advice required

[wil48333]

Dear all

I am new to this site and would appreciate your thoughts to the following. I am looking to install a new boiler. I am solicited 6 different opinions as to whether I have to retain a conventional boiler system with hot water tank (installed currently but on last legs) or a combi boiler.
I have 4 bed house with 2 bathrooms and a shoer room. As my children are young there will not be an occasion where 2 of these will ever be used at the same time. Also the shower room has an electric shower which operates off mains pressure but has it's own heating element. The most likely scenarios is the shower in the bathroom and the shower in the shower room being used at the same time.
So far 3 have said we can't have a combi boiler and the others have said we could have a combi boiler of a higher spec.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Apparently we have decent mains pressure.

Thanks

Brian

 

[Corgigrouch]

Young children have a nasty habit of growing up in to teenagers.... A combi would not be a good choice...

 

[muggles]

I'd go for a system boiler, it's always possible that both baths will be used at the same time so it's a better long-term bet

 

[wil48333]

thanks. I have read feedback from people who have combi boilers that there is no problem filling 2 baths at the same time. I have also read that combi boilers are ok for houses with 2 bathrooms but no more.
Someone else has said that hot water will only come through one tap at a time with a combi. As you can see I am confused.
My preference would be to go for a combi as my existing ch system is noisy and takes up so much room. I also don't think it is particularly economic.
The kids are a long way off the teenage years and for what I read I will probably be replacing the boiler again in 10 years time!!
Thanks

Brian

 

[gas4you]

Never known a combi to cope with more than one hot tap at a time.

As for 2 bathrooms, take heed of building regs that state that any new house that has more than one bathroom cannot be fitted with a combi, hence why most now go the un-vented cylinder option.

 

[Deleted member 105431]

a good comprimise between a combi and a system boiler with cylinder is the glow worm ultrapower sxi 170. You get the best of both worlds.

 

[Agile]

Young children have a nasty habit of growing up in to teenagers.... A combi would not be a good choice...

Or do you mean that "Young children have a habit of growing up into nasty teenagers...."

When they get to about 15, if they are female they start to steal their mother's makeup and spend hours in the bathroom.

I am not so sure about male teenagers but I have this idea that they dont wash much at all! But I could be wrong.

In any case I would always recommend a cylinder if more than four people live there and generally consider it better if three live there.

But the incoming mains water has to supply everything including the electric shower.

Tony

 

[D_Hailsham]

As for 2 bathrooms, take heed of building regs that state that any new house that has more than one bathroom cannot be fitted with a combi, hence why most now go the un-vented cylinder option.

Which regs say that?

 

[mattylad]

Agile's comments about teenagers are spot on, I got 3

 

[wil48333]

Thanks for all the replies. I have had a look at the Glow worm. Sounds good but it looks expensive. I don't mind paying for something that will last. Anyone ever had any experience of these - are they reliable? If I shell that kind of cash I would want it to last say 10 years. Thoughts appreciated.
Also are there any others of similar type and spec that you can recommend?

Regards

Brian

 

[gas4you]

As for 2 bathrooms, take heed of building regs that state that any new house that has more than one bathroom cannot be fitted with a combi, hence why most now go the un-vented cylinder option.

Which regs say that?

Don't know the exact building regs number, but it came in Jan 07.

 

[wil48333]

Thanks for all the replies. I have had a look at the Glow worm. Sounds good but it looks expensive. I don't mind paying for something that will last. Anyone ever had any experience of these - are they reliable? If I shell that kind of cash I would want it to last say 10 years. Thoughts appreciated.
Also are there any others of similar type and spec that you can recommend?

Regards

Brian

Has anyone and comments re the glow worm or others?

 

[Bambergaspipe]

Never known a combi to cope with more than one hot tap at a time.

As for 2 bathrooms, take heed of building regs that state that any new house that has more than one bathroom cannot be fitted with a combi, hence why most now go the un-vented cylinder option.

Pointless, it`s not a new house, I`d also consider having all electric showers and a combi to rest of hot water supply if you don`t want to pay out too much.

 

[Deleted member 105431]

Thanks for all the replies. I have had a look at the Glow worm. Sounds good but it looks expensive. I don't mind paying for something that will last. Anyone ever had any experience of these - are they reliable? If I shell that kind of cash I would want it to last say 10 years. Thoughts appreciated.
Also are there any others of similar type and spec that you can recommend?

Regards

Brian

the glow worms are very reliable and good value. Lots of my customers swear by them and they should last 15 years approx. If you look at the ultrapower sxi it is cheaper than a system boiler with cylinder, more compact, easier to install, more efficent and can be sited almost anywhere. The glow worm Ultracom cxi combi would be a cheaper option although the hw isn't as good as the ultrapower. Another option is the GW XTRAMAX HE or the Vaillant ecotecplus 937.

 

[Bambergaspipe]

the glow worms are very reliable and good value.

Glowworms are notoriously unreliable and cheap. I wouldn`t fit one in my shed. Anyone trying to flog you one will probably work for the company.