Hi, Have just moved into a 2 bed semi with one bathroom. I need to get a new boiler, it's 16 years old and needs bringing up to date, but I'm wondering if it's best to just replace the old regular boiler with a condenser regular boiler, or to change the system to a combi system, and have a condenser combi put in. The pump is a little noisy (next to the immersion heater), and it's in the nursery cupboard of all places, not nice for a baby to wake up to. It would give us more room in the loft, and nursery cupboard if we did away with the traditional conventional system. Any ideas or opinions please?
Combi Vs Traditional Regular Conventional System
- Thread starter grayt
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oilman said:A combi has the technological advantage that when the boiler stops working, you have no heating. Nothing surprising there. You will also have no hot water
Yes, at the moment we have hot water, no heating, this is the advantage. Say if you went to buy a place and it had a new boiler, would you be happier with it being a combi or a regular?
Oilman doesn't like combis, but plenty of us do.
There are are lots of articles detailing the pros and cons, and a number of similar questions on this site.
If you have qualms, I'd suggest specifying a German combi, getting it fitted by someone plausible rather than cheap, who owns a Powerflush machine, and can give you a long manufacturer backed warranty.
That way, you will have most of the bases covered.
There are are lots of articles detailing the pros and cons, and a number of similar questions on this site.
If you have qualms, I'd suggest specifying a German combi, getting it fitted by someone plausible rather than cheap, who owns a Powerflush machine, and can give you a long manufacturer backed warranty.
That way, you will have most of the bases covered.
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simond said:
I've read up on the pros and cons, still not sure what to do. I spoke to a worc. bosc. (can I use names?) installer re putting in a regular condenser boiler, like you say, not on the cheap, will do a flush and bring it all up to spec, put therms on the rads, and will give me a warranty, is also a fair traider. Got diff quotes from others, would it be a lot more to change the system?
LOL...good answer Oilman
Personally, I think combi's are technologically superior in every way.
By that I mean...they work well but WILL conk out and they WILL leave you high & dry in tne (very likely) event of a failure.
Having been in this game for over 30 yrs, I've watched the so called technological advances being sold to all & sundry yet the failure rate of modern boilers (combi's in particular) is quite unacceptable.
I'm sure most would agree with me regarding the installation procedures of combi's but frankly, they should be far more robust and have some kind of back up system in the event of failure.
Feels great to get that of my chest.....now I'm waiting for the backlash lol
Personally, I think combi's are technologically superior in every way.
By that I mean...they work well but WILL conk out and they WILL leave you high & dry in tne (very likely) event of a failure.
Having been in this game for over 30 yrs, I've watched the so called technological advances being sold to all & sundry yet the failure rate of modern boilers (combi's in particular) is quite unacceptable.
I'm sure most would agree with me regarding the installation procedures of combi's but frankly, they should be far more robust and have some kind of back up system in the event of failure.
Feels great to get that of my chest.....now I'm waiting for the backlash lol
garethgas said:LOL...good answer Oilman
Personally, I think combi's are technologically superior in every way.
By that I mean...they work well but WILL conk out and they WILL leave you high & dry in tne (very likely) event of a failure.
Having been in this game for over 30 yrs, I've watched the so called technological advances being sold to all & sundry yet the failure rate of modern boilers (combi's in particular) is quite unacceptable.
I'm sure most would agree with me regarding the installation procedures of combi's but frankly, they should be far more robust and have some kind of back up system in the event of failure.
Feels great to get that of my chest.....now I'm waiting for the backlash lol
No backlash from me combis are great for us installers the average age for a condensing combi is only 10 years.
Can anybody put a lifespan on a plain old baxi back boiler they go on for years and years the only expense is a £90 gas valve still servicing them 25 years plus
N
namsag
The horror stories of combi`s has a lot to do with people fitting the cheapest of the cheap latest import combi with a lot of parts made out of plastic. Other than a divertor valve and a plate heat exchanger a combi has nothing different from a modern system boiler. Get a half decent make and electric shower for back up
I love combis because all the while people keep having them we will never be short of work.
However, that is mainly because they cut you off from heating and hot water when they go wrong. But the go wrong modes are not 100% related to them being conbis, perhaps 50% the other 50% go wrong mode is the very nature of the modern boiler.
The fuel saving of any modern boiler be it a regular a system or a combi may well be lost in the purchase price, installation cost and additional future repair costs, compared to the etra fuel spent on say a heavyweight, for which you may have to spend £50 to £100 on a gas valve every 20 years £10 on a manufcaturers thermocouple every 10, maybe a new pump £50 to £100 in your system as a whole every 20 years, new synchronous motor £16 in the mid position valve every 5 years.
Compare this to perhaps 5 years trouble free use from a combi, then regular £150 bills each year.
However, that is mainly because they cut you off from heating and hot water when they go wrong. But the go wrong modes are not 100% related to them being conbis, perhaps 50% the other 50% go wrong mode is the very nature of the modern boiler.
The fuel saving of any modern boiler be it a regular a system or a combi may well be lost in the purchase price, installation cost and additional future repair costs, compared to the etra fuel spent on say a heavyweight, for which you may have to spend £50 to £100 on a gas valve every 20 years £10 on a manufcaturers thermocouple every 10, maybe a new pump £50 to £100 in your system as a whole every 20 years, new synchronous motor £16 in the mid position valve every 5 years.
Compare this to perhaps 5 years trouble free use from a combi, then regular £150 bills each year.
Many would value the space saved by using a combi, and accept that occasionally they'll have to find other washing facilities for a couple of days. Many combis come with 2-5 year guarantees, or can be extended.
If you end up with a common combi which after a few years happens to go wrong quite a lot (like the old Potterton Puma), you may have less trouble getting it fixed at a reasonable price, compared with something more exotic, or which has become a distant memory on B&Q's shelves! It seems that most manufacturers can produce an unreliable boiler from time to time.
If you end up with a common combi which after a few years happens to go wrong quite a lot (like the old Potterton Puma), you may have less trouble getting it fixed at a reasonable price, compared with something more exotic, or which has become a distant memory on B&Q's shelves! It seems that most manufacturers can produce an unreliable boiler from time to time.
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