Do I Want A Combi?

[Blackthumb]

Hi,
Apologies if this is a bit of an old chestnut.....I have a very small bathroom and a quarter of the space is taken up by a hot cylinder and controls etc. The boiler is located in the garage. I am planning to modernise the bathroom and am tempted to change to a combi boiler in order to get rid of the cylinder and associated gubbins to increase the useful space. But I don't hear a single good word about combis. My regular boiler service engineer tells me to stick with my ancient NetaHeat which is still working well.
Are combis really that bad? Unreliable? Short-lived? (I'm in a hard water area). Will I need larger radiators?
Any advice gratefully received.

 

[mysteryman]

I like them, but not everyone does.

You need to check that your cold water main can supply all the water, hot and cold, that you need simultaneously.

Get your existing heating system powerflushed before the new boiler goes in, and get a good quality combi with weather compensation built in.

You will save a packet on running costs.

 

[Agile]

Get your existing heating system powerflushed before the new boiler goes in, and get a good quality combi with weather compensation built in.

You will save a packet on running costs.

He forgot to mention that the boiler he recommends is a Viessmann 100 W as that has the W/C already built in without having to buy the expensive extra W/C unit as you have to with the 200 W.

Risking being paraded round the office wearing lederhosen for Katy to laugh at his thin knobley knees has apparently not reminded him that he must always mention Viessmann in all his posts.

Unless there is a particular reason to go for a combi then I would not advise it. But if your cylinder is bare copper then a combi may be a cheaper option than replacing the boiler and the cylinder as you should do.

Tony

 

[kevplumb]

getting diynot mixed up with facebook again