority permission would be required.
The three main types of condensing boiler are regular, system and combination.
The advantages of a condensing boiler over non condensing boilers are:
The disadvantages of a condensing boiler is that they are more costly than non-condensing boilers.
A combination boiler or combi as they are often referred, takes cold water directly from the mains and heats the water on demand. You therefore have a continuous supply of hot water from your outlets.
Combi boilers can save you valuable space within your home. They do not store water, therefore you will not require a storage cylinder and as they take water directly from the mains you will not require a cold water feed tank either.
Due to the water being heated on demand from the mains, the combi boiler is often more efficient than other boiler types. There is no stored water, therefore no heat loss from the storage tank and there is no requirement to reheat water, therefore saving on energy consumption. However, due to there being no stored water, your hot water supply will be cut if someone turns a tap on somewhere else in the house, so your shower may run cold if someone decides to wash up in the kitchen.
Advantages of a combination boiler
Disadvantages of combination boilers
ABC offer a range of combi boiler services including Combi Boiler Installation and Gas Boiler Maintenance
A system boiler also heats water directly from the mains which eliminates the requirement for a cold water feed tank, and therefore can save you valuable space within your home.
Systems boilers differ from combi boilers because they require a separate hot water storage tank to store the hot water.
The advantage of having the hot water storage tank over the combi boiler, which does not require the storage tank, is that hot water is available to more than one outlet with a good flow rate.
Advantages of system boilers
Disadvantages of system boilers
A regular boiler will have all the energy efficiency characteristics of other condensing boiler systems but will take up more space in your home. A regular boiler system has more components that other condensing boiler systems.
The regular boiler will require a header tank in the loft space.
The hot water which is produced by the system will be stored in a hot water storage cylinder, normally found in airing cupboards. This cylinder will provide the hot water when required.
Advantages of a regular condensing boiler
Disadvantages of a regular condensing boiler
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