Higher rate boiler?

[CrazeUK]

Hi Guys.
My parents house is a 6 Bed, 2 lounge, Large kitchen and 3 basement room house.
There are 10 radiators in total, with a potential of 3 basement ones to be added at a later date.

Currently they have 2 Worcester boilers. One does the ground and first floors, other does basement and top floor. The boilers are about 10 years old, both still work perfectly. However one needs to be moved as it is in the kitchen.

They are wanting to move to a new boiler system. preferably one boiler.

They have been recommended (By British Gas) a 35 or 40kw boiler (its quite a tall house). The question is which should they use? Would you oversize it slightly?
Are there any recommended brands?

Also should they go for a standard Combi system, or one of those new tank types? There is normally only 4-6 people living in the house, however when all the kids and grand kids are around that number grows - Significantly lol.

Thanks in advance

 

[Dan Robinson]

British Gas are the last lot yo want involved.

Need more information really. 40kw sounds too big though. 30kw maybe.

Combi is not ideal.

 

[CrazeUK]

British Gas are the last lot yo want involved.

Need more information really. 40kw sounds too big though. 30kw maybe.

Combi is not ideal.

Its exactly my thinking, BUt they are the old school, trust in the brand type parents lol.
What info do you need?
The house is quite huge with tall ceilings in all the rooms.

What would you recommend if not a combi? A friend of mine mentioned some form of tank system,, which has a skinny tall tank which heats like a additional radiator?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Search the forum for hot water cylinders. They're hardly new.

 

[CrazeUK]

Wait is it a standard hot water cylinder he is talking about.. hahaha i feel like an idiot!

 

[Dan Robinson]

He could be talking about Unvented cylinders.

 

[bernardgreen]

Also should they go for a standard Combi system, or one of those new tank types?

Combis are "new" modern things, tanks are the old fashioned tradtional way. Combis were "invented" to remove the need for tanks in modern houses that had no room for tanks.

There s far less to go wrong with a tank system than there is with a combi.

however when all the kids and grand kids are around that number grows - Significantly lol.

If that means more than one hot tap and / or shower will be open at the same time then a combi with its limited amount of hot water is not the thing for you. A tank full of hot wate is what you need when there is more than one person using hot water

 

[Dan Robinson]

There s far less to go wrong with a tank system than there is with a combi

Twaddle.

 

[bernardgreen]

Twaddle.

A combi has to have a flow sensor to turn on the gas when there is a demand for hot water.

A hot water tank system has a thermostat on the tank to tell the boiler when the tank needs heating.

To replace the flow sensor probably requires a GasSafe registered person to replace it as it is "in the boiler". Replacing the thermostat on the hot water tank ( cylinder ) can be a DIY task.

There are other components that a combi needs that a heat only and tank system does not need.

So is it really twaddle to say a combi is more complex than a tanked system with a heat only boiler ?

 

[Dan Robinson]

So is it really twaddle to say a combi is more complex than a tanked system with a heat only boiler ?

Yes.

There are other components that a combi needs that a heat only and tank system does not need.

Such as?

 

[bernardgreen]

Such as?

Diverter valve inside the boiler casing, hence GasSafe required.

Tank system has a 3 port valve ( or two 2 port valves ) outside the boiler, again something a competent DIYer can repair / replace.

 

[Dan Robinson]

So a combi is not more complicated then.

 

[Dan Robinson]

There is nothing inside a combination boiler that is not inside a tanked system, with the exception maybe of the flow detection.

Which is present on a thermal store system.



However, this is pointless as a combination boiler is not suitable for the OP.

However, once again, I suggest you leave system design to those that actually know what they're doing. Your total experience of 1 hobbled together system driven by a crappy boiler is hardly a decent reference point for people like the OP.

 

[bernardgreen]

Your total experience of 1 hobbled together system driven by a crappy boiler is hardly a decent reference point for people like the OP.

More than one system designed, a considerable amount of fault finding ( including design errors by so called experts ) , some of the fault findng was on industrial systems.

It's your personal opinion about J & S boilers. You are welcome to it.

 

[Dan Robinson]

More than one system designed, a considerable amount of fault finding ( including design errors by so called experts ) , some of the fault findng was on industrial systems.

None of which is verified or particularly relevant.