To Combi or not to Combi?

[scifipaul]

Hi

We have just bought a house which has a heating system with a tank and header tank in the loft and a cylinder in the airing cupboard.

My question is, is it worth us having it changed to a combi bolier of some type and if so which type or do we keep it?

The current boiler has as far as I know been in since the house was built about 14 years ago.

Any pointers, advice is appreciated.

By the way it is near Braintree in essex so dont be shy in putting any trusted suggestions over.

Also I have just noticed the someone has posted in another thread about a water softner, there is a water softner fitted under the sink as far as I am aware the main kitchen tap is the only thing that does not go throught the softner, does this have a baring on anything?

Thanks in advance.

 

[fazedup71]

if it ain't broke don't fix it!!!!!! your system can be fixed with over the counter parts from major diy stores on a weekend, ok your boiler is a different story, do you have a working immersion heater? even better if you do!!!! if the boiler breaks down you can still have hot water!!!

Combi's are not all they are cracked up to be, plus they need a clean system to work correctly, you would also probably need your gas pipe upgrading

 

[scifipaul]

WOW, I take it you are not a lover of Combiis then?

Yes we do have a working emmerson, but I aways thought that Combis were the one to go for because they are more economical and of course constant hot water.

Am I worng, if so please tell me.

 

[PlumbGas]

You'll get positive and negative comments from different installers, I love Combi's others hate them, You will only get more confused I'm afraid from this site. My suggestion would be to get some local RGI's around to go through your options, as for the last poster that said if it ain't broke don't fix it that really depends on what you've got, some would say don't throw good money after bad.

 

[Boilerman2]

Combi's need a few site conditions to be effective, Cold water main pressure & flow,
the system must be properly cleaned prior to installation
and Combi's really only suit smaller properties with few occupants
the biggest problem with a combi is that only one hot tap can be used at a time (without noticeable pressure drop)
personally if your system is only 14 years old I would keep it and when the time comes fit a simple Condensing heat only boiler!

 

[bengasman]

The question is: why would you ditch the boiler if it works fine?
Unless you have a spare couple of grand that you want to spend on the needy plumber fund?

 

[fazedup71]

ok to add a little more, you could find out if you can still get parts for your current boiler, older boilers tend to be more simple inside, some only having a few parts.

Combi's have there place, but if your system is working well then why change it. The reason combi's are common is a lot of installers wouldn't know how to fit anything else.

You would need to see what pressure and flow rates your getting at your cold tap, combi's need a lot more gas to heat water as quickly as they do.

Also you need to consider how many people are in your house, there are other options like unvented etc. I don't hate combi's at all, I fit them!!! but I don't just go for the combi boiler every time.

Please also remember getting a pile of rgi's round is maybe not the best idea, a lot of people are hunting for work, you might end up more confussed than when you started, sorry but i still say if it ain't broke don't fix it, as pointed out you money is best off in your bank

 

[mickyg]

what boiler have you got now?

 

[fazedup71]

what boiler have you got now?

good question and a rather important one!!! I feel a tad stupid for not asking!!! lowers head in shame

 

[mickyg]

what boiler have you got now?

good question and a rather important one!!! I feel a tad stupid for not asking!!! lowers head in shame

yeh and it'll be funny if its an envoy or some other monstrosity lol But i'm guessing in Braintree 14/15yrs old, it will be a classic or prima/profile.

 

[Brigadier]

As a householder (not in "the trade", in any description whatsoever), I'm in the "if it ain't broke" camp.
But mainly from the to be truthful, crapness of combis - heating or hot water, not both; takes so long to fill a bath, I've had only showers for 5 years, even though a good soak would have been lovely on occasion.

On an only vaguely-related theme, I cannot see how spending £2K on a super-duper boiler will save money, unless you were burning fivers beforehand. Especially when in any fitters opinion I've heard, "you'll be lucky to get 3 years out of one" ((the super-duper boiler, that is).

But I' d be happy to be enlightened on this matter

 

[scifipaul]

I have not checked the make of the boiler, but will when we next go up and post it here for feedback.

Someone above mentioned an unvented system, whats that?

It is not that want to spend the money it is that I thught that was old for a boiler and that ombis were the way to go but then I seem to stand corrected which is not a bad thing.

So basically you are saying that that a Combi is not more economical then?

 

[ChrisR]

I'm surprised nobody asked what sort of house you have - how many bathrooms?

Combis are for single-shower houses only, really, apart from special cases. They are not necessarily more efficient than other systems.

 

[CLairehead]

The question really should not be how many bathrooms,

it should be how many baths/showers do you intend to run at once.

If you have the money and the water pressure, I think an unvented cylinder is the way forward, you can't really get much better than that. Of the combi's I've seen, I think the storage type machines are pretty good.

Certainly the Viessmann storage combi gets my vote. If you just want a standard heat as you go through machine, the ATAG, Viessmann and Broag machines seem well put together and easy to work on.

 

[scifipaul]

It is a 4 bedroom house, 2 sinks in the kitchen and utility room, a loakroom small sink, upstairs main bathroom with shower fitting from tap over bath and a shower in the en suite.

What is am unvented cylinder?

I have a cylinder in the airing cupboard or is this something different?